How social media can breed envy in countries with high inequality – lessons from Indonesia detailed in study
- Posts that emphasise the wealth gap between friends in developing countries such as Indonesia have been shown to cause envy, bitterness and depression
- Public health officials must think creatively about how to alert citizens to social media’s potentially negative impact on mental health, report author says
Social media has long provided platforms for people to share images of their envious lifestyles. But new research from Indonesia says those happy snaps taken on holiday or at cool parties can have a damaging effect on people.
Data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey reveals that adults often feel resentment towards their richer friends after seeing their positive social media posts.
The research, which surveyed 9,987 households, was conducted by social scientists at the University of Brawijaya and Yogyakarta State University in Indonesia, and academics from Britain’s University of Manchester.
The study looked specifically at Facebook, Twitter and chat, and analysed 22,423 individuals across almost 300 districts in a country of 264 million.
Although the effect of social media on mental health has been documented globally, this new research pinpoints particular issues in developing countries such as Indonesia.
“In a society like Indonesia with such dramatic inequality, social media may lead to envy and bitterness, since poor individuals are exposed to the happiness and positive images of their richer friends,” said the study, published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
