Young people are more sensitive to social media likes than adults, which in turn affects their mood, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
Adolescents and teenagers are growing up surrounded by social media. The rapid rise of sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok worries parents and raises society’s fears about young people’s psychological well-being.
One of the main fears is that social media could cause anxiety in young people because they want to gather more and more likes and turn viral. “Adolescence is a developmental period during which both reward and rejection sensitivity are particularly strong, and these have, respectively, been linked to increased impulsive behaviour and depressive symptoms,” said Dr Wouter van den Bos.
During the study, the team used three steps to assess the issue. First, they used a computer model to evaluate the sensitivity of likes in a large dataset of real-life Instagram posts. Second, they mimicked the features of social media platforms to determine which parameters could be used to track mood changes. Finally, a neuroimaging scan showed that sensitivity to social media feedback is related to individual differences in amygdala volume. The three steps showed that young people are more sensitive to social media feedback than adults.
Adolescence and teenage years are marked by the need to be approved by peers. This leads to an interesting paradox: receiving likes seems to enhance young people’s mood, but this positive feeling creates such a pull towards social media that it leads to problematic overuse. On the other hand, young people stop using the platforms sooner than adults if they aren’t receiving likes, but this also leads to increasingly negative mood.
While the authors recognise that social media has some positive effects on young people, they warn that we also need ways to address the negative side effects. With this in mind, the team proposed that platforms should change their incentives, moving away from likes and towards more meaningful engagement.
In addition, schools don’t need to focus so much on strengthening digital literacy, as young people know more about this topic than any other generation. Instead, they should find ways to develop emotional regulation in online environments.
“While social media plays an important role in fostering some aspects of youth development, such as identity formation and social connection, our study reveals that it may also present challenges, particularly relating to young people’s moods. Given the growing concerns about the impact of social media on mental health, it is crucial that we further understand how young people engage with and respond to social media while also addressing the unique aspects of their developmental stages,” concluded Dr Ana da Silva Pinho.
Pinho A, Izquierdo V, Lindström B, van den Bos W (2024) Youths’ sensitivity to social media feedback: a computational account. Science Advances, 23 October 2024. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp8775.