Whilst research suggests online social comparisons may be detrimental to wellbeing, little is known about the underlying temporal dynamics. Here we used Ecological Momentary Assessment to sample 100 undergraduate students’ experiences five times per day for 21 consecutive days, in conjunction with network analysis, to map dynamic interactions between (upward) online and offline social comparisons and multiple indicators of wellbeing. Contemporaneous, temporal, and between-subjects networks were estimated. Whilst online comparisons predicted lower self-esteem in the contemporaneous network, online comparisons predicted subsequent increases in positive, and decreases in negative, affect. In contrast, associations between offline social comparisons and poorer wellbeing were seen in all networks, and for multiple indices of wellbeing. Consistent with a two-step model of social comparisons, the findings suggest the effects of online comparisons may operate differently at different times-scales, and further, that offline comparisons may be more strongly related to poor wellbeing, with a potential causal association.

According to the Uses and Gratifications theory and Transformation Framework, social media users are drawn to different platforms according to platform affordances and motivations for use, with potential implications for wellbeing and functional outcomes. However, most research uses single- or cross-platform data. We tested the hypothesis, therefore, that the use of different social media platforms differentially predicts outcomes. Using undergraduate survey data (n = 3500+) regression analyses explored associations between time spent on eight common platforms and perceived stress and GPA scores. Platforms were also rated on design features using the Transformation Framework in order to identify potential affordance-outcome links. Our hypothesis was supported: platforms showed differential patterns of association (positive and negative) with stress and GPA, with little overlap in patterns of association with the two outcome variables. These findings suggest platforms should not be treated as a homogenous phenomenon, and implicate independent mechanisms underlying social media, wellbeing and attainment links.

Nature has shaped the make up of proteins since their appearance, [Formula: see text]3.8 billion years ago. However, the fundamental drivers of structural change responsible for the extraordinary diversity of proteins have yet to be elucidated. Here we explore if protein evolution affects folding speed. We estimated folding times for the present-day catalog of protein domains directly from their size-modified contact order. These values were mapped onto an evolutionary timeline of domain appearance derived from a phylogenomic analysis of protein domains in 989 fully-sequenced genomes. Our results show a clear overall increase of folding speed during evolution, with known ultra-fast downhill folders appearing rather late in the timeline. Remarkably, folding optimization depends on secondary structure. While alpha-folds showed a tendency to fold faster throughout evolution, beta-folds exhibited a trend of folding time increase during the last [Formula: see text]1.5 billion years that began during the "big bang" of domain combinations. As a consequence, these domain structures are on average slow folders today. Our results suggest that fast and efficient folding of domains shaped the universe of protein structure. This finding supports the hypothesis that optimization of the kinetic and thermodynamic accessibility of the native fold reduces protein aggregation propensities that hamper cellular functions.