Activity Matters: Investigating the Influence of Facebook on Life Satisfaction of teenage Users

As Facebook has become an integral part of a daily routine for many, the impact of its participation on users’ lives is of growing interest. Nonetheless, extant research does not offer a clear answer on the directionality of the link between Facebook use and markers of subjective well-being. These issues are particularly critical for the vulnerable segment of teenage users. Suggesting both negative and positive outcomes, existing studies are plagued by recall bias, with available findings often undermined by the reliance on aggregated measures of Facebook use. To close these gaps and address unique dynamics of the teen segment, in this study we adopt a diary approach to reliably capture different indicators of FB participation by young adolescents. This method allows us to arrive at more concrete conclusions regarding the counter-acting forces at work when it comes to the influence of Facebook. Based on our analysis, we show that the type of activity matters. Specifically, while such active uses of FB as posting and chatting are positively associated with life satisfaction in young adolescents, passive following has an adverse effect. Theoretically, our findings help getting a more holistic picture of the consequences of SNS use by teens.