Do Social Media Simultaneously Contribute to Well-Being and Use Disorder? Empirical Evidence and Design Challenges

Authors: Supti, T.I., Yankouskaya, A., Alshakhsi, S., Babiker, A., Al-Thani, D., Ali, R.

Journal: Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing

Publication Date: 01/01/2025

Volume: 547 LNBIP

Pages: 347-361

eISSN: 1865-1356

ISSN: 1865-1348

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-92474-3_21

Abstract:

Social media has played a significant role in enhancing social well-being (SWB) across its five dimensions: integration, acceptance, contribution, actualization, and sense of coherence. However, research has shown that certain usage patterns and relationships with social media can lead to what is termed Social Media Disorder (SMD), a non-clinical term describing a compulsive, excessive, and obsessive relationship with social media that causes harm to individuals, their social circles, and society as a whole. This study examined how participants from the UK and the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region perceived the contribution of social media to the five dimensions of SWB and its role in fostering SMD. A cross-sectional survey of 563 participants (255 from the UK, 308 from the GCC) revealed differences between the two populations in their perceptions of social media as both an enabler of SWB and a facilitator of tendencies toward SMD. Additionally, the findings showed a clear intersection between these dual roles, hence posing major design challenges. This research calls for a shift in social media design to enhance SWB without triggering or facilitating SMD. It emphasizes the complexity of achieving this balance and advocates for novel human-computer interaction features and modalities to address the issue.

Source: Scopus