The Effects of Social Media (PHI 103: June 6, 2018)

The Effects of Social Media

The internet has, “Increased knowledge acquisition, sharing and transfer of information has become easier than before. People from all walks of life can now easily share information, pictures and post both motivational thoughts on the social media and advert jobs” (Chukwuere & Chukwuere, 2017, p. 9966). Many social media applications are available and accessed daily on phones, tablets, and computers. According to Perrin (2015), “65% of adults now use social networking sites – a nearly tenfold jump in the past decade” (para. 1).  With the increased popularity of these sites, it is critical to consider the impact these sites may have on intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. Does the use of social media improve or harm relationships? The focus of this paper is to prove that with moderate usage, people create positive connections and maintain healthy relationships by using social media as a relationship maintenance tool. The counter-argument addresses the reported adverse outcomes and deleterious effects of internet usage on intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships.

Argument That Social Media Affects Relationships Positively

For many, it is hard to conceive a time before the internet. Before cell phones were readily available, it was challenging to stay in touch with friends and family. Of course, one could write a letter or even call on his house phone, assuming the other person was also home. Presently one must try to disappear from the electronic grid. The internet and social media have created a way to communicate with anyone, anywhere, and more accessible than before. Social media continues to develop new ways to engage others, thus building and strengthening relationships.

Premise 1: Social media improves class engagement between students, teachers, and classmates (Chukwuere & Chukwuere, 2017).

Premise 2: Social media unites friends and creates new friendships (Chukwuere & Chukwuere, 2017).

Premise 3: Social media encourages political involvement (Chukwuere & Chukwuere, 2017).

Premise 4: Self-disclosure on social media creates more opportunity for intimacy, which in turn strengthens relationships (Matook, Cummings, & Bala, 2015).

Premise 5: Participating in active broadcasting features of social media decreases loneliness (Matook, Cummings, & Bala, 2015).

Premise 6: Teens form an identity by interacting with peers, including online engagements (Teens…, 2010).

Premise 7:  Social media provides a means for parents to connect with their teens (Teens…, 2010).

Premise 8: Older adults and individuals with mobility impairments can stay connected with their community (Hutto et al., 2015).

Premise 9: Facebook users who participate in direct communication feel connected to society (Hutto et al., 2015).

Conclusion: Social media has a positive impact on interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships.

Quality of Reasoning

The first three premises come from the article “The Impact of Social Media on Social Lifestyle: A Case Study of University Female Students” which is peer-reviewed. Sixty-nine randomly sampled students attending North-West University in South Africa completed the survey. The students completed a questionnaire and participated in a literature study. The descriptive research method gathered observation to understand how social media impacts female students academically and socially (Chukwuere & Chukwuere, 2017). The premises are valid for the small sample of college-aged female students, but it would be a hasty generalization to apply the results to the population.

Premise four and five are from a study about social loneliness and social network usage. The study focuses on the ways one can engage in social media and if feelings of loneliness varies according to passive or active online behaviors. The participants consisted of recently displaced first semester students, primarily international students.  166 participants completed three surveys: one at the beginning of the semester, another two months after the start, and the last one a month after the semester ended. Researchers approached the analysis of the collected data mathematically. Self-disclosure and active engagement with social media demonstrates a strong correlation with low levels of loneliness (Matook, Cummings, & Bala, 2015). This study provides strong support for the premises. The article acknowledges that the results of a larger sample size would provide a more accurate representation of the general population.

An interview with Dr. Kaveri Subrahmanyam provides premise six and seven. Dr. Kaveri Subrahmanyam is a developmental psychologist who has co-authored a book, written, and edited scholarly works on adolescents and social media. The interview is scholarly and peer-reviewed.  Dr. Subrahmanyam answers the interviewer’s questions with her expertise, noting where the information is inconclusive and offering opposing arguments where available. The Dr. Subrahmanyam also references alleged studies (Teens…, 2010). Dr. Subrahmanyam states, “Self-report data suggest that social media is not interfering with the time spent with parents and family members” (Teens…, 2010, p. 12).  Locating the study that Dr. Subrahmanyam references may offer stronger support, but Dr. Subrahmayam is a highly credible source making these premises moderately strong.

