In a 2020 study, Rebecca Pera and her colleagues find the “digital self” to be an increasingly important component of subjective well-being. That’s no surprise: The ability to generate multi-media content on social media, which Oxford University’s Bernie Hogan conceptualizes as an online “exhibition,” also opens up opportunities for self-presentation, self-expression, and identity development.
- No location available
-

Melissa G. Hunt and her colleagues, as well as Julia Brailovskaia and her colleagues, found that restricting social media usage improved future usage behaviors, improving autonomy and well-being significantly. Thus we recommend using social media intentionally for connection, but experimenting with levels of usage and periods of abstinence to regulate the tension between connection and autonomy.
- No location available
-