Social Media Influence on Emerging Adults’ Prosocial Behavior: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Current literature has provided substantial empirical evidence on how different types of factors influence prosocial behavior, but limited literature explores the relationship between online social media factors and their psychological influence on emerging adults’ prosocial behavior. Moreover, the majority of experimental investigations have utilized self-reported questionnaires or irrelevant economic games to reflect people’s prosocial behavior instead of measuring prosocial behavior demonstrated in real-life, natural settings. Considering the gaps in past research, this systematic review aims to identify literature regarding the influence of social media on emerging adults’ prosocial behaviors. The review focuses on studies that observed individuals’ prosocial behavior in real-life settings to eliminate social desirability bias and accurately establish the effects of social media on emerging adults’ prosocial behavior.