The Dual Role of Peer Pressure on Social Media in Addiction and Well-Being

Social media play an important role in modern life, especially in Arab societies, where cultural norms focus on social cohesion, loyalty and empathy. In these environments, peer pressure shapes digital interactions and exerts positive and negative influence. Although most of the existing literature focuses on the harmful effects of peer influences (such as compulsive use, fear of missing out), this doctoral research explores the dual role of peer pressure in improving emotional well-being and contributing to problematic social media behaviors. The study is built on previous research phases that examined the motives of using social media and cultural differences between Arab and Western users. The current phase focuses on designing and testing a culturally based digital intervention aimed at reducing the harmful aspects of peer pressure and preserving its social benefits. The intervention, known as “communication transparency”, introduces user-defined preference cards (e.g., “I might miss a message”) into the chat interface, legitimizing delayed responses and reducing peer pressure. The methodology combines experiences between subjects with cross-sectional surveys of Arab social media users in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The study used validated psychological scales and thematic analysis of user feedback to assess how transparency tools affect peer pressure, digital well-being and social media disorders. This study contributes to behavioral computation and design centered on humanity by proposing culturally sensitive features that support healthy digital habits. It also has a practical impact on the design of social platforms and encourages respectful and compassionate online communication in collectivist cultures.