More than an Anxiety Machine
How Nostalgic Social Media Use Promotes Positive Affect, Self-Regard, and Meaning in Life
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17820976 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jeong-woo Jang (0000-0001-5145-1192, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Jung Ah Lee (0000-0002-5837-3008), Han-Jong Lee (Seoul National University), Eun-Ju Lee (0000-0001-5623-5763, Seoul National University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 239-245 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2152-2715 • E-ISSN: 2152-2723 |
| Publisher | Mary Ann Liebert, Inc (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21522715261431527 |
| PMID | 41883024 |
| OpenAlex | W7140871396 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
431) to investigate (a) if revisiting nostalgic social media posts yields psychological benefits by mentally transporting people to meaningful past moments and (b) whether such effects depend on how strongly one feels connected to their past self (i.e., self-continuity). Participants were asked to browse through their own social media posts that captured either a memorable life event (nostalgic condition) or a mundane, daily event (ordinary condition). In Study 1, engaging with nostalgic (vs. ordinary) posts facilitated mental transportation, which enhanced positive affect, self-regard, and meaning in life, but such effects emerged only for those with lower levels of self-continuity. Those high in self-continuity exhibited consistently high levels of mental transportation, regardless of the type of posts. Study 2 largely replicated Study 1 findings, except that (a) nostalgic posts facilitated mental transportation across all levels of self-continuity, and (b) psychological benefits of nostalgic social media use were not observed for self-regard. Results are discussed as to how reliving the past on social media platforms may improve individuals' subjective well-being and how macro-level stressors such as COVID-19 may moderate such effects
Anxiety · Life satisfaction · Mental health · Social anxiety · Social media · Stressor · Media Influence and Health · Memory, Trauma, and Commemoration · Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior
Nostalgia
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Nostalgic Social Media Use and Psychological Well-Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Nostalgia, Social Media, and Subjective Wellbeing
Mental transportation mediates nostalgia’s psychological benefits
The Restorative Power of Nostalgia
Distress prospectively predicts higher nostalgia, and nostalgia prospectively predicts lower distress
What Good is Organizational Nostalgia in the Time of Pandemic? Unpacking a Pathway from Covid-Related Stress to Authenticity at Work
Nostalgia as a Resource for the Self
Nostalgia fosters self-continuity
Odyssey's end
Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem
Negative social comparison on Facebook and depressive symptoms
Remembering the self in cultural contexts
Nostalgia motivates pursuit of important goals by increasing meaning in life
Nostalgia counteracts self‐discontinuity and restores self‐continuity
The protective identity
Self-concept clarity lays the foundation for self-continuity
Nostalgia
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |