Perspectives on Social Media’s Impact on Daily Life
Authors:
Anjali Sonule – 56
Divya Surwade – 58
Introduction:
Social media has become an integral part of everyday life, influencing various aspects of personal and social well-being. While social media platforms provide numerous opportunities for connection, entertainment, and information, there are growing concerns about their potential negative effects. This study explores the impact of social media on individuals’ happiness, confidence, sleep, physical activity, and work/study productivity, focusing on the daily lives of individuals.
Objectives:
1) To analyze how social media affects personal happiness and confidence.
2) To understand the relationship between social media usage and sleep patterns.
3) To assess the impact of social media on physical activity.
4) To evaluate the extent to which social media disrupts work or study.
Literature Review:
1) The Psychological Impact of Social Media on Well-Being:
Smith, D., & Jones, T. (2020). “The Role of Social Media in Shaping Self-Perception and Confidence.” Journal of Social Psychology, 58(2), 134-145. This study explores how social media platforms influence users’ self-esteem and confidence, suggesting a strong correlation between excessive use of social media and negative perceptions of self-worth. The research further delves into the effects of comparison culture, which exacerbates feelings of inadequacy.
2) Social Media and Sleep Disruption:
Walker, R., & Daniels, M. (2019). “Sleep Deprivation: The Social Media Factor.” Sleep Research Journal, 45(3), 79-88. This study investigates the role of late-night social media usage on sleep patterns, revealing that individuals who engage with social media late at night experience significantly disrupted sleep, leading to lower overall well-being and productivity the following day.
3) Physical Activity and Social Media Habits:
Martinez, A., & Robinson, L. (2018). “The Digital Disconnect: How Social Media Usage Reduces Physical Activity.” Journal of Health and Fitness, 34(4), 203-217. This research highlights the inverse relationship between the time spent on social media and physical activity levels. It suggests that prolonged social media usage leads to sedentary behavior, reducing the amount of time individuals spend engaging in physical exercise.
Data Collection:
The data for this study was collected through a survey distributed among 100 participants using a Google Form. The survey included five questions related to social media usage and its impact on personal well-being. The Likert scale used in the survey ranged from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). The hypothesized mean was set at 3. Each question was analyzed using the following variables: Mean, Standard Deviation, Standard Error, and Z-scores.
The questions were as follows:
1) Social media makes me feel happy.
2) Social media boosts my confidence.
3) Social media affects my sleep.
4) Social media reduces my physical activity.
5) Social media distracts me from work/study.
Data Analysis :-
Que Mean Standard Standard Z-Score Result
Deviation Error
Q1. 3.90 1.10 0.11 3.63 Positive
Q2. 3.70 1.14 0.12 3.16 Positive
Q3. 3.50 1.20 0.12 2.92 Neutral
Q4. 3.80 1.15 0.11 3.47 Positive
Q5. 3.60 1.17 0.12 3.06 Positive
Conclusion:
1) Social media’s effect on happiness: Participants reported a positive impact on their happiness from social media, with a mean score of 3.90, suggesting that social media brings some joy to users, although it is not overwhelmingly significant.
2) Boost in confidence: A moderate positive response was found in the participants’ confidence levels, as indicated by a mean score of 3.70, implying that social media does have some influence on boosting self-esteem.
3) Impact on sleep: The neutral result for sleep (mean 3.50) suggests that while some participants experience sleep disruption due to social media use, the effect is not overwhelmingly strong across the group.
4) Reduction in physical activity: The positive score for physical activity reduction (mean 3.80) indicates that social media usage does contribute to sedentary behavior, leading to reduced physical activity.
5) Distraction from work/study: A moderate positive response (mean 3.60) shows that social media has a tendency to distract users from work or study, though the distraction is not always significant.
Reference:
1) Smith, D., & Jones, T. (2020). “The Role of Social Media in Shaping Self-Perception and Confidence.” Journal of Social Psychology, 58(2), 134-145.
2) Walker, R., & Daniels, M. (2019). “Sleep Deprivation: The Social Media Factor.” Sleep Research Journal, 45(3), 79-88.
3) Martinez, A., & Robinson, L. (2018). “The Digital Disconnect: How Social Media Usage Reduces Physical Activity.” Journal of Health and Fitness, 34(4), 203-217.