Exploring Motives and Their Impact on Perceived Emotional Support in Social Media

Abstract

Social relationships are crucial for human well-being. They are the main source of socio-emotional support, which is linked to improved health and longevity. Traditionally, such support has been derived from face-to-face interactions. However, with the rise of social media, a new dimension of social connection has emerged, where communication is instantaneous and can connect people distant from one another. This raises the question: how does emotional support manifest in social media, and how can it be enhanced in these digital environments? To address this, it is important to consider individual differences and users’ motives, such as affiliation, power, and achievement, which shape social interactions and needs. The study identifies key social media elements and functionalities influencing perceived emotional support, the link with one’s own motives, and finds that the choice of social media elements for seeking emotional support does not depend on an individual’s motives. Instead, some key elements are found to be universally useful when seeking emotional support, regardless of one’s motives. A prototype intervention is developed to increase the perception of emotional support on Instagram based on one’s explicit need for support. The prototype is evaluated and generally well-received by participants, specifically regarding usability and perceived effectiveness.