TY - CHAP A1 - Krause, Hannes-Vincent A1 - Große Deters, Fenne A1 - Baumann, Annika T1 - The envy spiral BT - unraveling the black box of social media positivityorganizations T2 - Proceedings of the 28th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) : ECIS 2020 Research-in-Progress Papers N2 - On Social Networking Sites (SNS) users disclose mostly positive and often self-enhancing information. Scholars refer to this phenomenon as the positivity bias in SNS communication (PBSC). However, while theoretical explanations for this phenomenon have been proposed, an empirical proof of these theorized mechanisms is still missing. The project presented in this Research-in-Progress paper aims at explaining the PBSC with the mechanism specified in the self-enhancement envy spiral. Specifically, we hypothesize that feelings of envy drive people to post positive and self-enhancing content on SNS. To test this hypothesis, we developed an experimental design allowing to examine the causal effect of envy on the positivity of users’ subsequently posted content. In a preliminary study, we tested our manipulation of envy and could show its effectiveness in inducing different levels of envy between our groups. Our project will help to broaden the understanding of the complex dynamics of SNS and the potentially adverse driving forces underlying them. Y1 - 2020 UR - https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2020_rip/68 SN - 978-1-7336325-1-5 PB - AIS Electronic Library (AISeL) CY - [Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar] ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Krause, Hannes-Vincent A1 - Baumann, Annika T1 - The devil in disguise BT - malicious envy’s impact on harmful interactions between social networking site users T2 - ICIS 2021: user behaviors, engagement, and consequences N2 - Envy constitutes a serious issue on Social Networking Sites (SNSs), as this painful emotion can severely diminish individuals' well-being. With prior research mainly focusing on the affective consequences of envy in the SNS context, its behavioral consequences remain puzzling. While negative interactions among SNS users are an alarming issue, it remains unclear to which extent the harmful emotion of malicious envy contributes to these toxic dynamics. This study constitutes a first step in understanding malicious envy’s causal impact on negative interactions within the SNS sphere. Within an online experiment, we experimentally induce malicious envy and measure its immediate impact on users’ negative behavior towards other users. Our findings show that malicious envy seems to be an essential factor fueling negativity among SNS users and further illustrate that this effect is especially pronounced when users are provided an objective factor to mask their envy and justify their norm-violating negative behavior. Y1 - 2021 UR - https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2021/user_behaivors/user_behaivors/21 PB - AIS Electronic Library (AISeL) CY - [Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar] ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krause, Hannes-Vincent A1 - Große Deters, Fenne A1 - Baumann, Annika A1 - Krasnova, Hanna T1 - Active social media use and its impact on well-being BT - an experimental study on the effects of posting pictures on Instagram JF - Journal of computer-mediated communication : a journal of the International Communication Association N2 - Active use of social networking sites (SNSs) has long been assumed to benefit users' well-being. However, this established hypothesis is increasingly being challenged, with scholars criticizing its lack of empirical support and the imprecise conceptualization of active use. Nevertheless, with considerable heterogeneity among existing studies on the hypothesis and causal evidence still limited, a final verdict on its robustness is still pending. To contribute to this ongoing debate, we conducted a week-long randomized control trial with N = 381 adult Instagram users recruited via Prolific. Specifically, we tested how active SNS use, operationalized as picture postings on Instagram, affects different dimensions of well-being. The results depicted a positive effect on users' positive affect but null findings for other well-being outcomes. The findings broadly align with the recent criticism against the active use hypothesis and support the call for a more nuanced view on the impact of SNSs.
