RESEARCH: Social Media and Human Behaviour and Psychology

Today in class, my group and I are doing research on our area of choice within the effects of social media. I am focusing on human behaviour and psychology. This is what I've found.

The Social and Psychological Impact Of Online Social Networking:

http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/2010/december/social/

Negative experiences from online social networking

A considerable number of survey respondents (28%) reported having had a negative online experience, with 60 per cent of those aged below 30 most likely to report this. These participants were asked to provide further information about the negative experience.

For most respondents the experience reflected unwanted contact or other people posting inappropriate or upsetting information about them online. Some respondents specified having experienced online bullying and provided examples such as abusive messages and harassment from someone of the opposite sex.

Although research into young people reports varying rates of bullying across ages and is based on different definitions of bullying, the results for adults participating in the NPW survey are not very different from the findings for young people.

However, it should be noted that in the current survey participants were asked to identify a bad experience rather than bullying per se. If the survey had asked specifically about bullying this may have led to different results.

12/02/16