“Social Media Gerontology: Understanding Social Media Usage among Older Adults” supports premise eight and nine. Researchers set out to understand the way elderly adults use the internet in comparison to other age groups. 268 older adults participated in a survey and were monetarily compensated for their time. The data reflected a correlation between social media non-users and loneliness. The data also shows an association between satisfaction and increased social media use. While the data supports the premises, the article states that volunteer bias could have affected the results (Hutto et al., 2015).  One should avoid interpreting the data with false cause or false dilemma. Some participants reported many reasons they do not use social media and are also not lonely. The data supports the premises, but this could be a result of confirmation bias.

Argument That Social Media Affects Relationships Negatively

Social media can have a negative impact on relationships. Social media can withdraw resources from interpersonal relationships such as with one’s intermediate family or spouse. Social media is distracting and can cause dissatisfaction with one’s relationship with one’s self and others. Social media is addictive, time-wasting, and is an easily accessible platform for bullying behaviors. Online relationships are not a replacement for face-to-face intimacy and can harm one’s existing relationships.

Premise 1: Internet usage weakens family relationships (Hussain, Cakir, Ozdemir, & Tahirkheli, 2017).

Premise 2: Social media usage creates marriage dissatisfaction (Hussain, Cakir, Ozdemir, & Tahirkheli, 2017).

Premise 3: As online friendships increase, face-to-face friendships decrease (Hussain, Cakir, Ozdemir, & Tahirkheli, 2017).

Premise 4:  The dehumanization in digital communications makes it easier to display insulting behavior towards others (Hussain, Cakir, Ozdemir, & Tahirkheli, 2017).

Premise 5: People get a false sense of being connected digitally, while physically isolated from real friendships (Hussain, Cakir, Ozdemir, & Tahirkheli, 2017).

Premise 6: Compulsive internet users report less intimacy and more concealment over time in romantic relationships (Kerkhof, Finkenauer, & Muussesp, 2011).

Premise 7: Online methods of interaction less intimate than online engagements (Northrup & Smith, 2016).

Premise 8: Increased problematic internet use increases anger which is deleterious to relationships (Say & Batigum, 2016).

Conclusion: Social media usage harms relationships.

Quality of Reasoning

Researchers conducted a study to see if social media creates a distraction for relationships. New Horizons published the peer-reviewed article, which supports premises one through five. The authors’ credentials offer more than an adequate authority on the subject. Researchers collected qualitative from a small sample group of teachers and students from Pakistan and Turkey. Qualification for participants in the study included using an android phone and social media for more than three years.  Fifty-three students and sixteen teachers volunteered. The study provides data from a descriptive study which supports the premises, so this is a valid argument. The choice of emotional language (i.e. “ignoring the dear ones” and “rusting the relationships”) in the article could present as bias in the results. The report addresses the small sample size as a possible fallacy (Hussain, Cakir, Ozdemir, & Tahirkheli, 2017). Nevertheless, the premises prove valid, but require additional research on a larger scale.

The article, “Relational Consequences of Compulsive Internet Use: A Longitudinal Study among Newlyweds” supports premise six. The study consisted of 190 newlywed couples in the Netherlands. The data collected shows that with compulsive internet use, relationships experience decreased quality. Kerkhof, Finkenauer, and Muusses (2011) address possible fallacy concluding, “We cannot rule out that a bad relationship increases Internet use over time, for example, because people want to escape the unhappy relationship or use the Internet to distract themselves and change their mood” (p. 164). It is important to note that only compulsive internet usage shows a negative correlation, but the study did not observe non-extreme internet usage.

