This assignment was an inquiry-based research paper answering a question formulated from the topic of my previous essay. The question I attempted to answer in this essay was whether excessive use of social media leads to disconnectedness. Through this assignment, I learned the importance of analyzing research and planning out a paper before writing it. This paper brought forth the idea that not every question has a definitive answer, and that only future research can strengthen or weaken the argument presented. 

Socially Disconnected

Controversy regarding social media and its effects on connectedness in the real world has been around ever since the rise of popular networking companies such as Facebook and Snapchat. The widespread growth of social media has allowed people to stay in touch regardless of distance. Despite these advancements, there is a recurring question of whether excessive use of social media and cell phones leads to disconnectedness and changes in behavior and interaction.

One factor investigated by Andrew Przybylski is the effect that the presence of mobile phones has on social interactions. Results show that “they can have negative effects on closeness, connection, and conversation quality” (Przybylski). A study was conducted where 74 people were assigned to two groups: one with a mobile phone present and one without. A phone was placed in a room and participants in the first group were asked to interact about an interesting event that occurred to them with a randomly assigned partner. In the second group, the same scenario was tested without the presence of a phone. It was found that those in the mobile phone room “reported less closeness with their partners” (Przybylski). These findings were measured with three different categorized methods. “Relationship quality was measured using a seven-item version of the connectedness subscale of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (McAuley, Duncan, & Tammen, 1987) …Closeness between participants was measured using the Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale (Aron et al., 1992) …Positive and negative affect was assessed using the nine-item Emmons Mood Indicator (Diener & Emmons, 1984)” (Przybylski). Based on the correlational data, there was an observed 43% to 51% of variance among the subjects in different groups (Przybylski). This indicates a negative correlation between the mere presence of a mobile phone and the quality and closeness of a relationship between two partners.

Along with lowering the quality of relationships, the rise in media technology has led to the decrease in reflective thought among users. This effect is known as the “shallowing hypothesis”, discussed by writer Nicholas Carr. This hypothesis was studied at the University of Winnipeg by Trapnell and Sinclair, in which it was found that texting frequencies negatively correlated significantly with “trait reflectiveness, openness to experience, and the three moral life goals: I want to be a moral human being; I want to live my life with genuine integrity; and I want to lead an ethical, principled life” (Annisette). A similar study tested the shallowing hypothesis through an online survey. The results reflected that a high texting frequency and social media usage negatively correlated with moral life goals as well as reflection (Annisette). The strongest correlations of social media frequency in the study of 149 participants were that of reflection with a coefficient of -.32 and morality with a coefficient of -.26 (Annisette). This supports the hypothesis of a lack of reflective thought and moral objectives in frequent media users. Although it is notable that the results only show correlation as opposed to causation, the rather considerable indications of the shallowing hypothesis in present day society is very apparent with the rise in social media and cell phone use. This outlines the underlying threat that the increasing presence of social media today may have on the ability to form social relationships and reflect upon morals.

Another aspect of the controversy is the effect of social media on intimate relationships. A survey conducted at a public university in Thailand was completed by 256 total responders who were married or in a relationship. The survey consisted of questions asking about the degree to which both the respondent and their partner used social media, as well as to what extent it affected the relationship. The questions tested for lack of caring, loneliness, as well as jealousy. After analyses of the results, it was found that “the results statistically confirm its positive association with loneliness, lack of caring, and jealousy” (Nongpong). The negative association between excessive social media use and relationship health was more often found in respondents who felt that their partner used social media more excessively than themselves. However, it is noteworthy that the respondents who felt they used social media more often than their partner generally felt that the relationship problems mentioned were not as much prevalent (Nongpong). This brings forth the idea of perception, and whether one’s perspective on their social media use impacts their ability to notice relationship problems. It is perceivable that when one is enjoying their time spent on social media, they may expect less from their partner in terms of communication and engagement, which may explain the results above. It is also a possibility that social media is used as an outlet to mitigate feelings of loneliness and jealousy that are apparent in the relationship due to unrelated factors. Due to this, there are certain limitations to the survey conducted, including the fact that every place and culture may treat and use social media differently. The fact that “Thailand is among the countries that have the highest rate of social media use, in which 56% of the population have an active social network account” displays that further research in other cultures needs to be replicated in order to solidify the findings in this experiment.

