A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents

The association between sharing something difficult on social media and mental well-being among adolescents. Results from the "LifeOnSoMe"-study

Introduction

Social media use is part of everyday life for adolescents. Over the last decade, concerns about the potential negative effects of social media use on mental health and well-being has been raised. Possible positive effects of social media use have to a lesser extent been explored. However, some studies have found associations between social support on social media and well-being. Self-disclosing thoughts and feelings on social media might provide social support and positively affect well-being. The current study aimed to explore adolescents' experiences with sharing something difficult on social media and the association with well-being.

Methods

The survey data in this cross-sectional study were collected from a sample of 2023 adolescents from senior high schools (mean age 17.4, 55.6% females). Mental well-being was measured using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale (WEMWBS). Multiple linear regression adjusting for age, gender, social media frequency/duration of use, and the number of close friends was used to explore the association of sharing something difficult on social media and mental well-being.

Results

The findings indicated that sharing something difficult on social media, either with a few friends/family members or in a public post, was associated with lower well-being. Perceived social support (easier to talk about, received support, positive experience) after sharing something difficult was associated with higher well-being. Females reported sharing something difficult more than boys, but no interaction effect of gender was found in the associations between private or public sharing and well-being.

Discussion

The results indicate that social media can serve as a supportive environment for adolescents. Future research may want to explore additional aspects of adolescents' social media use, sharing, and well-being, such as differences in public and private sharing. Such contributions will increase the knowledge base of optimal ways to seek social support through social media.

Use of social network as a coping strategy for depression among young people during the COVID-19 lockdown: findings from the COMET collaborative study

BACKGROUND

Use of social media (SM) has exponentially grown particularly among youths in the past two years, due to COVID-19-related changing lifestyles. Based on the Italian COvid Mental hEalth Trial (COMET), we investigated the association between SM use and depressive symptoms among Italian young adults (aged 18-24).

METHODS

The COMET is a nationwide multi-center cross-sectional study that investigated socio-demographic data, social networking addiction (BSNAS), depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21), as well as impulsiveness (BIS-15) and aggressiveness (AQ) in a large sample of youngsters, in order to assess the association between BSNAS and DASS-21 indices. Mediation analyses were performed to evaluate the role of impulsiveness and aggressive personality traits in the association between SM use (SMU) and depression.

RESULTS

75.8% of the sample (n = 491) had a problematic SMU. SMU was reduced by high AQ and high DASS-21 scores (F = 42.338, p < 0.001, R² = 0.207). Mediation analyses showed that SMU negatively predicted depressive symptomatology with the interaction mediated by AQ total (ß = - 0.1075), physical (ß = - 0.207) and anger (ß = - 0.0582), BIS-15 total (ß = - 0.0272) and attentional (ß = - 0.0302). High depressive levels were predicted by high AQ scores, low SMU levels, low verbal and physical AQ, and low attentional BIS-15 (F = 30.322, p < 0.001, R² = 0.273). Depressive symptomatology negatively predicted SMU with their interaction mediated by AQ total (ß = - 0.1640), verbal (ß = 0.0436) and anger (ß = - 0.0807), BIS-15 total (ß = - 0.0448) and attentional (ß = - 0.0409).

CONCLUSIONS

SMU during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic could have a beneficial role in buffering negative consequences linked to social isolation due to quarantine measures, despite this association being mediated by specific personality traits.

"Leave your smartphone out of bed": quantitative analysis of smartphone use effect on sleep quality

Smartphones have become an integral part of people's everyday lives. Smartphones are used across all household locations, including in the bed at night. Smartphone screens and other displays emit blue light, and exposure to blue light can affect one's sleep quality. Thus, smartphone use prior to bedtime could disrupt the quality of one's sleep, but research lacks quantitative studies on how smartphone use can influence sleep. This study combines smartphone application use data from 75 participants with sleep data collected by a wearable ring. On average, the participants used their smartphones in bed for 322.8 s (5 min and 22.8 s), with an IQR of 43.7-456. Participants spent an average of 42% of their time in bed using their smartphones (IQR of 5.87-55.5%). Our findings indicate that smartphone use in bed has significant adverse effects on sleep latency, awake time, average heart rate, and HR variability. We also find that smartphone use does not decrease sleep quality when used outside of bed. Our results indicate that intense smartphone use alone does not negatively affect well-being. Since all smartphone users do not use their phones in the same way, extending the investigation to different smartphone use types might yield more information than general smartphone use. In conclusion, this paper presents the first investigation of the association between smartphone application use logs and detailed sleep metrics. Our work also validates previous research results and highlights emerging future work.

Life aspirations, school engagement, social anxiety, social media use and fear of missing out among adolescents

Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) – people’s intense concerns that they might miss pleasant moments that their peers may enjoy—has been found to relate to a variety of undesired outcomes, including poor academic functioning. Yet, little is known about why some students may exhibit more FoMO than others. In this cross-sectional study with a sample of Turkish adolescents (N1 = 506; 50.8% males; Mage = 15.8 years; SD = 0.83), we examined to what extent intrinsic and extrinsic life goals for using social media predict FoMO over and above social anxiety. We found through path analyses that extrinsic goals of attaining popularity, garnering attention, and conveying a positive image of oneself to others related to FoMO which in turn related to lower grades by means of in-class distraction and out-of-class study interference. Taken together, the present results suggest that the goals that adolescents try to attain through social media use may explain why FoMO might be more prevalent in that age group.