The scholarly article, “Effects of Facebook Maintenance Behaviors on Partners' Experience of Love” provides support for premise seven. The study explores the correlation between the qualities of romantic partnerships compared to Facebook relationship maintenance usage. The theory was that increased Facebook relationship maintenance would reflect more positive relationship; however, “Results indicate that an increase in Facebook maintenance behaviors actually negatively affect the relationship quality component of Love” (Northrup & Smith, 2016, p. 248-249). The results also suggest that, “Couples who feel more love towards each other engage in less relationship maintenance via Facebook” (Northrup & Smith, 2016, p. 249). The study indicates that this is the result of face-to-face interaction among couples. The article provides staunch support for the premise; however, it also addresses several limitations which could skew the data: convenience sampling, small sample size, and consisting of mainly Caucasian and Hispanic couples (Northrup & Smith, 2016).  Additional research on a larger, random sample could provide stronger support.

Two-hundred and thirty-four undergraduate students participated in a study that provides support for premise eight.  The study aims to examine possible correlations between compulsive internet usage and relationship quality with one’s parents, anger, problem-solving abilities, and loneliness and determine what tools are beneficial for those struggling with “problematic internet usage”. The study concludes that as problematic internet usage increases so does anger which can cause issues within relationships. The article addresses the limitations of the study as the data was self-reported from a small sample at one university (Say & Batigum, 2016). The support for the premise is moderately strong but cannot be generalized toward the population without further research.

Analysis of the Reasoning on Both Sides

Both arguments reference scholarly, peer-reviewed articles written by authors with authority on the topics. Both cases conclude strong, valid points, which also contain limitations and possible bias. The arguments carry fallacies such as small sample size, hasty generalization, and begging the question for the outcome the study hopes to prove. Some of the premises provided for the counter-argument require additional inference to reach the conclusion. Some of the counter-argument premises examine only extreme cases such as problematic or compulsive internet usage, which most likely would not apply to the general population. Each source touches on where more research could be completed to strengthen both arguments.

Conclusion

On the surface, the argument and counter-argument appear to contradict one another, but to assume that social media can only be harmful or helpful creates a false dilemma. One can infer that, when used in moderation, the internet can benefit new and existing relationships, if used for relationship maintenance purposes. On the other hand, one must consider that the internet is a platform for bullying, an unhealthy coping mechanism, and an obsessive outlet, which, in turn, can damage and weaken relationships. Both arguments raise valid points that need further research before one can claim one is superior over the other. So does social media harm or improve relationships? According to the arguments, one can assume social media has the capability to do both until disproved with clearer evidence.

References

Chukwuere, J. , & Chukwuere, P.  (2017). The impact of social media on social lifestyle: A case study of university female students. Gender & Behaviour, 15(4), 9966-9981.

Hussain, I., Cakir, O., Ozdemir, B., & Tahirkheli, S. A. (2017). Getting closer being apart: Living in the age of information and communication technologies. New Horizons, 11(1), 145-160.

Hutto, C., Bell, C., Farmer, S., Fausset, C., Harley, L., Nguyen, J., & Fain, B. (2015). Social media gerontology: Understanding social media usage among older adults. Web Intelligence, 13(1), 69. doi:10.3233/WEB-150310

Kerkhof, P., Finkenauer, C., & Muusses, L. (2011). Relational consequences of compulsive internet use: A longitudinal study among newlyweds. Human Communication Research, 37(2), 147-173. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2958.2010.01397.x

Matook, S., Cummings, J., & Bala, H. (2015). Are you feeling lonely? The impact of relationship characteristics and online social network features on loneliness. Journal Of Management Information Systems, 31(4), 278-310. doi:10.1080/07421222.2014.1001282

Northrup, J., & Smith, J. (2016). Effects of Facebook maintenance behaviors on partners' experience of love. Contemporary Family Therapy, 38(2), 245-253. doi:10.1007/s10591-016-9379-5

Perrin, A. (2015, October 8). Social media usage: 2005 – 2015. Pewinternet.org. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/08/social-net

Say, G., & Batigun, A. D. (2016). The assessment of the relationship between problematic internet use and parent-adolescent relationship quality, loneliness, anger, and problem solving skills. Dusunen Adam: Journal Of Psychiatry & Neurological Sciences, 29(4), 324-334. doi:10.5350/DAJPN2016290404

Teens, social media, and relationships: an interview with Kaveri Subrahmanyam. (2010). Prevention Researcher, 17, 11-12.