Gaby
Researchers at Central China Normal University say people who rarely react to posts on social media are more likely to experience social anxiety — the fear of doing something in front of others because it might lead to negative judgment.
The research team calls these passive users “social media voyeurs.” The researchers say their social anxiety makes them especially wary of unfamiliar situations.
How the Research Was Conducted
A new study found that social media users who never like or comment on posts are more likely to experience social anxiety than users who actively share content.
The researchers also found that active social media users tend to rely more on social support and have broader friendship networks.
The team invited 571 students from the provinces of Shaanxi and Hubei to take part in the study, which ran from May to July 2022. The volunteers completed surveys designed to assess their openness, active and passive social media use, self-esteem, and social anxiety.
To measure active and passive social media use, the researchers used a questionnaire that clarified how much participants engaged with digital platforms. Volunteers answered questions about how many posts and status updates they published and how often they liked or commented on others’ posts, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The researchers defined active social media use as behaviors that create information and enhance communication with other users. Passive use, by contrast, was defined as consuming information without engaging in communication — for example, visiting a home page or scrolling through others’ photos without reacting.
In the self-esteem section, participants were asked to agree or disagree with statements such as “I think I am a smart person.”
The final questionnaire focused on social anxiety and included statements like “Large groups of people make me anxious” and “I need time to overcome my shyness in new situations.”
What the Scientists Discovered
Those who reported passive social media use were more likely to select responses associated with social phobia.
In a paper for BMC Psychology, the researchers wrote that people often portray themselves on social media in overly positive, idealized ways. That portrayal can lead social media voyeurs to compare themselves to those idealized images.
The team also found that passive social media users generally have lower self-esteem and are more prone to jealousy. They wrote that this passive approach “can lead to ruminative thinking (repetitive thoughts focused on negativity and regret), which may exacerbate symptoms of social anxiety.”
The researchers say passive users disclose less about themselves and avoid communicative interactions, which hinders building high-quality relationships with others.
By contrast, people who actively engage on digital platforms feel comfortable anticipating feedback from their post readers. “As a result, these individuals more effectively accumulate social capital, satisfy their communication needs, and develop a positive self-perception,” the researchers concluded.