Alone with my phone? Examining beliefs about solitude and technology use in adolescence

In this study, we examined how technology impacts adolescents' perceptions of, and affective responses to solitude, as well as how adolescents' own motivations for solitude (shyness, affinity for aloneness) were related to these reactions. Participants were N = 437 adolescents (297 girls; M age = 16.15 years, standard deviation (SD) = .50) who were presented with a series of hypothetical vignettes asking them to imagine themselves in the context of pure solitude (alone in their room with the door closed), as well as being physically alone but engaged in increasing levels of virtual social engagement, including passive (e.g., watching videos, scrolling, but no direct social engagement), active (e.g., texting), and audio-visual (e.g., Facetime) technology use. Following each vignette, participants reported their perceptions of being alone and positive/negative affective responses. We also measured general motivations for solitude (shyness, affinity for aloneness). Among the results, adolescents perceived themselves as less alone in vignettes depicting increasing virtual social engagement. Affective benefits of increased virtual engagement were also found (e.g., less loneliness/boredom/sadness, greater social connection/contentment). However, these effects were moderated by solitude motivations, with different patterns evident as a function of participant shyness and affinity for aloneness. Findings highlight the importance of considering the nature of adolescents' technology use when alone, as well as motivations for solitude, when considering links between solitude and well-being.

A three-wave panel study on longitudinal relations between problematic social media use and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

It still remains unclear whether problematic social media use (PSMU) is a cause or a consequence of psychological distress. The present study aimed to investigate the temporal relationships between PSMU and psychological distress through a three-wave panel study (between April and July 2020, with an interval of 1 month between each period of time).

METHODS

3,912 adult Italian participants were surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic for psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale) and PSMU (Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale). Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models were applied to disaggregate between-person from within-person associations as regards PSMU and an individual's distress.

RESULTS

On a between-person level we found that adults with higher PSMU also reported heightened levels of psychological distress across the three waves. However, on a within-person level, no cross-lagged associations were found between changes in distress and subsequent changes in PSMU and vice versa. The results were largely unchanged with the inclusion of participants' gender and age or COVID-19-related fears as covariates, and when the three subscales of depression, anxiety and stress were examined in separate models.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study suggests that the link between PSMU and psychological distress is mainly driven by trait-like differences and not by state-like individual changes over time.

Emotional Responses to Social Media Experiences Among Adolescents: Longitudinal Associations with Depressive Symptoms

OBJECTIVE

The degree to which adolescent social media use is associated with depressive symptoms has been the source of considerable debate. Prior studies have been limited by a reliance on cross-sectional data and measures of overall "screen time." This study examines prospective associations between adolescents' emotional responses to social media experiences and depressive symptoms, and examines gender differences in these processes.

METHOD

A school-based sample of 687 adolescents (48.6% girls; Mage = 14.3; 38.1% White, 29.4% Hispanic, 23.0% Black) completed measures of positive and negative emotional responses to social media experiences and depressive symptoms at two time points, one year apart.

RESULTS

Higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with more frequent negative emotional responses to social media experiences one year later, whereas greater positive emotional responses to social media were associated with later depressive symptoms. Girls reported overall greater emotional responses to social media experiences, but gender did not moderate associations between these emotional responses and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight the importance of examining adolescents' positive and negative emotional experiences in the context of social media use, and the ways in which these experiences intersect with depressive symptoms, so as to identify youth who may be most vulnerable to negative effects of social media use.

Remote Interventions to Support Students' Psychological Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review of Recent Approaches

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected students' mental health, and it is important to implement mental health management strategies. The purpose of this study was to present current findings on the implementation of remote mental health interventions in students during the pandemic. The PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases were searched and, from a total of 174 articles, 106 records were excluded according to the inclusion criteria and 23 were assessed as full texts. After the full-text screening, 12 studies were included in the review. The included publications were randomized clinical trials focused on remote mental support interventions among students from 10 countries, representing both genders, and were in the average age range of 17-55 years with an overall number of 892 participants. The included studies covered the effectiveness of strictly psychotherapeutic programs, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), as well as other techniques such as mindfulness, laughter therapy, the brain wave modulation technique (BWM-T), and physical activity-based interventions. This narrative review provides an overview of studies with a wide range of types of remote mental health support interventions. Each of the forms of intervention analyzed in this review resulted in positive changes in students' mental health, which indicates hope for widespread help via various forms of intervention implemented remotely.

Construction and characteristic of the media exhibitionism construct and the Media Exhibitionism Questionnaire

Introduction: Internet users often reveal online intimate details from their lives, such as pictures with naked parts of their bodies or posts about their emotional states. The first part of the article presents an attempt to create media exhibitionism construct based on psychopathological criteria from ICD-10. The second part of the article presents psychometric properties of the Media Exhibitionism Questionnaire.

Material and methods: After extracting 49 items, based on the theoretical foundations of the media exhibitionism construct, the competent judges assessed the accuracy of individual items. This resulted in the selection of 20 statements. Then the revised questionnaire was sent to Facebook users asking them to fill it out and send it to other users of the portal. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out by the method of main components with Varimax rotation on N=65 persons, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on N=554 persons.

