Social media use, emotion regulation, and well-being in adults: A cross-cultural study
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1
Department of Psychological Science, School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Australia
Aims: Individuals from Western cultures are more likely than those from Eastern cultures to use strategies to enhance the positive emotions they experience. Such cross-cultural differences in the emphasis on positive emotions are associated with well-being. Social networking site (SNS) use has been found to be associated with well-being, although results from studies in different cultures have yielded mixed results. In this study we aimed to explore the relationship between emotion regulation and well-being across cultures. Our second aim was to examine the relationship between social networking activity intensity and well-being. Methods: A sample of 299 respondents from Australia (N = 237; M age = 39.81, SD = 15.47; 77.64% female) and Singapore (N = 62; M age = 35.37, SD = 14.58; 64.52% female) completed an online survey consisting of demographic questions, the Savoring Beliefs Inventory, Ways of Savoring Checklist, Social Networking Activity Intensity Scale and the WHO-5. Results: There was no significant difference in subjective well-being between participants living in Singapore and Australia. Social networking activity intensity was not significantly correlated with well-being. Amplifying behaviour was significantly correlated with well-being for respondents in both countries (overall, r = .316, p < .001). For Australians (r = -.399, p < .001) but not Singaporeans, there was a moderate and significant correlation between dampening and well-being. Conclusion: These results indicate that enhancing positive emotional reactions is positively correlated with well-being in both cultures. While respondents from Singapore had a greater tendency than those from Australia to dampen their positive emotional reactions, this was not correlated with their well-being. The fact that social network activity intensity did not covary with well-being is contrary to some previous claims, which suggests the need for further research to identify the exact aspects of social media use that might influence well-being in individuals.
Keywords:
Emotion Regulation,
Positive emotions,
Subjective well-being,
culture,
social networking activity
Conference:
15th Annual Psychology Honours Research Conference , Coffs Harbour, Australia, 4 Oct - 5 Oct, 2018.
Presentation Type:
Research
Topic:
Abstract for 15th Annual Psychology Honours Research Conference
Citation:
Ng
W and
Kozlowski
D
(2019). Social media use, emotion regulation, and well-being in adults: A cross-cultural study.
Front. Psychol.
Conference Abstract:
15th Annual Psychology Honours Research Conference .
doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2018.74.00029
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Received:
18 Sep 2018;
Published Online:
27 Sep 2019.
*
Correspondence:
Miss. Wei Ning Ng, Department of Psychological Science, School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, Australia, w.ng.18@student.scu.edu.au