Social Media's Potential in Improving the Mental Well-being of the Unemployed

Anne Suphan*, Miriam Feuls, Christian Fieseler

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til bog/antologi/rapportKonferencebidrag i proceedingsForskningpeer review

Abstract

This article presents research into the compensating potential of social media for the psychological consequences of job loss. In particular the questions to be answered are whether subjective well-being as well as perceived exclusion are influenced by involvement in social media, and whether age as a context variable may moderate these influences. We demonstrate, based on 2,400 telephone interviews with unemployed persons in Germany, that the use of social media may indeed increase well-being for the unemployed, if they can transfer their online contacts in real social life activities. This transfer is, curiously, easier for older participants. Digital Immigrants display a different relationship structure in their online social networks which allows them to alleviate the more exclusionary effects, whereas Digital Natives are in jeopardy to feel more excluded due to their social media usage.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TitelExploring the Abyss of Inequalities : 4th International Conference on Well-being in the Information Society, WIS 2012. Turku, Finland, August 2012. Proceedings
RedaktørerKristina Eriksson-Backa, Annika Luoma, Erica Krook
Antal sider19
UdgivelsesstedBerlin, Heidelberg
ForlagSpringer
Publikationsdato2012
Sider10-28
ISBN (Trykt)9783642328497
ISBN (Elektronisk)9783642328503
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2012
Udgivet eksterntJa
Begivenhed4th International Conference on Well-Being in the Information Society. WIS 2012 - Turku, Finland
Varighed: 22 aug. 201224 aug. 2012
Konferencens nummer: 4

Konference

Konference4th International Conference on Well-Being in the Information Society. WIS 2012
Nummer4
Land/OmrådeFinland
ByTurku
Periode22/08/201224/08/2012
NavnCommunications in Computer and Information Science
Vol/bind313
ISSN1865-0929

Emneord

  • Well-being
  • Perceived exclusion
  • Social media
  • Unemployment

Citationsformater