The researchers conducted two experiments to examine the effects of lurking and ostracism, which they identified as to threats to a sense of belonging on a social network like Facebook. In the first study, participants were either allowed or not allowed to share information on Facebook for 48 hours. Those who weren’t allowed to share had lower levels of belonging and “meaningful existence.”
In the second study, the researchers simulated a version of Facebook where half of the participants’ profiles would not receive any feedback on status updates. The participants who didn’t receive feedback had lower levels of belonging, self esteem, control, and meaningful existence, and the researchers concluded that passive Facebook participation or feeling ostracized on the social network have a negative impact on users’ wellbeing.