شناسایی الگوهای رفتاری افراد دارای وابستگی افراطی به تأیید اجتماعی در فضای مجازی

عرفان محمودی

Authors

Erfan Mahmoudi Department of Health Psychology, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

Keywords:

social approval, social media, self-presentation, social comparison, dependence on likes, thematic analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the behavioral patterns of individuals with excessive dependence on social approval in social media environments. This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. The participants were 22 active social media users living in Tehran, selected through purposive sampling with attention to variation in gender, age, educational level, and dominant platform use. Inclusion criteria were being 18 to 35 years old, daily use of social media, subjective experience of dependence on likes, comments, views, or online approval, and willingness to participate in an interview. Data were collected exclusively through semi-structured interviews. Each interview lasted between 45 and 75 minutes. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached; saturation occurred at the twentieth interview, and two additional interviews were conducted to confirm data adequacy. After transcription, the interviews were coded and analyzed using NVivo software according to the phases of thematic analysis. Data analysis led to the identification of five main categories: “approval-centered self-presentation,” “compulsive feedback monitoring,” “audience-dependent emotional fluctuation,” “social comparison and status anxiety,” and “relational conformity and erosion of personal boundaries.” Participants reported that before publishing online content, they adjusted their appearance, posting time, caption, image angle, and even the topics they were willing to discuss according to the anticipated likelihood of receiving approval. Receiving fewer likes, being ignored, having low story views, or receiving negative reactions was associated with shame, worthlessness, anxiety, hidden anger, or an urge to delete the content. The findings indicate that excessive dependence on social approval in social media is not merely a superficial habit, but a complex cyclical pattern in which selective self-presentation, continuous feedback monitoring, social comparison, externally regulated emotion, and conformity to audience expectations mutually reinforce one another. These findings may inform media literacy interventions, psychological counseling, and programs aimed at strengthening self-acceptance and emotion regulation among young social media users.

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