Digital Junkfood on Social Media: To Each Their Own Poison

Abstract

Social media platforms are designed in a way that keeps users engaged and occupied for as long as possible, by means of various user interface design elements and personalization techniques. A known problem with these techniques is that they may cause compulsive behavior and feelings of regret because of the time they wasted. However, as users continue to engage with content that researchers have identified as problematic, the overall experience cannot always be that negative. To shed light on this apparent paradox, this study investigates the subjective perceptions of users and provide a constructivist perspective of what we call 'digital junkfood'. We identified a rich variety of relevant content elements, evoked feelings and behavioral responses. The often conflicting positive, neutral and negative feelings and responses elicited by digital junkfood call for differentiated, individualized rather than normative approaches towards compulsive social media use and the personalization techniques associated with this behavior.