Department of Information Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
College of Media, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA.
Curr Opin Psychol. 2022 Jun;45:101285. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.11.005. Epub 2021 Dec 6.
Due to the methodological challenges inherent in studying social media use (SMU), as well as the methodological choices that have shaped research into the effects of SMU on well-being, clear conclusions regarding relationships between SMU and well-being remain elusive. We provide a review of five methodological developments poised to provide increased understanding in this domain: (a) increased use of longitudinal and experimental designs; (b) the adoption of behavioural (rather than self-report) measures of SMU; (c) focusing on more nuanced aspects of SMU; (d) embracing effect heterogeneity; and (e) the use of formal modelling and machine learning. We focus on how these advances stand to bring us closer to understanding relations between SMU and well-being, as well as the challenges associated with these developments.
由于研究社交媒体使用(SMU)所固有的方法学挑战,以及塑造了研究 SMU 对幸福感影响的方法学选择,因此关于 SMU 和幸福感之间关系的明确结论仍然难以捉摸。我们回顾了五个有希望在该领域提供更深入理解的方法学发展:(a)增加使用纵向和实验设计;(b)采用行为(而不是自我报告)的 SMU 测量方法;(c)关注 SMU 更细微的方面;(d)接受效应异质性;以及(e)使用正式建模和机器学习。我们重点介绍了这些进展如何使我们更接近理解 SMU 和幸福感之间的关系,以及与这些发展相关的挑战。