Jingwen Zhang's Portfolio

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#User Research

#Paper

#Survey

LEVERAGING SOCIAL COMPARISION

Design for mental health & wellness

Sep 2021 - Dec 2021

Timeline

Co-creator

Role

Sep 2021 - Dec 2021

Timeline

Co-creator

Role

Background

There is growing evidence, particularly in mental health, of an association between greater social media use and higher depressive and anxiety scores, poor sleep, low self-esteem, and body image concerns (Kelly et al, 2018; Royal Society for Public Health 2017). This and other studies, have credited social media as one of the leading causes of depression and poor mental health of users by promoting excessive and repeated social comparison in the daily life of users.

Research Plan

Objects & goals

Through this study, we are interested in finding answers to three key questions regarding social comparison and its implications on mental health and well being for users of social media and networking sites.

What are the factors in the social comparison process that trigger a positive response in the user, in context of their mental health and well being ?

We will look into the various factors at play and seek to uncover triggers that can amplify positive emotions like inspiration, optimism, happiness and self esteem; as well as build an atmosphere of community and support.

Hypothesis & assumptions

There are several hypothesis and assumptions that we have identified at the onset of the research. Through the application of research methods, we shall seek to prove / disprove these.

Hypothesis 1

Social comparison broadly leads to four types of emotive response. Based on the relationship, mentail state, mood and traits of the two persons, the same scenario and social comparison could invoke varying responses in the individuals.

Hypothesis 2

Hypothesis 3

Methodological approach

This is primarily a study of social behaviour, emotive responses and mental health and well-being in relation to social comparisons on online social medial platforms. Due to this we tried understanding the psyche of users of social media by collecting qualitative data primarily.

We used online qualitative surveys to reach the selected participants and gather data points by allowing users to answer personal questions at their convenience privately.

Research Plan

Overview

The research process revealed qualitative & quantitive data regarding the mental health implications of social comparisons on social media. We performed analysis & synthesis on the data gathered to reach a coherent and insightful summary.

Owning to the highly qualitative nature of the research, we applied data coding techniques, affinity mapping and sense making techniques to identify groupings.

With the help of connections made, we created a narrative around the relationships.

We were able to illustrate the users’ needs that can be clearly communicated to an audience and easily translated into a product design opportunity.

Ultimately, we applied societal impact of digital devices and design research findings to inform digital product solutions.

Thesis statement

Positive associations between well-being and use of social network sites are linked to benefits of increased connection, such as social support, community building and maintained social capital.

Current research has been limited in that it has explored the negative impacts of social media on mental health of users.

Observations

The recruited participants are social media users, from the age group pf 18 years or more. They are of different genders, working in different professions and reside in Canada.

The participants were chosen based on their familiarity with social media platforms as the survey includes questions that are based on experiences & interactions on sicial media. The users ethnographic profile has not been recorded to minimize bias.

Collections

(Click the image to see the details)

Using the coding spreadsheet, we have captured some of the most compelling, common, and inspiring quotes from participant responses, attributed codes and comments to form a deeper understanding of the information from the data.

Initial analysis & takeaways

Top 5 initial takeaways so far — this might be information or quotes or codes that are standing out. They are not yet insights, that will be determined through the analysis and synthesis process.

Use of social media characterized by the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing. It is allowing people to 'feel' connected with friends & family. Lonliness is a major cause of anxiety & could be potentially controlled with social media.

Low effort interactions like sharing memes, animal videos etc is popular and drives humour in group chats. Such experiences of sharing content and making each other laugh can be a vital poistve interaction with good implications for users mental health.

Social media timelines / profiles are being used by users to look back at their life, fond moments and happy memories. It could inspire optimism, happiness and nostalgia & remind people of good times.

Most people are visiting social media multiple times a day, which is surprising. It would be interesting to look into what emotion drives them.

Many users report watching content like cute pets, animal videos etc. Such content is created to inspire feelings of love, affection and maternal instincts. People report feeling happy & entertained. Curated content like animal videos as a gnre could be key to triggering positive emotions in users.

Affinity map

(Click the image to see the details)

We used affinity diagrams as a method to make sense of all the information we collected, such as facts, quotes, ethnographic research, user opinions, user needs, insights, other quantitative & qualitative data gathered. By applying this clustering exercise, we were able to bundle and group the information, and identify key patterns and themes and convert them into core insights. This method allowed us to reach significant discoveries and inform digital product design solutions.

Initial analysis & takeaways

Top 5 initial takeaways so far — this might be information or quotes or codes that are standing out. They are not yet insights, that will be determined through the analysis and synthesis process.

Support group / community

Social media can be a place to speak about difficult experiences & find support groups.

Social

connections

Social connections

Staying connected with friends & family is one of the main motivations to use social media.

Self

expression

Self expression

Social media can be a place to express personal thoughts, express your ideas & emotions.

Entertainment

Social media can influence people's mood positively, & help overcome negative emotions.

Mediated

interations

Mediated interations

Social media allows humans to engage with each other without pressure & at convenience

Life as a diary/ memories & nostalgia

Life as a diary/memories & nostalgia

Life as a diary/ memories & nostalgia

Social media allows humans to engage with each other without pressure & at convenience

Final insight statement

Participants dealing with mental health issues, trauma or abuse want to connect with other people who have been through similar experiences as them, because it helps them feel less alone in their personal struggles but they fear the social stigma & labels attached tomental health issues.

Survey participants want to create & maintain their social connections, because feeling connected to friends family and people is crucial to their mental well being, but they do not want to depend fully on physical or direct interactions as they are often stressful, require a lot of effort and may be inconvenient.

Participants want to watch funny content, memes and cute animal videos, because it makes them laugh and allows them to relax and decompress, but using social media can be addictive and lead to reduced productivity.

Design Opportunity

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