Active social media use and its impact on well-being — an experimental study on the effects of posting pictures on Instagram

Abstract 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 empirical support and the imprecise conceptualization active use. Nevertheless, considerable heterogeneity among existing studies on causal evidence still limited, a final verdict robustness pending. To contribute ongoing debate, we conducted week-long randomized control trial N = 381 adult Instagram users recruited via Prolific. Specifically, tested how SNS use, operationalized as picture postings Instagram, affects different dimensions The results depicted positive effect affect but null findings for other well-being outcomes. broadly align recent criticism against call more nuanced view impact SNSs.