1.2 Negativity in online HE spaces
While cyberbullying is at the more extreme end of the risks associated with online experiences, social media has a broad reputation for being a negative influence. The negativity of online spaces is something you will be familiar with; a large portion of the time that is spend on social media platforms may be dedicated to arguing or consuming content which can often impact negatively on our mood.
One study by the American Psychiatric Association [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] found that more than one in three adults see social media usage as harmful to their mental health. These are high numbers especially given the many amazing things that social media use makes possible. So what is it that people find so tricky about the aspects of their life that connect with social media?
Activity 1 Moaning about the moaning
Read the following post that is based on one that was posted in a university wide student run Facebook group.
Reflect on how engaging with this content makes you feel.
- Have you come across content like this in your use of social media for your studies?
- How does this post make you feel?
- Would you respond to this post? If so what would be your immediate response?
Is it just me that finds most of the social groups on WhatsApp, messenger, etc, REALLY NEGATIVE in opinion and content?
I’m a first-year student and just over halfway through my second semester modules. While some of the general topics or social groups are ok, the module specific groups seem full of people who are just moaning all the time.
Sometimes they can be great tools for social interaction, generating ideas, etc. But my personal experience has been one of constant and blatant moaning about university processes and teaching.
Sometimes I imagine that the tone of most of the conversations is having serious detrimental effects on me and I wonder about whether I should consider the merits in joining such groups.
And not I find I am moaning too about the moaning. but i wondered if I'm just unlucky or whether other students are experiencing similar things in theirs..?
Discussion
The student got 96 comments on this post. As you might have expected, opinions varied greatly. Worryingly some students described these groups as ‘toxic’. However, some students felt that while there was some moaning they thought it was good to vent and they didn’t find their groups to be overly negative. Others were are the other end of the spectrum and reported finding them helpful, positive and supportive. On balance, some students said that if they judged that the groups were contributing towards academic success they stayed in them, if they weren’t they left.
How this post makes you feel will be impacted by a number of factors. One of the main ones is likely to be that if you were also feeling negative about the groups reading that others are too can validate your feelings.
However, the post was also identified as being negative in nature in itself; some students commented on the hypocrisy of moaning about the moaning. If you are feeling positive about your course reading these sorts of comments may bring you down. Sometimes students underestimate how emotions can be contagious; the information you read can be emotionally charged and we are only beginning to understand digital emotional contagion. But research shows that we know emotional contagion can affect behaviour (Lu and Hong, 2022).
The student received a number of comments on this post. She later edited her original comment to add the following. What did posting gain for this student? How do you feel about this edit?
Thanks for all of the comments. It seems like some of the experience in these groups is good old luck of the draw. Some of you have had really good experiences but others shared how they really drag you down. Either way, it's good to know I’m not alone in my feeling down about this all. I wish you all well in your studies should you be undertaking them at the moment.
Comment
This edit is a good example of how to acknowledge even difficult discussions in social media. The student felt she gained connection and validation through the post. Even though there was a disagreement among students about these groups, overall the comments were respectful and helped her gain perspective.