Authenticity and well-being on social network sites: A two-wave longitudinal study on the effects of online authenticity and the positivity bias in SNS communication

Authors:
Leonard Reinecke;Sabine Trepte
Affiliations:
Department of Communication, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany;Institute of Communication Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
Venue:
Computers in Human Behavior
Year:
2014

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Abstract

In offline settings, authentic behavior has frequently been linked to increased well-being. Social network sites (SNSs) provide a new venue for authenticity, yet the effects of online authenticity are largely unknown. The present study investigated the reciprocal effects of authenticity on SNSs and the psychological well-being of SNS users in a two-wave longitudinal study (N=374). The results demonstrate that online authenticity had a positive longitudinal effect on three indicators of subjective well-being. The data further illustrate that this beneficial effect of SNS use is not equally accessible to all users: participants with low levels of well-being were less likely to feel authentic on SNSs and to benefit from authenticity. We propose that the results can be explained in light of a ''positivity bias in SNS communication'' that favors positive forms of authenticity over negative ones.