this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2026
38 points (86.5% liked)

Technology

80479 readers
4678 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws
38
Emotional Support From Social Media Found to Reduce Anxiety (news.uark.edu)
submitted 11 hours ago by Beep@lemmus.org to c/technology@lemmy.world
10 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

A researcher recently found that young adults who receive emotional support on social media are significantly more likely to report reduced anxiety symptoms, with a few specific personality traits reporting the most improved well-being.

Among the study's findings was that people with high openness to experience, high extraversion, high agreeableness and low conscientiousness reported an increase in perceived social media emotional support. Positive interactions and perceptions may explain why young adults with these specific traits feel more supported and less anxious overall.

top 10 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] blitzen@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 hour ago

To paraphrase Homer Simpson:

“…the cause of, and solution to, all life’s problems.”

[–] Vanth@reddthat.com 10 points 8 hours ago

Yeah, this is a super common theme from queer people in small rural and/or religious communities. Online may be the only interaction they have for information and support.

[–] Denixen@feddit.nu 10 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

This is why we have so much tribalism, polarization and extremism today too though. People find their information bubble, gets validated for the shit they say (i.e. emotional support), feel good about it so they post more and more extreme shit and validate (give emotional support) to others in the bubble.

Now you have an extremist movement. Getting emotional support/validation from strangers on the internet is not always a good thing. Even if it makes you feel less anxious. Some people should feel anxious about the things they think about.

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 hours ago

The reason we have so much extremism today is people are more desperate and angry, not that strangers on the internet validating one another.

[–] unconfirmedsourcesDOTgov@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 5 hours ago

I'm willing to buy into this interpretation, your explanation seems plausible at a minimum.

[–] sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today 0 points 4 hours ago

You beat me to it. You're spot on

[–] schwim@piefed.zip 1 points 7 hours ago

I believe that the negatives of social media far outweigh this perceived positive.

[–] DrFistington@lemmy.world -3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Lol. The idea that anyone receives emotional support on social media is the funniest shit I've heard all decade

[–] HailSeitan@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Haha fuck science, amirite?

[–] unconfirmedsourcesDOTgov@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 5 hours ago

The most shocking part in all of this was finding out that Arkansas had a university. I'm sure they do the best science.