Honors Theses and Capstones

Date Completed

Spring 2026

Abstract

This study explores the impact social media can have on individuals' other qualities of life. This study particularly highlights its impact on in-person social engagement along with nature utilization and enjoyment, keeping in mind the corresponding benefits associated with those two variables. UNH undergraduate students were selected as participants. Participants completed surveys assessing their sense of regulation with social media consumption and reliance, their tendency to use and enjoy accessible natural resources, and their overall capacity to experience social comfort. Our survey was designed using 3 separate scales: A Green Space Enjoyment Scale, Social Comfortability Scale, and the third being divided among two branches such as The Social Media Preoccupation Scale and the Social Media Emotional-Reliance Scale. The initial hypotheses structured predictions of strong social media use to steal from time better spent experiencing proactive stimuli that enable connectedness between life— void of influences associated with virtual layers or mimics of life. Survey results indicated significant relationships between the three variables—the frequent use of social media and dependence on it for sociocultural gains was correlated with decreased social comfortability and decreased enjoyment of nature exposure. Enjoyment of nature exposure fully mediated the negative relationship between social media dependence and social comfortability.

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

First Advisor

Lisa Jones

College or School

COLA

Department or Program

Psychology Departmental Honors Program

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

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