AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORY IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND REAL LIFE: PHENOMENOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PERCEIVED FUNCTIONS

Year 2022, Volume: 62 Issue: 2, 1631 - 1656, 20.12.2022

Aylin Ozdes

https://doi.org/10.33171/dtcfjournal.2022.62.2.34

Abstract

Social media has become an important part of life for individuals of all ages. A substantial number of events are experienced and shared with others on social media. Social media events include unusual stimuli like text, photos, and videos. Given that, they are likely to differ from real-life events in terms of phenomenology and perceived functions. Understanding these differences is critical in determining the effect of social media use on autobiographical memory. In the current study, we aimed to determine the differences between the phenomenological features and perceived functions of events experienced in social media and real life. For this purpose, in the current study, young adults wrote down two events they experienced in real life and on social media, and rated the phenomenological characteristics (i.e., emotional valence, emotional arousal, importance, voluntary and involuntary recall, identity, and centrality to life story) and perceived functions (i.e., reflective, social, productive, ruminative) of those events. Findings showed that social media events are perceived as emotionally less intense, less important, and less central to identity and life story than real-life events. It has also been reported that these events are recalled less frequently than real-life events, both voluntarily and involuntarily. Finally, social media events were perceived as less functional than real-life events. The study shows that social media events recorded in autobiographical memory differ from real life events in terms of quality and functionality. Given that, it is possible that self-perception and social relations and ultimately psychological health will be influenced by this new context of autobiographical memory.

Keywords

Autobiographical Memory, Social Media, Perceived Functions, Phenomenological Characteristics

SOSYAL MEDYA VE GERÇEK YAŞAMDA OTOBİYOGRAFİK BELLEK: FENOMENOLOJİK ÖZELLİKLER VE ALGILANAN İŞLEVLER

Abstract

Sosyal medya her yaştan insan için hayatın önemli bir parçası haline gelmiştir. Sosyal medya platformlarında her gün yeni deneyimler yaşanmakta ve gerçek yaşamdaki deneyimler bu platformlarda paylaşılmaktadır. Metin, fotoğraf ve video gibi alışılmışın dışında içeriklere sahip bu olayların gerçek yaşam olaylarından farklılaşması olasıdır. Bu farklılıkların anlaşılması sosyal medya kullanımının otobiyografik bellek süreçleri üzerindeki etkisinin tespiti açısından önemli görünmektedir. Güncel çalışmada sosyal medyada ve gerçek yaşamda deneyimlenmiş olayların fenomenolojik özellikleri ve algılanan işlevleri arasındaki farklılıkların tespit edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla genç yetişkinlerden gerçek yaşamda ve sosyal medyada deneyimledikleri birer olay yazmaları ve bu olayların fenomenolojik özellikleri (duygusal değerlik, duygusal şiddet, önem, gönüllü ve istemsiz hatırlama, kimlik ve yaşam öyküsüne merkezilik) ve işlevlerini (yansıtıcı, sosyal, üretici, ruminatif) puanlamaları istenmiştir. Bulgular sosyal medya olayları için hissedilen duyguların şiddetinin gerçek yaşam olaylarından daha düşük, daha az önemli, kimlik ve yaşam hikayesi için daha az merkezi olarak algılandığını göstermiştir. Ayrıca bu olayların istemli ve istemsiz olarak gerçek yaşam olaylarından daha az sıklıkla geri çağrıldığı raporlanmıştır. Son olarak sosyal medya olaylarının gerçek yaşam olaylarından daha az işlevsel algılandığı görülmüştür. Çalışma otobiyografik belleğe kaydedilen sosyal medya olaylarının niteliksel ve işlevsel açıdan gerçek yaşam olaylarından farklılaştığını göstermektedir. Sonuç olarak, benlik algısının ve sosyal ilişkilerin ve nihayetinde psikolojik sağlığın bu yeni otobiyografik bellek bağlamından etkilenmesi mümkün görünmektedir.

Keywords

Otobiyografik Bellek, Sosyal Medya, Bellek İşlevleri, Fenomenolojik Özellikler

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