Effects of a Brief Exposure to Nature or Social Media on Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

Social media has enhanced our ability to connect with each other globally; however, social media is not necessarily beneficial. Given the potential negative impact of social media use on psychological well-being, it is important to identify resources that may buffer this impact. One resource may be exposure to nature. Participants exposed to nature scenes experienced less negative affect compared to those exposed to social media. Those who spent more time outside tended to experience decreased negative affect when they viewed both social media and nature photos, but when viewing only social media, they experienced increased negative affect. Relations between humans, social media, and nature, are complex, and further research into these relations and their underlying causes may be beneficial

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