Designing a Controllable Social Media Environment for Research

In this study, researchers investigated the impact of social media on emotions and social connections by creating a fake social media platform called "Fakebook." Participants were recruited through online advertisements and were asked to spend two hours per week on Fakebook for one week, completing various tasks such as liking posts, creating content, and interacting with bots (fake accounts). The study aimed to understand how social media use affects emotions and social connections.
To begin with, the researchers conducted surveys among participants to gather information on demographics, social media use, feelings of loneliness, and self-esteem. They then asked participants to spend 15 minutes per day on Fakebook, interacting with two other "participants" (bots) and creating a post on a specific topic. The topics were designed to encourage participants to engage emotionally with the content.
The researchers created six bot profiles, each representing different genders, age groups, interests, and nationalities. They also programmed each bot to post five different messages per day, timed according to when the participant started using Fakebook. The likes and comments on these posts were also pre-programmed.
The study found that participants spent an average of 15 minutes per day on Fakebook, with some participants spending up to 30 minutes. Participants also reported feeling more connected to the fake friends they interacted with on Fakebook than to their real-life friends and family. The researchers concluded that social media can have a positive impact on emotions and social connections, but only when it is used in moderation.
In simple terms, this study demonstrated how social media can affect our emotions and relationships. By creating a fake social media platform, the researchers were able to control the environment and test how participants interacted with each other. They found that even though participants spent a limited amount of time on Fakebook, they felt more connected to the people they interacted with there than to those in their real lives. This suggests that social media can have a positive impact on our emotions and connections, but we should use it responsibly and in moderation.