Sheldon et al. (2011) found evidence to support a “two-process interpretation” of Facebook
usage: people engage in Facebook to avoid feelings of disconnection (i.e., relatedness-need issatisfaction) and Facebook use works to achieve this and they also gain feelings of connection (i.e., relatedness-need satisfaction) by using the site. Sheldon et al. found these processes to work independently, such that while “disconnection drives Facebook use and connection rewards it” (2011, p. 766), using the site more can increase connection without decreasing disconnection. They conclude that the site can, in this way, serve as a distraction from real-world problems but will not remedy them.