Results: After EFA the questionnaire consisted of 14 items and 4 factors: physical exhibitionism, exhibitionism of narcissistic traits, emotional exhibitionism, exhibitionism of histrionic traits. The four-factor solution was adopted on the basis of theoretical assumptions. The chi2 value was significant (χ2=286.01; p<0.001), which indicated discrepancies between the observed covariance matrix and the one implied by the model. Other indicators have shown a satisfactory agreement between the data and the model.

Conclusions: The questionnaire has satisfactory psychometric properties (α=0.846) and can be used to predict problem behaviours on social media, as well as in counselling regarding responsible development of self-image on the Internet.

Exploring the Associations between Social Media Addiction and Depression: Attentional Bias as a Mediator and Socio-Emotional Competence as a Moderator

Social media is used daily by a significant number of young people and can have an important influence on the well-being of its users. The aim of this study was to determine the motives for social media use among Chinese youth and whether social media addiction associates with depression. Another objective was to analyze possible mediating and moderating effects in explaining the association between social media addiction and depression. Participants were 1652 secondary school students (51.5% boys and 48.5% girls) aged 12-18 years in China. The results showed that attention bias mediated the association between social media addiction and depression when adolescents' socio-emotional competencies were low, but not as strong when their socio-emotional competencies were high. The findings not only provided theoretical support for preventing the negative effects of mobile social media addiction, but could also directly contribute to improving adolescents' quality of life.

Impact of minority perceived discrimination on resistance to innovation and moderating role of psychological distress: Evidence from ethnic minority students of China

Ethnic minority groups usually face discrimination in the form of prejudice and stereotypes. The self-esteem and psychological well-being of ethnic minority groups are adversely impacted by the prejudice and discrimination behavior of others. The perceived discrimination unfavorably influences the attitude and behavior of ethnic minority groups, which in turn develops resistance to innovation among them. With the support of social exchange theory, this study hypothesized that perceived discrimination positively enhances resistance to innovation and job dissatisfaction for empirical investigation. The current study also proposes that job dissatisfaction positively correlates with resistance to innovation. This study further assumes the mediating role of job dissatisfaction and moderating role of psychological distress forfurther investigation. For empirical investigation, the present study collected the data from 328 Ethnic Minority Students of various Chinese universities through a structured questionnaire method using a convenient sampling technique. This study applied partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for empirical examination using Smart PLS software. The findings confirm that perceived discrimination positively correlates with resistance to innovation and job dissatisfaction, respectively. It is also verified that perceived discrimination positively impacts job dissatisfaction. The results further interpreted that job dissatisfaction mediates the relationship between perceived discrimination and resistance to innovation. Additionally, the findings revealed that psychological distress does not moderate the relationship between perceived discrimination and resistance to innovation; however, psychological distress moderates the relationship between job dissatisfaction and resistance to innovation. The findings serve the organizations by pointing out the role of perceived discrimination on job dissatisfaction. This study also provides valuable theoretical and practical implications.

Social Media Use and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adolescents: Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Using social media is a time-consuming activity of children and adolescents. Health authorities have warned that excessive use of social media can negatively affect adolescent social, physical, and psychological health. However, scientific findings regarding associations between time spent on social media and adolescent health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are not consistent. Adolescents typically use multiple social media platforms. Whether the use of multiple social media platforms impacts adolescent health is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between social media use, including the number of social media platforms used and time spent on social media, and adolescent HRQoL.

METHODS

We analyzed the data of 3397 children (mean age 13.5, SD 0.4 years) from the Generation R Study, a population-based cohort study in the Netherlands. Children reported the number of social media platforms used and time spent on social media during weekdays and weekends separately. Children's HRQoL was self-reported with the EuroQol 5-dimension questionnaire-youth version. Data on social media use and HRQoL were collected from 2015 to 2019. Multiple logistic and linear regressions were applied.

RESULTS

In this study, 72.6% (2466/3397) of the children used 3 or more social media platforms, and 37.7% (1234/3276) and 58.3% (1911/3277) of the children used social media at least 2 hours per day during weekdays and weekends, respectively. Children using more social media platforms (7 or more platforms) had a higher odds of reporting having some or a lot of problems on "having pain or discomfort" (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.99) and "feeling worried, sad or unhappy" (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.52 to 2.60) dimensions and reported lower self-rated health (β -3.81, 95% CI -5.54 to -2.09) compared with children who used 0 to 2 social media platforms. Both on weekdays and weekends, children spent more time on social media were more likely to report having some or a lot of problems on "doing usual activities," "having pain or discomfort," "feeling worried, sad or unhappy," and report lower self-rated health (all P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that using more social media platforms and spending more time on social media were significantly related to lower HRQoL. We recommend future research to study the pathway between social media use and HRQoL among adolescents.

Social media disorder during community quarantine: A mixed methods study among rural young college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

PURPOSE

This study sought to identify determinants of social media disorder (SMD) and describe the social media engagement among rural young (18 to 24 years old) college students during long periods of community quarantine due to COVID-19.

METHODS

This mixed methods study draws from a sample of 500 students from rural Luzon, Philippines. Quantitative and qualitative data collection were done via online survey.

