(PS6-A5) Understanding the Impact of Social Media Use on New Mothers’ Emotional Well-being

Social support has been identified as a buffer against postpartum depression. Social networking applications allow new mothers to expand their social networks and increase access to support during a time when the demands of motherhood may limit face-to-face interactions. However, research indicates that social media use may lead to increased engagement in social comparison processes, which can have negative emotional consequences. Previous research has found that upward social comparisons are associated with negative alterations in mood, poorer coping skills, and depressive symptoms. The tendency to share idealized images on social media leads to increased opportunity to engage in upward comparison processes. This IRB-approved study will examine how new mothers’ moods are impacted by social comparisons made on Instagram. The study will also explore the role of postpartum depressive symptoms and social comparison orientation in the relationship between new mothers’ mood and social media use. One-hundred and fifty-nine first time mothers (0-12 months postpartum) will complete a measure of mood, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Participants will then be randomly assigned to two conditions. The first group will view idealized Instagram images of mothers. The second group will view neutral Instagram images. Following the experiment, women will complete additional self-report measures including a follow-up administration of the PANAS, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Iowa Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure. Data will be collected and analyzed between March and April 2022. It is hypothesized that participants who are exposed to idealized Instagram images of mothers will experience a greater increase in negative affect than mothers exposed to neutral images. Further, it is hypothesized that this relationship will be moderated by symptoms of postpartum depression and upward social comparison orientation. Findings from this study will contribute to the understanding of social media use as a factor in the development of postpartum depression.