As depicted from the title, a study has concluded that those people who spent more time on WhatsApp were less lonely and had great self-esteem.
It is definitely good news for the social media users who love spending time on group chatting and text messages. The research has found that the well-being of the individual is greatly increased by digital platforms such as WhatsApp. The study was published in the international Journal of Human-Computer Studies and has released the tension of many social media freaks who are addicted to such applications.
The research “Psychological Outcomes Associated with Engagement with Online Chat Systems” has released the astounding findings suggesting a positive impact of WhatsApp use on the well-being of the individual. The study has also reported that this well-being is facilitated by strong relationship with friends and family.
Linda Kaye, the Professor at Edge Hill University said, “There is a lot of debate on the effects of social media on the well-being of the individual, which are usually reported to be negative. We have, on the other hand, found that it might not be the case. The use of WhatsApp was found to create strong feelings of engagement between individuals who use it frequently with their loved ones and family members. The relationship with their friends and family was also of good quality”.
Kaye further said, “The closer they felt to their family and friends through these WhatsApp groups, the higher was the social competence and self-esteem of these individuals.”
Group affiliation was the primary reason among these users leading them to feel less lonely.
The study was conducted on a sample of 200 users among which 158 were women and 42 were men. The average age of these individuals was 24 and the use of WhatsApp was around 55 minutes among them. Most of the users were using it because of the group chat function and popularity of the WhatsApp.
The study is a major breakthrough in understanding the usage of internet for the psychological well-being of the individuals.
Kaye explained that social media applications such as WhatsApp has the potential to form strong relationships between individuals and create opportunity for them to communicate with one another.
"Overall, the current findings contribute to ongoing debates in this area and contribute specific evidence of the role of social factors, along with including social support motivations for communication technology used, to substantiate the literature in this regard. Specifically, the current findings highlight that including these factors as mediators (specifically those relating to social bonding capital) is highly pertinent within this field as a way of understanding how technology usage relates to psychosocial well-being. In this regard, it gives rise to the notion that communicational technology such as WhatsApp may stimulate existing relationships and communication opportunities, whereby this enhances aspects of users’ positive well-being"
Photo: Stockcam via Getty Images
Read next: WhatsApp working on a new feature that lets you share status to other social media apps, including Facebook
It is definitely good news for the social media users who love spending time on group chatting and text messages. The research has found that the well-being of the individual is greatly increased by digital platforms such as WhatsApp. The study was published in the international Journal of Human-Computer Studies and has released the tension of many social media freaks who are addicted to such applications.
The research “Psychological Outcomes Associated with Engagement with Online Chat Systems” has released the astounding findings suggesting a positive impact of WhatsApp use on the well-being of the individual. The study has also reported that this well-being is facilitated by strong relationship with friends and family.
Linda Kaye, the Professor at Edge Hill University said, “There is a lot of debate on the effects of social media on the well-being of the individual, which are usually reported to be negative. We have, on the other hand, found that it might not be the case. The use of WhatsApp was found to create strong feelings of engagement between individuals who use it frequently with their loved ones and family members. The relationship with their friends and family was also of good quality”.
Kaye further said, “The closer they felt to their family and friends through these WhatsApp groups, the higher was the social competence and self-esteem of these individuals.”
Group affiliation was the primary reason among these users leading them to feel less lonely.
The study was conducted on a sample of 200 users among which 158 were women and 42 were men. The average age of these individuals was 24 and the use of WhatsApp was around 55 minutes among them. Most of the users were using it because of the group chat function and popularity of the WhatsApp.
The study is a major breakthrough in understanding the usage of internet for the psychological well-being of the individuals.
Kaye explained that social media applications such as WhatsApp has the potential to form strong relationships between individuals and create opportunity for them to communicate with one another.
"Overall, the current findings contribute to ongoing debates in this area and contribute specific evidence of the role of social factors, along with including social support motivations for communication technology used, to substantiate the literature in this regard. Specifically, the current findings highlight that including these factors as mediators (specifically those relating to social bonding capital) is highly pertinent within this field as a way of understanding how technology usage relates to psychosocial well-being. In this regard, it gives rise to the notion that communicational technology such as WhatsApp may stimulate existing relationships and communication opportunities, whereby this enhances aspects of users’ positive well-being"
Photo: Stockcam via Getty Images
Read next: WhatsApp working on a new feature that lets you share status to other social media apps, including Facebook
