Examining the Relationships Between Instagram Use, Perceived Social Support, and Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between SNS use and individual psychological well-being on Instagram. In particular, this study sorted three types of perceived social support—informational, companionship, and self-esteem—to investigate how they influenced individual life satisfaction and loneliness. Results from a survey of 174 college students showed that: (1) frequency of Instagram use was a significant predictor of all three types of perceived social support; (2) status updates had positive effects on perceived self-esteem support, while posting photos was a significant predictor of perceived companionship support; (3) browsing others’ profiles was a significant negative predictor of perceived self-esteem support and finally (4) perceived companionship social support had a positive effect on life satisfaction, whereas self-esteem social support had a negative effect on loneliness. These findings imply that Instagram users obtain specific types of social support depending on which activities they engage in and that different types of social support have different effects on well-being.