RESULTS

Findings reveal that 24.2 % of the respondents have SMD. Students who are from below middle-income households, and are active on Tiktok have greater odds for SMD. Qualitative analysis of narratives of students with SMD (n = 121) reveal the beneficial and negative impacts of social media.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight how social position, and uses and gratifications of social media can facilitate development of SMD.

A cross-sectional study of social media addiction and social and emotional loneliness in university students in Turkey

PURPOSE

This study investigates the relationships between social media addiction and social and emotional loneliness in university students.

METHODS

This is a descriptive, correlational study. Data were collected from 555 university students. The study data were then collected through an online survey. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal Wallis analysis, and Spearman correlation.

RESULTS

Higher and statistically significant levels of loneliness were found in males, single students, students displaying poor academic performance, and learners who perceived their economic situation as worse than the other groups (p ≤ 0.005). A positive and significant relationship association was noted between the aggregate social media scores of students and their total loneliness scores (r = 0.196 p = 0.000) (p < 0.05).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Social skills training should be provided to young social media users. Young people should be offered social support resources and ways to reduce loneliness, such as listening to music, exercising, and doing yoga.

COVID-19 pandemic-related aspects and predictors of emotional and behavioural symptoms in youth with pre-existing mental health conditions: results from Georgia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated levels of and predictors of emotional and behavioral symptoms in youth with pre-existing mental health conditions over the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 across Georgia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey.

METHODS

The study included 421 children and adolescents aged 5 - 18 years with pre-existing mental health conditions and corresponding ongoing treatments. We used a parent- and/or child-report, which taps into a broad range of mental health symptoms and contextual factors thought to be particularly pertinent during periods of social restrictions. Data were collected simultaneously across the countries from May 2020 to August 2020.

RESULTS

According to parents, 121 (33.1%) children had deteriorations in the overall quality of mental health over the COVID-19, 156 (43.1%) deteriorations in the quantity of mental health care received, while 82 (25.1%) mental health care received did not meet the needs. For 121 (49.8%) of children, there was worsening in the main presenting psychiatric symptom compared to January 2020, while for 64 (26.3%) there was some improvement. In total, 128 (43.9%) children reported worsened emotional and 118 (40.6%) behavioral symptoms. The COVID-related worry, parental emotional difficulties, and parent-child relationships emerged as the most relevant predictors for higher levels of emotional and behavioral difficulties.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has considerably changed the daily lives of some children with pre-existing mental health conditions, where almost every second child had deteriorations in overall mental health or worsening of psychiatric symptoms.

The Effect of a 1-Week Abstinence From Instagram on Mental Health in Youth and Young Adults

Abstract. Theoretical Background: Results concerning the association between the use of social networking sites and mental health are so far inconsistent. Objective: To investigate the effects of a 1-week abstinence from Instagram on depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and the role of social comparison orientation in youth. Methods: Participants were N = 298 youth (76.2 % f; mean age 22.28, SD = 2.25). Three groups were assigned: non-Instagram users ( n = 113), Instagram users randomly assigned to a control group (CG, n = 106) with no change in their Instagram use, and an experimental group (EG, n = 79) that agreed to a 1-week abstinence. Participants completed questionnaires on depressive symptoms, self-esteem, social comparison orientation, and general mental state. Results: The EG and CG revealed a reduction in depressive symptoms, an increase in self-esteem, and an improvement in general mental state. Discussion and Conclusion: The short-term positive effects of Instagram abstinence on mental health.

Investigating employees' deviant work behavior in the hotel industry during COVID-19: Empirical evidence from an emerging country

Employees in the hotel industry are among the most vulnerable groups that have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Anchored on the general strain theory, transactional theory of stress and coping, and theory of justice, this study investigates the mechanism through which hotel employees' perceived job insecurity affects their deviant work behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey method was used to collect three-wave sample data from 988 hotel employees in popular tourist destinations in Vietnam. Multivariate data analysis reveals a positive relationship between perceived job insecurity and deviant work behavior, and this relationship is mediated by psychological distress. Furthermore, abusive supervision positively moderates the association between psychological distress-deviant work behavior and the indirect influence of perceived job insecurity on deviant work behavior through psychological distress. These findings are useful for hotel managers seeking to manage and develop employees in a global health crisis such as COVID-19.

The experimental effect of social media use, treadmill walking, studying, and a control condition on positive and negative affect in college students

Using a within-subjects design, this study assessed the experimental effect of common activities upon positive and negative affect scores in a college student sample. All participants completed the following 30-minute activity conditions: treadmill walking, self-selected schoolwork (i.e., studying), social media use, and a control condition where participants sat in a quiet room (i.e., do nothing). Positive and negative affect scores were assessed at baseline, mid-, and post-condition. Positive affect scores increased by 26% and 10% during the treadmill and studying conditions, respectively. Conversely, positive affect decreased by 20% and 24% during the social media and "do nothing" conditions, respectively. Furthermore, negative affect was decreased by 8% in the studying condition. These changes were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.04). This suggests that college students' everyday activities can significantly impact affect, for better and for worse. As demonstrated, studying and walking may improve affect, whereas social media use may negatively impact affect.

