Anthony Borrett Undergraduate Dissertation 2016/17

Effect of Social Network Use on Mood and Stress

Supervised by A.Sharkey

Abstract

Numerous pieces of literature are examined to determine whether there is a common effect that use of social networks has on an individual's mood and stress. From this, limitations in modern research are found that this project seeks to address, providing a more rounded understanding of the problem and as a result a better method to test it. A plan of experiments is curated from this richer understanding consisting of: assessing the individual's mood and stress levels before and after a week long study using a PANAS survey and a Perceived Stress Scale for direct comparison, and assessing the individual's mood before and immediately after use of a social network, this will give an insight into both the immediate effect and the effect persistent use will have. Two more experimental groups are planned for the study that will use the internet but purposely avoid social networking websites and another which will participate in non-computerised activities, the combination of these three groups, should be sufficient to examine whether general internet use or specifically the use of social networks evoke the responses to be found. The third control group is to provide insight into the removal of social network use from daily routine.