How Does Social Media Change People?

This article from Marginal REVOLUTION comments on a research paper by Ertugrul Uysal, Sascha Alavi, and Valéry Bezençon that explores how social media may change people's identities, specifically shifting individual values toward achievement and conformity. The author expresses skepticism about the reliability of such studies but acknowledges the novelty of the inquiry. The research uses a difference-in-differences analysis across countries and a causal experiment on Facebook users, finding that social media use increases achievement and conformity orientation through an increased need for approval, especially among those who self-ruminate. The study suggests social media contributes to a societal culture emphasizing achievement-seeking and conformity.