The effect of social media on the development of students’ affective variables

The use of social media is incomparably on the rise among students, influenced by the globalized forms of communication and the post-pandemic rush to use multiple social media platforms for education in different fields of study. Though social media has created tremendous chances for sharing ideas and emotions, the kind of social support it provides might fail to meet students’ emotional needs, or the alleged positive effects might be short-lasting. In recent years, several studies have been conducted to explore the potential effects of social media on students’ affective traits, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and so on. The present paper reviews the findings of the exemplary published works of research to shed light on the positive and negative potential effects of the massive use of social media on students’ emotional well-being. This review can be insightful for teachers who tend to take the potential psychological effects of social media for granted. They may want to know more about the actual effects of the over-reliance on and the excessive (and actually obsessive) use of social media on students’ developing certain images of self and certain emotions which are not necessarily positive. There will be implications for pre- and in-service teacher training and professional development programs and all those involved in student affairs.

Media Exposure to Armed Conflict: Dispositional Optimism and Self-Mastery Moderate Distress and Post-Traumatic Symptoms among Adolescents

BACKGROUND

Rapid technological developments enable the immediate transmission of armed conflict events through a variety of media channels, inducing mass anxiety, fear, and helplessness. Youth are particularly vulnerable and face new challenges as a result of this exposure. The effects of media exposure to such events on psychological distress and post-traumatic symptoms were examined.

METHODS

A total of 161 participants aged 13-18 years completed a questionnaire battery that included measures of media exposure to armed conflict events, previous direct exposure to armed conflict events, psychological distress, post-traumatic symptoms, dispositional optimism, and self-mastery. A structural equation model (SEM) approach was employed for data analysis.

RESULTS

The extent of media exposure to armed conflict was directly associated with psychological distress and post-traumatic symptoms. Dispositional optimism moderated the association between media exposure and psychological distress, while self-mastery moderated the association between media exposure and post-traumatic symptoms. The effects of the Internet factor of media exposure, which included social media, were particularly disturbing as neither of the resilience factors moderated negative outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that clinical interventions to enhance dispositional optimism and self-mastery as well as other potential resilience factors can protect adolescents from the severe effects of media exposure to violent armed conflict events. Developmental and public health implications related to vulnerabilities and resilience during adolescence are discussed.

Focus on Self-Presentation on Social Media across Sociodemographic Variables, Lifestyles, and Personalities: A Cross-Sectional Study

Upward social comparison and aspects of self-presentation on social media such as feedback-seeking and strategic self-presentation may represent risk factors for experiencing negative mental health effects of social media use. The aim of this exploratory study was to assess how adolescents differ in upward social comparison and aspects of self-presentation on social media and whether these differences are linked to sociodemographic variables, lifestyle, or personality. The study was based on cross-sectional data from the "LifeOnSoMe" study performed in Bergen, Norway, including 2023 senior high school pupils (response rate 54%, mean age 17.4, 44% boys). Nine potentially relevant items were assessed using factor analysis, and latent class analysis was used to identify latent classes with distinct patterns of responses across seven retained items. The retained items converged into one factor, called "focus on self-presentation". We identified three groups of adolescents with a low, intermediate, and high focus on self-presentation. Associations between identified latent classes and covariates were assessed using regression analyses. Being a girl, higher extraversion, lower emotional stability, more frequent alcohol consumption, and having tried tobacco were associated with membership in the high-focus group. These results suggest some characteristics that are associated with a higher focus on self-presentation and that could inform targeted interventions.

Youth Insight About Social Media Effects on Well/Ill-Being and Self-Modulating Efforts

PURPOSE

We aim to investigate youth insight about how their social media use affects them. We hope to understand if and how they self-modulate their use.

METHODS

Using a text message-based platform, codable survey responses were returned by a minimum of 871 of 1,144 youth aged 14-24 in November, 2020. Youth were asked the following three questions: (1) What advice would you give to young people who are new to social media? (2) Have you ever felt like you need to change your social media use (what you view, time spent, etc.)? Why? (3) Have you ever deleted or thought about deleting your social media account(s)? Why? A codebook was created from the data and two coders independently coded the entirety of the data set using the 18-code codebook. Coders resolved discrepancies in coding patterns together and the frequency of each code was recorded.

RESULTS

Youth showed insight about negative impacts of social media and were especially concerned about safety on social media. A majority of respondents deleted or thought about deleting their social media account or app. Youth were more likely to report wanting to change the amount of time spent on their social media compared to the content they view.

DISCUSSION

Youth are aware of ways in which social media could be negatively impacting them and they have employed methods to modulate their use because of this awareness.

Time use and associations with internalizing symptoms from 1991 to 2019 among US adolescents

Introduction

Adolescent time use in recent cohorts is distinguished by large-scale changes, including shifts in parental monitoring, supervision, and adolescent activity patterns, that together may provide a more complete perspective on changing patterns of mental health than can be captured by single risk factors.

Methods

To determine whether patterns of adolescent time use explain recent increases in depressive and other internalizing symptoms, we first conducted latent profile analyses of 465,839 adolescents, grades 8/10, from annual, cross-sectional Monitoring the Future surveys, years:1991-2019, using twenty-one variables (e.g., frequency of attending parties) to identify groups based on patterns of time use. Most of the sample was female (51.0%), non-Hispanic white (58.8%), and in grade 8 (52.2%); mean age: 14.60 years (95% CI: 14.57, 14.64). We subsequently examined differences in depressive and other internalizing symptoms between these time use groups over time with survey-weighted logistic regressions producing odds ratios.

Results

Analyses derived six groups: part time workers, full time workers, and four groups based on levels of social activities (Low, medium, and high levels, with "High Social" split between those engaged in sports, academics, and community service and those who were not). Internalizing symptoms were predicted by lower socialization, low engagement in activities like sports, academics, and community service, and time spent at a paid job. Adolescents decreasingly engaged in social activities over time, though shifts in time use patterns did not account for much of the overall increase in depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

Shifts in adolescent time use do not explain increases in depressive and other internalizing symptoms, which increased across different patterns of time use. Levels of internalizing symptoms were highest among those with low socialization, low recreational engagement, and those working substantial hours. Encouraging socialization, engagement in recreational activities, and providing mental health resources for isolated adolescents may reduce internalizing symptom trends.

Social Media Use in Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Vestibular Disorders: A Systematic Review

Background:

People are increasingly using social media outlets for gathering health-related information. There has also been considerable interest from researchers and clinicians in understanding how social media is used by the general public, patients, and health professionals to gather health-related information. Interest in the use of social media for audiovestibular disorders has also received attention, although published evidence synthesis of this use is lacking. The objective of this review article was to synthesize existing research studies related to social media use concerning hearing loss, tinnitus, and vestibular disorders.

Method:

Comprehensive searches were performed in multiple databases between October and November 2020 and again in June 2021 and March 2022, with additional reports identified from article citations and unpublished literature. This review article was presented using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Results:

A total of 1,512 articles were identified. Of these, 16 publications met the inclusion criteria. Overall, social media offered people the platform to learn about hearing loss, tinnitus, and vestibular disorders via advice and support seeking, personal experience sharing, general information sharing, and relationship building. Research studies were more common on information and user activities seen on Facebook Pages, Twitter, and YouTube videos. Misinformation was identified across all social media platforms for each of these conditions.

Conclusions:

Online discussions about audiovestibular disorders are evident, although inconsistencies in study procedures make it difficult to compare these discussion groups. Misinformation is a concern needing to be addressed during clinical consultations as well as via other public health means. Uniform guidelines are needed for research regarding the use of social media so that outcomes are comparable. Moreover, clinical studies examining how exposure to and engagement with social media information may impact outcomes (e.g., help seeking, rehabilitation uptake, rehabilitation use, and satisfaction) require exploration.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.20667672

Social media and adolescent psychosocial development: a systematic review

Adolescents are noted to increasingly utilise social media for communication, and therefore, social media is where much of their psychosocial development takes place. The potential impact of social media on psychosocial development is complex and is an emerging field of research. A systematic review was conducted to investigate existing research relating to social media’s effects on psychosocial development. Good practice in systematic review reporting was followed, aligned to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, and a team of five reviewers were involved in each stage of the review process to enhance objectivity and methodological rigour. The review included 20 studies, published between 2008 and 2019. The findings show a complex relationship between social media and adolescent psychosocial development. Social media was found to involve potential risks, in terms of excessive and problematic use, comparison, and cyberbullying. Social support, from both peers and parents, may buffer these negative impacts. Potential benefits of social media use include supporting identity development and the maintenance of existing peer relationships. Considering the growth of social media use, it is imperative to consider the development and provision of interventions and mental health care services to address the potential risks associated with increased social media use. Psychoeducation with adolescents and parents as to the risks, benefits, and constructive parental supervision of social media is also recommended. The review highlights the need for high-quality empirical research to further clarify the long-term impact of social media use, particularly within the South African context.

The impact of interaction with children on internet addiction in older adults: A moderated mediation model

Internet addiction among older adults is a new problem in many countries. However, previous studies on excessive Internet use have focused more on young people, and only few studies have focused on Internet addiction in older adults. There is a need to continue to expand research on Internet addiction in older adults. This paper aimed to fill the gap in exiting literature. We adopted a self-reported questionnaire to assess the elderly’s interaction with children, loneliness, life satisfaction and Internet addiction among old adults. A total of 241 old people were obtained from data collection in China via online survey with the help of a professional research company. We used OLS regression analysis and bootstrap method to test the hypothesis. The results of the empirical analysis indicated that (1) interaction with children was significantly negatively associated with the Internet addiction of old people; (2) loneliness mediated the relationship between interaction with children and old adults’ Internet addiction; and (3) life satisfaction moderated the effect of interaction with children, and the indirect effect between interaction with children and old adults’ addiction via loneliness was stronger for those with low life satisfaction. Finally, we discussed the theoretical significance, practical implications, limitation of this research. Interventions to improve family function systems especially for older people with low life satisfaction can help prevent the development of Internet addiction.

Validation of the Social Media Disorder Scale using network analysis in a large representative sample of Czech adolescents

Background

The importance of studying the excessive use of social media in adolescents is increasing and so is the need for in-depth evaluations of the psychometric properties of the measurement tools. This study investigated the properties of the Social Media Disorder Scale (SMDS) in a large representative sample of Czech adolescents.

Methods

We analyzed the representative sample of 13,377 Czech adolescents (50.9% boys), 11-16 years old, who participated in the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey (2017-18), using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and network models. Furthermore, we evaluated the measurement invariance and constructed the validity of the SMDS.

