Posting photos that reflect positive aspects of everyday life on Instagram increases appreciation, life satisfaction, and happiness

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cris.lastimport.scopus2025-08-31T03:13:35Z
dc.abstract.enWe conducted two studies to verify whether using Instagram to post photos that reflect positive aspects of one’s life increased appreciation and subsequently improved well-being. In the correlational Study 1, participants (N = 291) were regular users of Instagram, and in the randomized controlled trial Study 2 (N = 283), they were newcomers. We found that regular users are motivated to use Instagram to capture life’s positive moments, and their higher frequency of posting was associated with increased appreciation and, in turn, greater life satisfaction and happiness (Study 1). New users, regardless of whether they were instructed to post positive photos (experimental conditions) or not (control conditions), posted exactly this kind of content. The more positive the photos were, the higher participants’ appreciation, life satisfaction, and happiness (Study 2). Posting appreciative content on social media might have a beneficial impact on users’ well-being and become a foundation for future interventions.
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.contributor.authorSmoktunowicz, Ewelina
dc.contributor.authorBiałobrzeska, Olga
dc.contributor.authorJakubik, Zuzanna
dc.date.access2023-10-27
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-07T13:05:15Z
dc.date.available2025-03-07T13:05:15Z
dc.date.created2023-07-21
dc.date.issued2025-02
dc.description.abstract<jats:p> We conducted two studies to verify whether using Instagram to post photos that reflect positive aspects of one’s life increased appreciation and subsequently improved well-being. In the correlational Study 1, participants ( N = 291) were regular users of Instagram, and in the randomized controlled trial Study 2 ( N = 283), they were newcomers. We found that regular users are motivated to use Instagram to capture life’s positive moments, and their higher frequency of posting was associated with increased appreciation and, in turn, greater life satisfaction and happiness (Study 1). New users, regardless of whether they were instructed to post positive photos (experimental conditions) or not (control conditions), posted exactly this kind of content. The more positive the photos were, the higher participants’ appreciation, life satisfaction, and happiness (Study 2). Posting appreciative content on social media might have a beneficial impact on users’ well-being and become a foundation for future interventions. </jats:p>
dc.description.accesstimebefore_publication
dc.description.additionalvorArtykuł został opublikowany: Smoktunowicz, E., Białobrzeska, O., & Jakubik, Z. (2025). Posting photos that reflect positive aspects of everyday life on Instagram increases appreciation, life satisfaction, and happiness. New Media & Society, 27(3), 1336-1359. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448231193092
dc.description.issue3
dc.description.physical1336-1359
dc.description.versionfinal_author
dc.description.volume27
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/14614448231193092
dc.identifier.eissn1461-7315
dc.identifier.issn1461-4448
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/110
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14614448231193092?icid=int.sj-abstract.citing-articles.4
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsOther
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOPEN_REPOSITORY
dc.subject.enInstagram
dc.subject.enappreciation
dc.subject.enhappiness
dc.subject.enlife satisfaction
dc.subject.enmotivation
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titlePosting photos that reflect positive aspects of everyday life on Instagram increases appreciation, life satisfaction, and happiness
dc.title.journalNew Media and Society
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle