Health psychology in the age of social media: pointers for future research

Abstract

Social media has become ubiquitous in daily life, transforming how we interact, exchange information, and form relationships. It is therefore not surprising that social media research has spurred, with scholars investigating a diverse range of topics. However, it has also become clear that, given the complexity of the various outcomes influenced by social media and the diverse usage behaviors that can be investigated, no single methodology can address all relevant research questions. In this paper, we therefore focus on describing a set of established and emerging research methods that can be used to study social media (effects) – such as neuroimaging, content analysis, and data donation – and discuss the operationalization of social media usage as an important conceptual task. Next to outlining methodological advantages and disadvantages, we also discuss common themes that emerged from discussions with scholars in the field of social media research. Doing so, we aim to offer insights to guide future research related to measurement issues, interdisciplinary collaboration, diversity and representation, participant concerns, ethical considerations, and the topic of social media and mental health. We end this paper by summarizing key recommendations for social media research (practice), that may be applicable to health psychology and the social sciences more generally as well.