Results

We found support for a single dominant factor but not for strict unidimensionality. Several residual correlations were identified. The strongest were for: problems-conflicts-deceptions; persistence-escape; and preoccupation-tolerance-withdrawal. Girls, particularly 13- and 15-year-olds, scored higher than boys in the same age group, and 13- and 15-year-olds achieved higher scores than 11-year-olds, although some items were not invariant between the groups. The SMDS was positively related to other online activities, screen time, and falling asleep late, but negatively related to well-being and mental health.

Discussion and conclusions

The SMDS showed solid psychometric properties and construct validity. However, small violations of measurement invariance were detected. Furthermore, the network analysis showed important residual relationships between the items.

The Use of Social Media in Children and Adolescents: Scoping Review on the Potential Risks

In recent years, social media has become part of our lives, even among children. From the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic period, media device and Internet access rapidly increased. Adolescents connected Internet alone, consulting social media, mostly Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. During "lockdown", the Internet usage allowed communication with peers and the continuity activities such as school teaching. However, we have to keep in mind that media usage may be related to some adverse consequences especially in the most vulnerable people, such as the young. Aim of the review is to focus on risks correlated to social media use by children and adolescents, identifying spies of rising problems and engaging in preventive recommendations. The scoping review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines, searching on PubMed the terms "social media" or "social network", "health", and "pediatrics". Excluding articles not pertinent, we found 68 reports. Out of them, 19 were dealing with depression, 15 with diet, and 15 with psychological problems, which appeared to be the most reported risk of social media use. Other identified associated problems were sleep, addiction, anxiety, sex related issues, behavioral problems, body image, physical activity, online grooming, sight, headache, and dental caries. Public and medical awareness must rise over this topic and new prevention measures must be found, starting with health practitioners, caregivers, and websites/application developers. Pediatricians should be aware of the risks associated to a problematic social media use for the young's health and identify sentinel signs in children as well as prevent negative outcomes in accordance with the family.

Determinants of adolescents’ Health-Related Quality of Life and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

We examined the determinants of adolescents’ Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and psychological distress (self-reported and parent-reported) during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a random sample of the population of Geneva, Switzerland.

Methods

Data was drawn from participants aged 14–17 years, who participated with their families to a serosurvey conducted in November and December 2020. Adolescents’ HRQoL was evaluated using the validated adolescent-reported KIDSCREEN-10 and parent-reported KINDL^® scales. Psychological distress was assessed with self-reported sadness and loneliness, and using the KINDL^® emotional well-being scale. Using generalized estimating equations, we examined the role of socio-demographic, family and behavioural characteristics in influencing adolescents’ mental health status and wellbeing.

Results

Among 240 adolescents, 11% had a low HRQoL, 35% reported sadness and 23% reported loneliness. Based on parents’ perception, 12% of the adolescents had a low HRQoL and 16% a low emotional well-being. Being a girl (aOR = 3.20; 95%CI: 1.67–6.16), increased time on social media (aOR = 2.07; 95%CI: 1.08–3.97), parents’ average to poor mood (aOR = 2.62; 95%CI: 1.10–6.23) and average to poor household financial situation (aOR = 2.31; IC95%: 1.01–6.10) were associated with an increased risk of sadness. Mismatches between adolescents’ and their parents’ perception of HRQoL were more likely for girls (aOR = 2.88; 95%CI: 1.54–5.41) and in households with lower family well-being (aOR = 0.91; 95%CI: 0.86–0.96).

Conclusions

A meaningful proportion of adolescents experienced low well-being during the second wave of COVID-19, and average well-being was lower than pre-pandemic estimates. Adolescents living in underprivileged or distressed families seemed particularly affected. Monitoring is necessary to evaluate the long-term effects of the pandemic on adolescents.

Associations between Demographic Characteristics, Lifestyle Factors and School-Related Conditions and Symptoms of Mental Health Problems in Norwegian Upper Secondary School Students

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors and school-related conditions, and symptoms of mental health problems in Norwegian upper secondary school students following the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional study design we used a binary logistic regression model to evaluate potential associations between the predictors and dependent variable. Results: The following six predictors had a statistically significant impact on symptoms of mental health problems; gender effect of being a girl (p < 0.001), self-perceived body image (p < 0.001), sleep problems (p < 0.001), dietary habits (p = 0.033), school satisfaction (p = 0.013), and satisfaction with physical education (PE) class participation (p = 0.025). Conclusions: Being a girl was associated with a 315% higher probability of reporting symptoms of mental health problems than boys, whereas one unit increase in sleep problems showed a 192% higher probability of symptoms of mental health problems. Furthermore, a one unit increase on the respective beneficial predictors’ scales was associated with the following percentage having a lower probability of reporting symptoms of mental health problems; self-perceived body image (59%), dietary habits (58%), school satisfaction (82%), and satisfaction with PE class participation (68%).

Cross-sectional associations between physical activity pattern, sports participation, screen time and mental health in Swedish adolescents

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the associations between physical activity pattern, sports participation, screen time and mental health in Swedish adolescents.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1139 Swedish adolescents (mean age 13.4) from 34 schools participated in the cross-sectional study 'Physical Activity for Healthy Brain Functions in School Youth' in 2019.

METHODS

Time spent sedentary and in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was measured using accelerometers for seven consecutive days. Screen time and sports participation were self-reported. Anxiety and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed using a Short version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale and Kidscreen-10.

