Social networks may inflate self-esteem, reduce self-

control
Date:
January 14, 2013
Source:
Columbia Business School
Summary:
Researchers have obtained evidence on Facebook behavior and how it relates to users' self-
control, body-mass indexes, and credit-card debt.

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FULL STORY

Users of Facebook and other social networks should beware of allowing their
self-esteem -- boosted by "likes" or positive comments from close friends -- to
influence their behavior: It could reduce their self-control both on and offline,
according to an academic paper by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh
and Columbia Business School that has recently been published online in
the Journal of Consumer Research.

Titled "Are Close Friends the Enemy? Online Social Networks, Self-Esteem, and Self-Control," the
research paper demonstrates that users who are focused on close friends tend to experience an
increase in self-esteem while browsing their social networks; afterwards, these users display less
self-control. Greater social network use among this category of users with strong ties to their friends
is also associated with individuals having higher body-mass indexes and higher levels of credit-card
debt, according to the paper.
"To our knowledge, this is the first research to show that using online social networks can affect self-
control," said coauthor Andrew T. Stephen, assistant professor of business administration and Katz
Fellow in Marketing in the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and
College of Business Administration. "We have demonstrated that using today's most popular social
network, Facebook, may have a detrimental affect on people's self-control."
Stephen coauthored the research with Keith Wilcox, assistant professor of marketing at Columbia
Business School. The paper includes the results of five separate studies conducted with a total of
more than 1,000 U.S. Facebook users.
In the researchers' initial study, participants completed surveys about how closely they're connected
to friends on Facebook. Then they were split into two groups: one group that wrote about the
experience of browsing Facebook and another group that actually browsed Facebook. Both groups
then completed a self-esteem survey. Regardless of whether the participants wrote about Facebook
browsing or actually browsed the site, the participants with weak ties to Facebook friends did not
experience an increase in self-esteem, but those with strong ties to friends had an enhanced sense
of self-esteem.
Stephen and Wilcox's second study evaluated why Facebook users with strong ties to friends were
more likely to experience an increase in self-esteem. Participants were prompted to browse
Facebook for five minutes. Some were told to pay attention to the status updates and other
information people were sharing with them. Others were directed to concentrate on information they
 were sharing. The researchers concluded that browsing Facebook only increased participants' self-
esteem when they were focused on the information they were presenting to others.
"We find that people experience greater self-esteem when they focus on the image they are
presenting to strong ties in their social networks," said Wilcox. "This suggests that even though
people are sharing the same positive information with strong ties and weak ties on social networks,
they feel better about themselves when the information is received by strong ties than by weak ties."
Cookies, granola bars, and word puzzles were part of the methodology of the third and fourth
studies, which established the link between self-esteem and self-control. Participants in the third
study were instructed either to check Facebook or read news articles on CNN.com, then choose
between eating a granola bar or a chocolate-chip cookie. Those who had browsed Facebook were
more likely to choose the cookie. Participants in the fourth study were given anagram word puzzles
to solve after either checking Facebook or reading TMZ.com, a celebrity news and gossip website.
The Facebook browsers were more likely to give up on the puzzles.
The fifth investigation, an online field study, examined the relationship between online social network
use and offline behaviors associated with poor self-control. Participants completed a survey asking
about their height and weight, the number of credit cards they own and the amount of debt on them,
and how many friends they have offline, among other questions. "The results suggest that greater
social network use is associated with a higher body-mass index, increased binge eating, a lower
credit score, and higher levels of credit-card debt for individuals with strong ties to their social
network," the researchers wrote.
Stephen and Wilcox say the five studies have implications for policy makers because self-control is
an important mechanism for maintaining social order and well-being. "It would be worthwhile for
researchers and policy makers to further explore social network use in order to better understand
which consumers may be particularly vulnerable to suffering negative psychological or social
consequences," the authors wrote.
The paper, published online in November, is scheduled for publication in the June 2013 print edition
of the Journal of Consumer Research. Stephen and Wilcox are contemplating a future inquiry into
social networks and behavior that would address the long-term effects of Facebook on users. "It
would be interesting," they wrote, "to explore the persistence of the effect of browsing Facebook over
time."

Story Source:
Materials provided by Columbia Business School. Note: Content may be edited for style and
length.

Journal Reference:
1. Keith Wilcox, Andrew T. Stephen. Are Close Friends the Enemy? Online Social Networks, Self-
Esteem, and Self-Control. Journal of Consumer Research, 2012; 000 DOI: 10.1086/668794
Homework

Name: John Carlo Lorenzo & Lyka Mallanao

Code: 716

Briefly explain the following in not more than two sentences.

1. What is the Significance of the study for you as a face book user and/or
(Instagram/tweeter) especially as a college student in the following aspects:
a. Self- esteem
 If you want to make a positive change in your life. Don’t sit on the couch and
wait for it. Go out make a change. Smile more. Do new things. Unfollow
negative people on social media. Do things that challenge you and boost your
self-esteem. Be brave.
b. Self –control
 Life is not meant to be lived in your comfort zone, push yourself out of your
comfort zone as often as possible. Don’t let social media control your life.
c. Friendship
 One place where you can pretend to have a lot of friends is “Facebook”.
Avoid posting your personal problems on Facebook. Your personal problems
require personal solution, not social attention.
2. If you will be given the chance to make your own research or study similar or related to
the article ,how will it be presented based on the following items;
a. Topic
 Social Media has changed Filipino culture and behavior in both positive and
negative ways, we should know these changes so that it won’t cause problems
for us and the people around us.
b. Research title
 The Effects of Social Media on Filipino Culture and Behavior
c. Objectives
 This study aims to illustrate the positive and negative effects of social media
on Filipino culture and behavior. Filipino culture is beautiful; we should
cherish and nurture it. With the advent of social media and the ever growing
part of it in our culture, we should be responsible in using it so it doesn't
affect our way of life negatively. With the recent reliance of Filipinos on
technology and social media, this study should give an outside perspective of
how it affects our behavior. This study aims to give the reader the ability to
step back, see the changes in behavior the use of social media may be doing to
them as an individual and as a people and make them more responsible in
the use of it.
d. Respondents
 Filipino Netizens