Instagram Likes and Happiness
Research conducted by Whitaker Institute member Dr Elaine Wallace, co-leader of the Performance Management cluster and Associate Director of the Institute, in collaboration with the University of Zaragoza, Spain has examined how Instagram Likes affect people. Likes can make you less lonely, but more unhappy – especially when your followers can see your Likes.
The full article is available to read below:
Wallace, E. and Buil, I. (2021) Hiding Instagram Likes: Effects on negative affect and loneliness, Personality and Individual Differences, 170, 110509, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110509
Read more about the study from:
Dr Wallace was also interviewed on RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime. Listen back here.
As a result of her research, Elaine was also invited to and participated in a TASC National Round Table working group on Digital Technology and Inequality, March 2021.