The Harsh Side of Social Media

Thank you for listening and supporting This Might Help.In this episode, we unpack how social media might be making us more critical and harsher than we realise. From influencer “drama” to comment section pile-ons to the algorithms designed to reward outrage over nuance, we explore why we’re no longer just watching; we’re participating. We break down the psychology behind this, including the online disinhibition effect, why we say things online we'd never say in person, how social comparison fuels judgment, and what all of this is doing to our mental health. Finally, we share practical ways to step back, think more clearly, and engage online without getting pulled into the noise.You can find us on socials @thismighthelppodcast - ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTokThe full video version of this episode is available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@thismighthelppodcastSome of the key research we chat about can be found below:Brady, W. J., Wills, J. A., Jost, J. T., Tucker, J. A., & Van Bavel, J. J. (2017). Emotion shapes the diffusion of moralized content in social networks. PNAS, 114(28), 7313–7318. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1618923114Crockett, M. J. (2017). Moral outrage in the digital age. Nature Human Behaviour, 1, 769–771. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0213-3Curran, T., & Hill, A. P. (2019). Perfectionism is increasing over time: A meta-analysis of birth cohort differences from 1989 to 2016. Psychological Bulletin, 145(4), 410–429. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000138Konrath, S. H., O'Brien, E. H., & Hsing, C. (2011). Changes in dispositional empathy. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15(2), 180–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868310377395Lapidot-Lefler, N., & Barak, A. (2012). Effects of anonymity and invisibility. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(2), 434–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2011.10.014Nesi, J., & Prinstein, M. J. (2015). Using social media for social comparison. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 43, 1427–1438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-0020-0Suler, J. (2004). The online disinhibition effect. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(3), 321–326. https://doi.org/10.1089/1094931041291295Some additional resources can be found here:https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/social-mediaAdditional support can be found through:Beyond Blue - https://www.beyondblue.org.au 1300 22 4636 LifeLine - https://988lifeline.org/get-help/ 13 11 14 Headspace - https://headspace.org.au 1800 650 890 (for those aged 25 or under)