2025 - Reprints: Marketing
Social platform use and psychological well-being, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 35(3), 463–474, 2025
C. Crolic, P.P. Zubcsek, A.T. Stephen and G. Brooks
(Reprint No.: 449)
Research No.: 04390100
Social platforms facilitate the daily interactions of billions of people globally. Prior research generally concludes that social platforms negatively affect people's welfare. This research reopens this debate by using a robust methodology to examine the time series effects of social platform use on users' subjective well-being, psychological well-being, physical health, and financial security. We report a 6-month longitudinal study of 1029 adults. Participants' daily time using social platforms on their mobile device was unobtrusively tracked and their well-being was measured every 2 weeks. The findings suggest a small, positive effect of time spent using social platforms on both subjective well-being and psychological well-being (but no significant effects on physical health or financial security). Further, it is time spent using social platforms that facilitate interactions with intimate/close ties, that is correlated with positive subjective and psychological well-being.
Investing on the Go: How Contextual Factors Shape Mobile Investment Choices, SSRN, 2025
P. Engel, C. Pundak, M. Spann and P.P. Zubcsek
(Reprint No.: 455)
Research No.: 04325100
Neo-brokers have democratized access to the stock market, primarily through mobile platforms, attracting novice retail investors. However, research on the influence of environmental factors on mobile investment behavior is scarce. In this paper, we investigate how the immediate environment of potential investors influences their decisions when an opportunity arises, and examine how the level of crowdedness of the environment influences the likelihood and amount of investment. Three studies show that crowdedness significantly reduces the likelihood of investing and reduces the amount invested. This effect is mediated by investors' feelings of pleasure and dominance. Our findings highlight that mobile brokerage platforms may want to prevent the undesired effects of environmental factors by providing tailored recommendations based on users' location.
