Study: Constantly Texting and Checking Social Media Makes You 'Morally Shallow' The small sampling of participants, who frequently texted or incessantly checked their social-media accounts, were more concerned about superficial things.

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Narcissists, take note: Texting too much and obsessively checking social media doesn't just make you look like a jerk, research suggests it makes you act like one too.

A new study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences suggests that habitually trolling social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, causes people to be "more shallow and less moral." Hmm. Hunch confirmed. Well, sort of, if you consider a lightweight sampling of 100 students enough to draw conclusions from.

Related: What People Really Think When They See Your Profile Picture for the First Time

The goal of the research, recently conducted at Canada's University of Windsor, was to test the "shallowing hypothesis," a theory that acclaimed tech and culture critic Nicholas Carr put forth in his 2011 book The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. Essentially, Carr posits that regularly engaging in quick bursts of texting and tweeting trains our brains to make snap judgments, and, worse, it generally renders us cognitively and morally shallow. (Not that knowing that ugly truth would stop us from trolling Facebook every six or so minutes.)

In this case, the researchers asked the students to classify dozens of life goals and core values by importance. They found that participants who frequently texted or incessantly checked their social-media accounts were more concerned about superficial stuff, such as their looks and having fun, than more meaningful things, such as living honestly and being a good person who helps others.

Related: Millennials Spend 18 Hours a Day Consuming Media -- And It's Mostly Content Created By Peers

"I don't find (social media) inherently evil or dangerous or problematic, but I argue that it's not the best use of our time," the study's lead author, Logan Annisette, said. "Whether it becomes an issue that needs to be dealt with or not is a matter of debate. But it's an issue that demands our concern and poses a need for additional research."

This is far from the first time a link has been made between heavy texting and social media gluttony and shallowness. Many studies have picked apart the topic, including a similar one conducted at the University of Winnipeg in 2013. It too revealed what we already suspected but were too busy tweeting to deeply ponder: going gaga on texting and social media makes Jack a self-centered boy.

Related: 6 Reasons Why You Should Quit Facebook

So put your phone down and think about that for a minute. Then, quick, tell your "friends" all about it on Facebook.

Wavy Line
Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Editor's Pick

A Father Decided to Change When He Was in Prison on His Son's Birthday. Now His Nonprofit Helps Formerly Incarcerated Applicants Land 6-Figure Jobs.
Lock
A Teen Turned His Roblox Side Hustle Into a Multimillion-Dollar Company — Now He's Working With Karlie Kloss and Elton John
Lock
3 Mundane Tasks You Should Automate to Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff
Lock
The Next Time Someone Intimidates You, Here's What You Should Do
5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health and Regulate Your Nervous System for Sustainable Success

Related Topics

Business News

After Being Told They Could Work From Home Forever, Employees Made Major Life Changes. Then, a New CEO Ordered Them Back to the Office.

Farmers Group CEO Raul Vargas is facing backlash for the change, but he says being in the office brings more "collaboration" and "innovation."

Business Ideas

The 13 Best Jobs for People With ADHD

Want to find the perfect profession as a person with ADHD? Check out this review of the best jobs for people with ADHD if you need ideas.

Money & Finance

The Spring Cleaning Tips You Need to Keep Your Business Finances Neat All Year Long

Use the five S approach to clean up your business financials this spring and spend the rest of the year totally in charge.

Business News

Hedge Fund Pays NYC Interns $20,000 a Month on Average, Sent to Lavish Palm Beach Kickoff

Citadel is known for its over-the-top parties and company retreats.

Business News

Pete Davidson Says He's 'Figuring It Out' After Buying a $280,000 Boat While 'Very Stoned'

The former "Saturday Night Live" star purchased a used Staten Island Ferry with Colin Jost in January 2022.