How does social media affect our self-image?

The European Researchers' Night, a science festival with mini-lectures, experiments, music and dance, returns to Groningen on Friday 27 September. In the run-up to the event, participating researchers give a sneak preview. Today, UG scientist Marieke Pijnenborg talks about social media and mental health. Social media platforms are here to stay, the professor notes. The question is how we relate to them.

Text: Jelle Posthuma

The online world is a complicated yet interesting object of study, the professor begins. ‘In fact, I often feel more like an anthropologist than a psychologist when I study social media. One looks at other people's behaviour from the outside. Moreover, TikTok is a relatively unknown world for me. I get to know it by discussing it with my students and kids. It can actually be compared to the research I did in the past on kickboxers, which also involved a totally different world.'

Marieke Pijnenborg is a psychologist and full professor of clinical psychology in psychotic disorders at the University of Groningen.

Online identity

In her research, Pijnenborg looks at how a label or stigma of mental disorders affects our self-image. She is interested in what influence social media has on this. 'Our identity is determined by the labels we are given and the groups we belong to. It used to be about groups like your family, church, school and so on. Nowadays, the online world has made it more complex.’

According to Pijnenborg, people can very consciously ‘create’ their own identity online. ‘You can choose to belong to multiple groups online. It gives people a sense of belonging. From my clinical work, I also know that many people connect more easily online, which contributes positively to their mental health.’ However, the use of social media can also lead to loneliness and stigmatisation, the professor knows. ‘Especially for young adults, knowledge about this is crucial: we know that many mental disorders arise during adolescence. And this group in particular is very active online.'

An important element of social media is the so-called ‘self-disclosure’, that is, sharing personal information with others. Online, self-disclosure is strongly rewarded. ‘For people with mental health problems, this can be very pleasant, because they receive support from others.’ At the same time, the online world makes people vulnerable, the professor knows. 'People often overestimate the intimacy of an online setting. It is not moderated and almost everything remains discoverable. Also, experiences of self-harm are shared online, which in turn can cause incitement.'

Out of sight

In addition, there is a lot of misinformation available. 'This is shown, for example, by a Canadian study of TikTok contributions on ADHD. As it turned out, the majority of those contributions contain misinformation. There are also a lot of experience videos available. People tell what they have, which makes young people think: do I have that too? They take this to the psychologist or psychiatrist's consulting room. It is important for professionals to gain a better grip on these online dynamics.'

Until now, the online world has been largely invisible to mental health workers, Pijnenborg argues. 'I work both as a researcher and a psychologist. In our practice, we regularly speak to family members, employers, people from schools and so on. But often it is unclear how someone acts online. You can't just look at a client's Instagram profile, that would be a huge invasion of someone's privacy.' Though online expressions can tell a lot about someone's mental state, the professor continues. ‘Research shows, for example, that we can predict whether someone will experience depression again based on their posts on social media.’

‘No ban’

In her talk during the European Researchers' Night, the professor wants to paint a nuanced picture. ‘I am not a fan of “sweeping statements” about social media. There is evidence that prolonged and intensive use can be problematic. The online world certainly has risks, such as ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out), dependency on external reinforcers, insecurity about one's self-image, online bullying and loneliness. But we also see plenty of positive effects, such as connectivity, new opportunities for friendships and access to information.

Social media platforms are a part of our lives, Pijnenborg observes. As such, she is not in favour of banning social media, for instance by keeping phones out of schools. 'Children simply live in a world where social media platforms are an important part of their social circle. It is a different way of communicating that suits a new generation.’

Struggle 

Young people need to relate to the risks of the online world, Pijnenborg argues. She can tell from her own three teenagers’ experiences. 'The risk of being exposed is much higher because of social media. Every outburst is on video, which was really different in the past. At the same time, everyone is on display. Today it's my blunder, tomorrow it's yours. This makes it - to a certain extent - less bad. I notice that young people are able to put it into perspective more easily.’

The professor points to Bildungsromans in which young people come of age. ‘Nowadays, young people receive much more information through social media, but struggling with your identity and acquiring your place in a complex world is of all times. Social media represent the challenge for this young generation. Even if it were only bad (which is not the case), there is no point in bringing this message. Banning social media is not possible nor desirable. It would take us back in time.’

Pijnenborg hopes to engage with the public on the positive and negative aspects of social media during the European Researchers' Night. 'As researchers, we work for society. It is very nice to give something back in the form of knowledge and interaction. In the current times, in which science is increasingly seen as ‘just another opinion’, this is of great importance. We need to engage and tell about what we do.’

The four Schools for Science and Society of the University of Groningen, together with Forum Groningen and other partners, will be hosting the European Researchers' Night on Friday evening 27 September. It will be a vibrant science festival with over 40 programme elements. Stadjers, Ommelanders, students, non-students, researchers or non-researchers: all curious people are welcome. Tickets are still available.

The European Researchers' Night (ERN) is an annual festival on the last Friday of September in several European cities, aiming to bring science to a wide audience. European Researchers' Night is co-funded by the European Commission, under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme, grant agreement No.101162172.