Publication Date
February 2015
Journal or Book Title
Journal of Experimental Psychhology
Abstract
Prior research indicates that Facebook usage predicts declines in subjective well-being over time. How does this come about? We examined this issue in 2 studies using experimental and field methods. In Study 1, cueing people in the laboratory to use Facebook passively (rather than actively) led to declines in affective well-being over time. Study 2 replicated these findings in the field using experience-sampling techniques. It also demonstrated how passive Facebook usage leads to declines in affective well-being: by increasing envy. Critically, the relationship between passive Facebook usage and changes in affective well-being remained significant when controlling for active Facebook use, non-Facebook online social network usage, and direct social interactions, highlighting the specificity of this result. These findings demonstrate that passive Facebook usage undermines affective well-being.
DOI
10.1037/xge0000057
Pages
480-488
Volume
144
Issue
2
Recommended Citation
Park, Jiyoung; Verduyn, Philippe; Lee, David; Shablack, Holly; Orvell, Ariana; Bayer, Joseph; Ybarra, Oscar; Jonides, John; and Kross, Ethan, "Passive Facebook usage undermines affective wellbeing: Experimental and longitudinal evidence" (2015). Journal of Experimental Psychhology. 2.
10.1037/xge0000057