A new study links social media use to increased achievement and conformity values, suggesting a shift in societal culture that could reshape consumer behavior and brand engagement.
Alpha Score of 57 reflects moderate overall profile with weak momentum, weak value, strong quality, moderate sentiment.
Social media use makes people more focused on achievement and conformity, according to a study by Ertugrul Uysal, Sascha Alavi, and Valéry Bezençon. The research is the first to examine how social media might shift personal values, not just moods or behaviors.
The authors used a difference-in-differences analysis comparing countries with higher social media adoption to culturally similar countries. Higher adoption corresponded with increased achievement and conformity orientation, they found. In a separate experiment, the researchers manipulated Facebook use and observed a causal link between usage and activation of those values. The pattern held when measured against objective social media usage data.
The mechanism runs through a need for approval, the authors said. The effect was stronger for people who tend to self-ruminate.
The findings suggest that social media use contributes to a society that prizes achievement and conformity, the authors said. That may have implications for how brands market on social platforms and how users perceive social comparison.
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