A study by scientists at Italy’s University of Padua reveals that unmet social media expectations drive digital stress and friendship conflicts among teens. Researchers suggest building healthier online habits to mitigate these issues.
Friendships are essential to our lives, especially for teenagers navigating the complexities of social interactions. With many friendships now fostered online, staying in touch has become crucially important — but it also comes with its own set of challenges. A new study published in Frontiers in Digital Health by researchers from Italy sheds light on how unmet social media expectations and digital stress can strain adolescent friendships.
“We show that adolescents’ perceptions of social media norms and perceptions of unique features of social media contribute to digital stress, which in turn increases friendship conflicts,” first author Federica Angelini, a researcher at the University of Padua, said in a news release. “Disappointment from unmet expectations on social media — such as when friends do not respond or engage as expected — is a stronger predictor of friendship conflict than the pressure to be constantly available.”
‘Left on Read’
The study involved over 1,100 teens, ages 13 to 18, and collected data on their friendships and social media use at two points, six months apart.
The researchers particularly focused on two behaviors: the perceived need to be constantly available (entrapment) and the emotional responses — such as sadness, anger or frustration — that arise when friends are not available as expected (disappointment).
Their findings pointed to disappointment as a significant factor in triggering conflicts six months later.
“Individuals feel let down by their friends’ availability or responsiveness online. This disappointment arises from unmet expectations and leads to negative emotions which can spill over into friendship conflicts,” added Angelini.
By contrast, the study found that entrapment had less influence on conflict frequency, possibly because constant availability has become a normalized part of peer relationships.
The Role of Visual Content
The researchers also discovered that visual content — photos and videos posted on social media — plays a role in friendship tensions.
“Visual content makes it easier for teens to see what their friends are doing at any given time. If teens notice that their friends are active online or spend time with others while ignoring their messages, they may feel excluded, jealous or rejected,” Angelini added.
This heightened awareness of friends’ activities can amplify negative emotions and contribute to conflicts within friendships.
Building Healthy Friendships
Understanding the dynamics of social media expectations and digital stress is pivotal for fostering healthier online habits among teens, the study suggests.
“Identifying key stressors, for example, visual content and availability expectations, and understanding dynamics of online interactions among friends can help educators, parents and teens develop healthier online habits,” Angelini added.
Setting boundaries, such as scheduling ‘offline’ times or managing notifications, can help teens mitigate misunderstandings and maintain healthier relationships.
“Learning to accept that not every message requires an immediate reply can ease digital stress while maintaining healthy friendships,” added Angelini.
While the study offers valuable insights into the complexities of teenage friendships, the researchers acknowledge its limitations. It relies on self-reported data, which may not fully capture teens’ social media habits, and the six-month span does not allow for the exploration of longer-term effects.
“Future research could use objective measures of social media activity and extend the timeline to better understand how digital stress and friendship conflicts evolve over time,” Angelini concluded.
With this study, researchers have paved the way for a deeper understanding of how social media impacts adolescent friendships, shedding light on the importance of managing digital stress for maintaining healthy relationships.
Source: Frontiers