Although it may be reasonably intuitive to think that excessive social media use poses a threat to connectedness in the real world, some might argue that social media use strengthens relationships and increases the quality of connections outside of our digital devices. An analysis of survey data gathered by communication scholar Nicole Ellison and her colleagues show that “Facebook usage positively relates to forming new connections, deepening existing connections, and maintaining connections with dispersed networks” (Davis). Further research reported by Keith Hampton, Chul-Joo Lee and Eun Ja Her show that information communication technologies “increase network diversity and do so by encouraging participation in ‘traditional’ settings such as neighborhood groups, voluntary organizations, religious institutions and public social venues” (Davis). Although it is true that social media provides outlets into the world and allows for opportunities and connections, the claims above fail to account for the extremes of excessive social media use. The benefits of social media are already well known and accepted today, yet the idea of over usage and overconsumption of this media is overlooked. The topic of overconsumption and its effects can be very subjective, making research about the topic imperative to drawing a line between fact and myth. Regardless of the benefits and drawbacks of social media use, it is important to know everyone is different. The varying displays of behavior demonstrated through studies and experiments only strengthen the argument that social media does change behavior. Finding out when this behavioral change becomes negative and the role media usage plays can only be determined with future studies as well as analyses of current research.

A less studied subtopic is the correlation between social media use and participation in community service activities and volunteerism in local environments. To test this relationship, participants consisting of 80 undergraduate psychology students were given a survey comprised of Likert-based questions in which they answered on a scale of 1 to 5. Noteworthy questions analyzed were that of the importance of technology and the importance of community service work to the participant. The study suggests that “a significant positive correlation exists in the relationship between perceptions of the overall importance of social media and technology and perceptions of reduced importance of community service work activities” (Hoffman). This signifies that increased use of social media may impact one’s view on community related activities. A negative correlation was also noted between perceptions of feeling “connected” to one’s community and increased social media use. This might suggest that excessive media use causes one to believe that community engagement is not as important or valuable, resulting in disconnectedness between the person and his/her community. This also brings forth the possibility that this disconnectedness is caused by a lack of opportunities for community engagement, resulting in increased media use as a replacement (Hoffman). Social media as a replacement for community interaction is shown as “the Pew Center research also determined that over half (52%) of the internet users use a variety of media sites not only to communicate with friends but also to share their daily experiences with members of their own family” (Hoffman). Although this allows for easier and faster communication, it also indicates the decline of traditional face to face communication and participation in community activities.

Brian Primack and his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh conducted a study surveying 1787 adults in the United States ages 19 to 32. They were asked questions regarding social media platform usage outside of work as well as the feeling of being left out. The results indicate that “people who reported spending the most time on social media – more than two hours a day – had twice the odds of perceived social isolation than those who said they spent a half hour per day or less on those sites” (Hobson). It was also found that those who visited social media platforms 58 times or more per week had three times the odds of perceived loneliness than those with less than 9 visits a week. This suggests the link between usage of social media and lack of connectedness to the outside world, although it is purely correlational as opposed to confirming causation. The evidence points to the detrimental effects of extended social media usage, but it is perceivable that feelings of loneliness could cause the rise in media usage as opposed to the other way around, as well as a third factor causing both. Similarly, to most surveys regarding the topic, limitations in identifying true causation exist.  It is also evident that the results from this study are from that of a niche age group. Further research conducted on a multitude of age groups would establish a stronger argument based on the results.

Disconnectedness can develop from both isolation and in social settings. A study conducted by Flashgap asked about 3000 participants questions on their social media usage in social atmospheres. The results showed that about 76% of females and 54% of males check social media platforms while they are out with their friends. These high percentages demonstrate the widespread effect that social media has during interactions, and the intriguing disparity between men and women in the frequency of usage. This supports the argument of disconnectedness from the real world due to the reported usage of cell phones during interactions with others. The study recorded that “87 percent of millennials admitted to missing out on a conversation because they were distracted by their phone” (Saiidi). This illustrates that the growth in social media has led to a reliance on mobile devices for fulfillment even in social settings. The study also found that “54 percent said they experience a fear of missing out if not checking social networks” (Saiidi). People are too focused on staying updated in social media that they may be missing out on what’s right in front of them.

The dependence that society has developed for social media is becoming more evident as usage rates are increasing. Based on the results of several studies, it is apparent that there is a relationship between social media usage and “disconnectedness” from the real world. However, it is important to understand the restrictions in making statements implying direct causation. Due to the nature of surveys, they can only measure for correlation. Most data compiled from correlational studies may point towards the potential links between social media usage and disconnectedness, but they are not able to directly assert that factors such as loneliness and detachment are a result of excessive social media use. In addition to the potential drawbacks, it is recognized that social media has several benefits as well. These benefits show the opposite, in which connectedness is increased. Although these are widespread and easily perceived, further experimentation and research may strengthen the argument that excess use can lead to negative effects. Nonetheless, the abstract nature of the argument and variance among age groups and cultures makes drawing connections much more difficult.