The Spotlight Effect on Social Media

Undergraduate Review Volume 17 Article 18 2023 The Spotlight Effect on Social Media Lauren Crowley Bridgewater State University Follow this and additional works at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev Recommended Citation Crowley, Lauren (2023). The Spotlight Effect on Social Media. Undergraduate Review, 17, p. 207-216. Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev/vol17/iss1/18 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Copyright © 2023 Lauren Crowley COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES The Spotlight Effect on Social Media L AUREN CROWLEY Abstract As with all research, there were limitations in our study; Social media is used by the vast majority of however, the findings will give future researchers several emerging adults. This age group is apt to experience avenues to investigate the spotlight effect on social media anxiety related to their social media usage. One possible further. stressor for Instagram users is not knowing what exactly other people think about their posts. This uncertainty The Spotlight Effect on Social Media about if one’s online audience is judging them is similar Social media use is omnipresent in adolescents' to the spotlight effect – a phenomenon where individuals and young adults’ lives; therefore, its impact on this think more people notice them than they do. Our research population should be investigated. In a 2015 study, it set out to investigate if people believe that their posts was found that teenagers prefer to connect with their on Instagram get more attention than the viewers give. friends via digital communications versus face-to-face To test this out, two groups of participants were used: (Lenhart et al., 2015). Social media is still a relatively content creators, who submitted a fake Instagram post, new form of communication compared to traditional in- and content viewers, who scrolled through a simulated person interactions, texting, or phone calls. Unlike the feed. The content creators had to estimate the number physical world, the online environment in which social of people that would point out their perceived most media exists is created by its users. Individuals can see noticeable feature. This was compared to the number and post whatever they want; this can serve as a valuable of content viewers that did notice the predicted most tool. Social media keeps the entire world connected noticeable feature. Questions about the amount of time despite any physical distance. Users know that photos spent on Instagram were asked to see if there was a and information about nearly everyone they know is just correlation between usage and the spotlight effect. a scroll or search away. It was found that the content creators significantly With never-ending streams of content, it can be overestimated the number of people that noticed their easy for social media users to feel overwhelmed. Social feature, thus supporting our hypothesis. A statistically media addiction is a true issue some people face where significant correlation between hours spent on Instagram they feel an uncontrollable desire to compare themselves and the prevalence of the spotlight effect was not found. to others (White-Gosselin et al., 2022). Not only are social 207 | UNDERGRADUATE REVIEW 2022 • 2023 COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES comparisons happening online, but they also occur idealized content. Furthermore, these participants’ self- in person, meaning for some, there is no escape from esteem decreased, and negative affect increased. These comparing oneself to others. Even those who do not findings assert that socially anxious individuals feel worse post themselves on social media but still “lurk” are still about themselves after using social media. at risk for adjustment issues (Underwood & Ehrenreich, People with different anxieties – whether it 2017). Without decades of data on the long-term impacts is social or social media anxiety – are typically very of social media use, many questions have not been concerned about what others think of them. Sometimes answered regarding the social-emotional consequences. it can feel as if the entire world is watching and critiquing The amount of time spent on social media as well as how one’s every move. This is a common phenomenon called the online platforms are used can create implications for the spotlight effect. As it turns out, people generally mental health. do not notice other people as much as one might think Social anxiety is, unfortunately, all too common they do. Researchers have investigated this topic in a for some people. During adolescence, it is normal for variety of situations. In a study where minority students social anxiety to increase to some degree. This might were asked about the attention, they receive during be because peer relationships become more important lectures pertaining to people of the same background during this stage of life (Chiu et al., 2021). Because this as them, participants substantially overestimated population is so susceptible to feeling socially anxious how much people were looking at them (Crosby et al., with face-to-face interactions, it is not surprising that 2014). In a Gilovich et al. (2000) study, participants wore social anxiety translates to online situations as well. “embarrassing” clothing and had to estimate the number Anxiety relating to social media can be caused by a of people that would recall what was on their shirts. myriad of things. Possible anxiety-inducing situations Participants generally overestimated how many observers are feeling like not enough people have interacted with picked up on the fact they were wearing an embarrassing one’s content, not having enough followers, wondering shirt (Gilovich et al., 2000). In one study, it was found if people are judging one’s posts, etc. (Underwood & that the social spotlight can be felt even in imagined Ehrenreich, 2017). Those with social anxiety tend to be situations (Golubickis et al., 2016). This finding is alarming highly aware of social status and compare themselves because people are assuming social judgments despite to others (Parsons et al., 2021). With social media, not the presence of an actual audience. This relates to social only do people follow their friends and family, but also media because users might feel like their followers are celebrities and influencers. In a research study, the judging them without knowing if they are. change in negative self-perceptions after viewing Feeling this way ties into the inability to see influencer Instagram content was investigated using a things from another person’s point of view, also called pre/post-test design (Parsons et al., 2021). It was found egocentrism. People’s overestimation of the salience of t (...truncated)