Primary Research
In order to gain a personal understanding into social media users experiences and feelings surrounding their own social media usage, we conduced primary research in the form of a short online survey which can be seen below.
Key insights from research:
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Many users viewed their social media usage as a double ended sword. Understanding the negative effects social media has on their lives, but deciding to deal with it due to the positives present.
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As a whole users said social media had a median impact of 7 (with 1 being negative and 10 being positive) upon their lives.
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Many shared personal experiences of F.O.M.O, revealing the anxiety, lack of self worth and identity, isolation, and reduction of productivity brought on by this fear of missing out.
Full research responses can be downloaded in full below, or otherwise can be seen by completing the google form to the left.
Secondary Research
In order to substantiate our own primary research and further develop the insights we gathered, we undertook various forms of secondary research; looking at academic reports, statistical information, case studies and other more broad research.
01/ Positive Developmental Effects of Social Media
To begin with we wanted to understand how social media can be beneficial.
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https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/media/media-benefits
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YouTube channel: SBSK, special books by special kids, young children with disabilities sharing their experiences and perspective, attempting to normalise and promote positivity for the children.
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https://familyinsights.net/advice/positive-effects-of-social-media-on-teenagers/
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https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1040&context=education_facpub
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Although some forms of social media may educate children in theory, they do not have the ability to recognise and understand what is being presented to them. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01542.x
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Quickly skimmed section titled “MYC as an answer to the developmental challenges that youths face https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2050157915601455
04/ Introducing J.O.M.O
With the prominence of F.O.M.O we needed to understand its counterpart J.O.M.O
06/ Creating Effective Advertisements
Once understanding our topic and potential solutions, we researched into how we could produce advertisements that would sell.
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The Globe Study- applicability of a new typology of cultural dimension for cross-cultural marketing and advertising research.
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David Ogilvy, How to create advertising that sells
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Events without internet access, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/technology/your-phones-on-lockdown-enjoy-the-show.html
02/ Negative Effects of Social Media
Additional looking at the negative effect social media can have especially on body image.
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This one seems interesting and relevant as well as it talks about the negative effects of social media on body image
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http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180104-is-social-media-bad-for-you-the-evidence-and-the-unknowns
03/ F.O.M.O
Investigating F.O.M.O
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Jenny L. Davis (2012) Social Media and Experimental Ambivalence. Invoked thought surrounding the concept and notion of FOMO.
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View of Social Media and the Fear of Missing Out: Scale Development and Assessment. Examines who is most affected by this concept and categorises users based on gender, age, average GPA and university year level.
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Statistics showing social media usage and how often FOMO is experienced. https://mashable.com/2013/07/09/fear-of-missing-out/
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Research into internet addication, Cyber Disorders: The Mental Health Concern for the New Millennium. CyberPsychology & Behavior
05/ J.O.M.O in practise
Further research in the practise and real life implications of a joy of missing out.
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The case for doing nothing, examines how out culture does not promote being still and promote a resistance to busyness. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/smarter-living/the-case-for-doing-nothing.html
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Ugh, I’m so Busy’: A status symbol of our time, status is build off appearing as though one is busy, JOMO is a balancing of life and leisure. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/03/busyness-status-symbol/518178/
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Toward "JOMO": The Joy of Missing Out and the freedom of Disconnecting
07/ Effective Media Stories
Likewise to our advertising research we researched how to create effective media stories.
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Understanding effective podcasts, ‘The “Second Age” of podcasting: Reframing podcasting as a new digital mass medium'