Study Links Beliefs to Instagram Overuse – Legal Reader

Photo by Tofros.com from Pexels Beliefs influence how strongly Instagram users feel controlled by their behavior. Many people spend long stretches of time on social media, and a new study suggests that what a person believes about this behavior may matter just as much as the behavior itself. The study followed more than twelve hundred regular Instagram users and found that those who believed they were addicted to the platform actually had a history of overuse and a more difficult time pulling back from it. The pattern held even when the actual level of use was similar to those who viewed their scrolling as a habit rather than a loss of control. The research was carried out by teams from the California Institute of Technology and the University of Southern California, who set out to explore how personal beliefs and outside messages affect a person’s sense of control over social media use. Participants were asked about daily patterns, how often the app was opened to track possible overuse, and how tempted they felt to check it during dull moments. Some participants were also shown material that echoed the U.S. Surgeon General’s statement calling social media addictive. After seeing that message
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