Social Media’s Influence on Human Behavior
Table of Contents
The Extent of Social Media’s Influence
Psychological Theories of Social Influence
Conformity and/or Social Influence
Identity Formation
Influence on Mental Wellbeing
Concluding Statements
The Extent of Social Media’s Influence
Social media is defined websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking [Oxford
languages]. The use of social media can potentially have a beneficial impact on society (e.g sharing knowledge and research) or potentially
harmful (e.g., influencing people to take risks).
Psychological Theories of Social Influence
Different psychological theories help us to understand how our identities, personalities, traits, and more are formed. Behaviourism is the theory
that all behaviours are required through conditioning (B.F. Skinner 1988), such as: associations, rewards and punishments, which can teach or
change behavioral patterns. As well as this, psychodynamic theories (which examines our unconscious actions) and other theories can help
us to understand how social media can link to social influence. Social media platforms use likes, comments, views and shares to quantify
engagement in each post, which can somewhat signify a form of reward or punishment through the amount and form of engagement (relatively
more likes would be a reward, but relatively fewer likes would be a punishment. This conditions the creator to post more of the same content or
change some aspects to make the content more appealing. Psychodynamic theories can also explain how we may pick up traits unconsciously
from social media or even the people who surround us, by copying traits and behavior they have seen online.
Conformity and/or Social Influence
Conformity can be heavily linked to the influence of social media, especially in vulnerable groups, such as teenagers: it tends to appear from the
age of 3 and persists through adulthood [Corriveau & Harris, 2010]. Asch’s experiment on conformity [Asch 1951] shows that when majority of
people give the same answer (or in the case of social media, act the same); the minority usually conforms due to normative social influence.
However, this number significantly decreases when 1 or more people do not conform. Different cultures, such as the USA and China, have
different degrees of conformity. The USA is an individualistic culture, which suggests a lower level of conformity in their society, whereas China
is a collectivist culture, suggesting a higher degree of conformity. This shows that in different societies and cultures, people are more or less
likely to conform (however, this does not totally apply to everyone on an individual basis). Through social pressure, videos and posts shared
online people can shape their behavior to fit in with societal norms.
People may change their views and opinions on certain topics through other people’s ideas shared online, which can later refect on their own
behavior. This can include propaganda (which can lead to people changing their votes), glamorized lifestyles (expecting a better living
standard) and more.
Identity Formation
A well developed identity is determined by values, goals and beliefs and is the awareness of consistency in self and recognition of others over
time (Erikson 1980) and social media can play a big role in forming parts of one’s identity. Social media offers an accessible platform for many
people to express themselves and be authentic while connecting with likeminded people. It helps minorities and small communities create
more awareness or visibility. The fact that social media allows people to be more honest and authentic about themselves means that their true,
authentic self is more likely to be expressed in real life, having found others to relate to through social media. However, social media can
change your personality and behavior by influencing you into new interests or creating healthier habits.
Influence on Emotional Wellbeing
Although social media can have many positive impacts, such as : connecting with others, accessible information and research, and online
learning, however, also has some undeniable downsides. In a study, it was shown that 80% of participants had frequent exposure to social
networks, and 48.3% of the participants suffered from depression, 22.6% had anxiety, and 19.4% had both (NIH 2023). From this, we can see that
people who frequently use social media/social networks tend to have much more prevalent and severe mental health problems—especially
depression and anxiety. These can be caused by cyber-bullying, FOMO (fear of missing out)and even comparison to influencers online, for
example, someone may see an edited photo and set the same, unreachable standards for themselves—which can lead to an eating disorder or
excessive exercise.
Concluding Statements
Social media plays a significant role in shaping human behaviour, though its influence varies based on content, engagement, and individual
susceptibility. Psychological theories, such as Skinner’s (1988) behaviourism, explain how social media conditions users through rewards (likes,
comments) and punishments (low engagement), reinforcing both positive and negative behaviors.
Conformity is another major factor, as demonstrated by Asch’s (1951) experiment, which shows how individuals align with the majority. Social
media amplifies this effect, influencing opinions, trends, and even political views. However, the extent of conformity depends on cultural factors,
with collectivist societies experiencing higher influence than individualistic ones (Corriveau & Harris, 2010).
Identity formation is also shaped by social media. Erikson (1980) emphasised the role of values, goals, and beliefs in identity development, and
social media provides a space for self-expression and community building. However, it can also encourage performative behaviour, making
individuals conform to idealized online personas rather than embracing authenticity.
Mental health is another area significantly affected by social media. Research indicates that frequent social media use correlates with higher
rates of depression and anxiety (NIH, 2023), often due to social comparison, cyberbullying, and FOMO. This can lead to behavioural changes
such as withdrawal from real-life interactions and unhealthy self-perception.
Despite its risks, social media also facilitates education, activism, and social change, as seen in movements like #MeToo. Its influence is
neither wholly positive nor negative, but its impact depends on how individuals engage with it. Moving forward, critical awareness and mindful
usage is essential to ensuring that social media fosters beneficial rather than harmful behavioral changes.
Works Cited
Asch, S. E. (1951). Effects of group pressure upon the modifcation and distortion of judgments. Groups, Leadership and Men, 222–236.
Corriveau, K. H., & Harris, P. L. (2010). Preschoolers (sometimes) defer to the majority in making simple perceptual judgments. Developmental
Psychology, 46(2), 437–445. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017553
Erikson, E. H. (1980). Identity and the life cycle. W. W. Norton & Company.
National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2023). Impact of social media on mental health: A study on depression and anxiety. National Library of
Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Skinner, B. F. (1988). The behaviour of organisms: An experimental analysis. B. F. Skinner Foundation.
Oxford Languages. (n.d.). Defnition of social media from https://languages.oup.com
