The same genetic factors that influence how we feel can weigh on the type of interactions we have with social media.
What influences our relationship with social media? Are they social media themselves, or are they factors… upstreamdetermining the way we are online and the effects of this on mental health? A study of over 6,000 pairs of twins found that genetics plays a significant role in “deciding” how we use social media.
The hand of genetics
The research, published on Behavior Geneticsfound that there is indeed a link between the use of social media and individual well-being, but that it is at least partly attributable to genetic factors (shared, between twins) rather than to social media themselves. It would not be so much social media that causes a worsening of mental health; rather, it is the same genetic factors that determine how we feel that influence the way we use social media. This insight could help us understand who is most vulnerable to the effects of a certain unhealthy way of running our online business.
Questionnaires… double
Scientists from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam analyzed the responses on well-being, individual satisfaction, sense of purpose in life and symptoms of anxiety and depression of 6,492 pairs of twins with an average age of 35 years, included in the database Netherlands Twin Register. Participants also reported how much time they spent on social media, how much they posted, and how many platforms they used. The fact that they were twins made it possible to understand how many of the factors linked to the use of social media were linked to genetics and how many to other variables, such as the environment to which one is exposed.
Genes and life online
Genetics – the researchers concluded – explains up to 72% of the variation in the amount of time spent on social media. The weak links found between use of social media and anxiety or depression can be partly explained by genetic factors, namely: people genetically predisposed to anxiety or depression may have a more problematic use of social media. The scientists also observed that people who report higher individual well-being tend to use more platforms, but more passively: consuming others’ content rather than posting. Those who report lower levels of well-being tend to post more, on fewer platforms.
Beyond clichés
The authors of the study hope that these elements can make the discussion on the relationship with social media richer and more articulated: each person has a unique individual, environmental and genetic background, and is in a different moment of life. All of these factors play a role in influencing how we are online.
The outdated narrative of “toxic” social media risks overshadowing these factors and does no good for users.