Lay Summary Active use of social networking sites (SNSs) has long been assumed to benefit users' well-being. However, this established assumption is increasingly being challenged, with scholars criticizing its lack of empirical support and the imprecise conceptualization of active use. Nevertheless, with great diversity among conducted studies on the hypothesis and a lack of causal evidence, a final verdict on its viability is still pending. To contribute to this ongoing debate, we conducted a week-long experimental investigation with 381 adult Instagram users. Specifically, we tested how posting pictures on Instagram affects different aspects of well-being. The results of this study depicted a positive effect of posting Instagram pictures on users' experienced positive emotions but no effects on other aspects of well-being. The findings broadly align with the recent criticism against the active use hypothesis and support the call for a more nuanced view on the impact of SNSs on users. KW - social networking sites KW - social media KW - Instagram KW - well-being KW - experiment KW - randomized control trial Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmac037 SN - 1083-6101 VL - 28 IS - 1 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cingel, Drew A1 - Carter, Michael C. C. A1 - Krause, Hannes-Vincent T1 - Social media and self-esteem JF - Current opinion in psychology N2 - The relationship between social media and self-esteem is complex, as studies tend to find a mixed pattern of relationships and meta-analyses tend to find small, albeit significant, magnitudes of statistical effects. One explanation is that social media use does not affect self-esteem for the majority of users, while small minorities experience either positive or negative effects, as evidenced by recent research calculating person specific within-person effects. This suggests that the true relationship between social media use and self-esteem is person-specific and based on individual susceptibilities and uses. In recognition of these advancements, we review recent empirical studies considering differential uses and moderating variables in the social media-self-esteem relationship, and conclude by discussing opportunities for future social media effects research. KW - Social media KW - Self-esteem KW - Social comparison KW - Social feedback KW - Self-reflection Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101304 SN - 2352-250X SN - 2352-2518 VL - 45 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meier, Adrian A1 - Krause, Hannes-Vincent T1 - Does passive social media use harm well-being? BT - an adversarial review JF - Journal of media psychology N2 - Research into the effects of social media on well-being often distinguishes “active” and “passive” use, with passive use supposedly more harmful to well-being (i.e., the passive use hypothesis). Recently, several studies and reviews have begun to question this hypothesis and its conceptual basis, the active/passive dichotomy. As this dichotomy has become a staple of social media research but evidence challenging its validity is mounting, a comprehensive debate on its pros, cons, and potential future is needed. This adversarial review brings together two voices – one more supportive, and the other more critical – toward the active/passive model. In constructive dialogue, we summarize and contrast our two opposing positions: The first position argues that the active/passive dichotomy is a useful framework because it adequately describes how and why passive use is (more) harmful for well-being. The second position challenges the validity of the dichotomy and the passive use hypothesis specifically. Arguments are presented alongside (a) the empirical basis, (b) conceptualization, and (c) operationalization of active and passive use, with particular focus on the passive use hypothesis. Rather than offering a conciliatory summary of the status quo, the goal of this review is to carve out key points of friction in the literature on the effects of social media through fruitful debate. We summarize our main agreements and unresolved disagreements on the merits and shortcomings of the active/passive dichotomy. In doing so, this review paves the way for researchers to decide whether and how they want to continue applying this lens in their future work. KW - social media KW - active/passive dichotomy KW - well-being KW - adversarial review Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000358 SN - 1864-1105 SN - 2151-2388 VL - 35 IS - 3 SP - 169 EP - 180 PB - Hogrefe CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meythaler, Antonia A1 - Krause, Hannes-Vincent A1 - Baumann, Annika A1 - Krasnova, Hanna A1 - Thatcher, Jason Bennett T1 - The rise of metric-based digital status BT - an empirical investigation into the role of status perceptions in envy on social networking sites JF - European Journal of Information Systems N2 - Widespread on social networking sites (SNSs), envy has been linked to an array of detrimental outcomes for users’ well-being. While envy has been considered a status-related emotion and is likely to be experienced in response to perceiving another’s higher status, there is a lack of research exploring how status perceptions influence the emergence of envy on SNSs. This is important because SNSs typically quantify social interactions and reach with metrics that indicate users’ relative rank and status in the network. To understand how status perceptions impact SNS users, we introduce a new form of metric-based digital status rooted in SNS metrics that are available and visible on a platform. Drawing on social comparison theory and status literature, we conducted an online experiment to investigate how different forms of status contribute to the proliferation of envy on SNSs. Our findings shed light on how metric-based digital status influences feelings of envy on SNSs. Specifically, we could show that metric-based digital status impacts envy through increasing perceptions of others’ socioeconomic and sociometric statuses. Our study contributes to the growing discourse on the negative outcomes associated with SNS use and its consequences for users and society. KW - social networking sites KW - metric-based digital status KW - social comparisons KW - social status KW - envy KW - experiment Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2023.2290707 SN - 0960-085X SN - 1476-9344 SP - 1 EP - 28 PB - Taylor and Francis CY - London ER -