Does Using Social Network Sites Reduce Depression and Promote Happiness? An Example of Facebook-Based Positive Interventions

Positive interventions based on theories in positive psychology have proven effective in contributing to well-being. Although college students frequently use social networking sites, few studies have investigated the use of these sites to facilitate positive interventions. For this research, two positive interventions, photo diaries and the expression of gratitude, were developed and implemented in Facebook using a randomized controlled trial. 136 college students were recruited and randomly assigned them to one of two experimental groups or a control group. Results indicated that photo diary reduced depression during the posttest stage, and these effects continued during the follow up stage. Concerning happiness, the photo diary presented no significant effects in the posttest but did present significant effects in the follow up. Expression of gratitude showed no significant effects on happiness in the posttest but did show significant effects in the follow up. The results of the study demonstrate that social networking sites can be used to implement positive interventions.