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Never liking or commenting on social media is linked to anxiety disorder
Passive users are less tolerant of unfamiliar situations due to social anxiety.
READ MORE: Experts reveal the dangers of sharing too much with your children online
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Browsing social media but never liking or commenting on posts may be a sign of a mental health condition, a new study has revealed.
Researchers from Central China Normal University found that people who use platforms “passively” are more likely to suffer from social anxiety compared to people who use them actively: uploading posts and sharing updates about their life.
The team surveyed more than 500 college students about their mental health and social media use and found that voyeurs were most afraid of unknown situations in your physical life.
Researchers at Central China Normal University determined that the link arises from a person’s need to evaluate themselves using the opinions of others.
On the other hand, those who actively used social media found that they had more social support and a better quality of friendship.
The study, published in BMC Psychologyincluded 571 students from Shanxi Province and Hubei Province in China from May to July 2022.
The group completed questionnaires measuring openness, active and passive use of social media, self-evaluation, and social anxiety.
To measure openness, subjects were asked to rate a series of statements: one for which they strongly disagreed and four for which they strongly agreed.
These statements included: “I see myself as someone who is inventive” and “I see myself as someone who has an active imagination.”
The next measure, active and passive social media use, was a nine-item questionnaire that asked how much they posted, such as status updates, likes, and comments.
The study noted that “active use refers to information-generating behaviors that improve communication, such as posting status updates or comments.”
The team also found that “oversharers” use social media to learn about the lives and plans of others, primarily to supplement the real-life interactions they tend to struggle with.
“Passive use refers to information-seeking behaviors that lack communication, such as viewing others’ home pages or photos,” the team wrote in the paper.
The self-assessment portion asked participants to agree or disagree with statements such as “I think I am an intelligent person.”
The final questionnaire focused on social anxiety with sample items including: “Large groups make me nervous” and “It takes me time to overcome my shyness in new situations.”
Participants were then asked to rate from “not at all like me” to “very much like me.”
The study shared that those who reported passively using social media were more likely to produce dysfunctional beliefs.
“People tend to present themselves in overly flattering ways on social media platforms, which may lead passive users to unconsciously fall into the dilemma of upward social comparisons when viewing their friends’ updates,” the researchers wrote.
«Previous studies have also found that people who passively use social media have more jealousy and lower self-esteem.
“In particular, passive social media use can lead to ruminative thoughts related to interpersonal relationships, which easily exacerbates social anxiety symptoms.”
The team found that when users actively use the platforms, they feel comfortable portraying themselves to others and receiving feedback.
“In addition, individuals have more confidence in their ability to maintain a large number of weak ties,” the study reads.
“As a result, individuals can more effectively accumulate social capital, satisfy their relationship needs, and develop positive self-perceptions.”
However, passive users lack self-disclosure and communicative interaction, making it difficult to establish and develop high-quality relationships with others.