RESULTS

MVPA was positively associated (95% CI 0.01 to 0.05 in girls and 0.02 to 0.07 in boys) whereas screen time on weekdays was inversely associated with HRQoL (-4.79 to -2.22 in girls and -2.66 to -0.41 in boys). The largest effect sizes were observed between the high/low MVPA group in boys (Cohen's d=0.51) and screen time groups in girls (Cohen's d=0.59 on weekdays). With regards to anxiety, high compared with lower time spent in MVPA during leisure time on weekdays was associated with lower anxiety scores (95% CI -0.13 to -0.05 in girls and -0.07 to -0.01 in boys). Gender differences were observed, boys who participated in organised sports had low anxiety scores (95% CI -3.49 to -0.13) whereas girls who reported 5 hours or more of screen time had high scores (95% CI 1.94 to 6.18 on weekdays and 1.39 to 5.29 on weekend days).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that MVPA was associated with better mental health, whereas the opposite was seen for screen time. These associations were not consistently significant throughout all time domains, between the genders and mental health outcomes. Our results could create a paradigm for future studies to decide which types of PA patterns and time domains to target in intervention studies with the aim improve mental health among adolescents.

International Classification of Diseases-11-Based External Assessment of Social Media Use Disorder in Adolescents: Development and Validation of the Social Media Use Disorder Scale for Parents

Social media use disorder (SMUD) is associated with substantial impairments in daily functioning, and adolescents are particularly at risk. The 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) criteria of gaming disorder (GD) could be shown to be suitable to describe SMUD in adolescents. Since adolescents' insight might be limited due to young age or symptom denial, it is essential to include their parents in the diagnostic process. The development and validation of a parental scale are, therefore, of great interest to clinicians and scientists. The Social Media Use Disorder Scale for Parents (SOMEDIS-P) was developed by clinical experts and validated in 944 parent-child dyads. Adolescents were 10-17 years old and frequently used social media (SM). Besides SM use times, standardized questionnaires were applied to assess SM use patterns according to ICD-11 and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 criteria of (Internet) GD, psychological stress, and depressive symptoms in an online survey. Item structure was investigated by confirmatory factorial analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses to determine cutoff values and accordance with adolescent self-ratings were computed. A presumed two-factorial structure of SOMEDIS-P could be confirmed describing cognitive-behavioral symptoms and negative consequences. The instrument showed good to excellent internal consistency and criterion validity with moderate to strong correlations, excellent discriminatory characteristics, and moderate accordance with the adolescents' self-ratings. As the first successfully validated tool for the assessment of ICD-11-based SMUD in adolescents by parental judgment, SOMEDIS-P can make an important contribution to reliable SMUD screening in clinical practice and research.

Effects of Difficulty in Handling Emotions and Social Interactions on Nomophobia: Examining the Mediating Role of Feelings of Loneliness

This study was addressed to assess nomophobia in an Italian sample (N = 456, 53.1% men, M age = 31.8, SD = 11.1), also providing a deeper knowledge about how it is distributed across demographics, as well as identifying its best predictors. The main goal was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of difficulty in emotion regulation and social interaction anxiety on nomophobia through loneliness. Our findings indicated that loneliness explained the effect of the expressive suppression strategy (fully) and social interaction anxiety (partially) on nomophobia, whereas it was not a significant mediator when the cognitive reappraisal strategy was taken into account. Our study suggests that loneliness during the pandemic plays a crucial role in explaining the associations between the investigated predictors and the outcome variable, offering a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms of this emerging construct. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and shortcomings and suggestions for future works are presented.

Correlation between Parenting Style by Personality Traits and Mental Health of College Students

At present, the mental health of college students in China is relatively poor. This work is aimed at analyzing the correlation between family parenting style and college students' mental health and providing a realistic basis for improving the mental health level of college students. Firstly, this work detailed the family parenting style, the influencing factors of family parenting style, and the theoretical basis of personality traits. Then, 300 college students in Anhui Province were selected as the research objects who answered the questionnaire on parenting style and the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Short for Chinese. Finally, statistical software was used to visually analyze the personality characteristics of college students, the overall situation of mental health, the impact of parents' education on college students' mental health, and the family parenting style of college students. According to the score of anxiety, the top 27% of the research objects are classified as the high-anxiety group, while the bottom 27% are classified as the low-anxiety group. The results show significant gender differences in the psychoticism and neuroticism dimensions of personality traits (P < 0.05). Besides, the educational level of parents has a certain influence on the mental health of college students, and the influence of mothers is even greater. College students feel more rejection, emotional warmth, and overprotection from mothers. Meanwhile, college students with mothers of different educational levels have significant differences in the scores of various dimensions of the mother's rearing style. However, there is no difference in this respect among college students with fathers of different educational levels. The average scores of emotional warmth from parents of the high-anxiety group are significantly lower than those of the low-anxiety group (P < 0.001). Moreover, the high-anxiety group has much lower average scores than the low-anxiety group in severe punishment, overprotection, and rejection of father and excessive interference, severe punishment, and rejection of mother (P < 0.001). There is no significant difference in their average scores of the partiality of father or mother between the high-anxiety group and the low-anxiety group. The results show that the parenting style based on personality traits has an impact on college students' mental health. This signifies that parenting style based on personality traits has an effect on college students' mental health.

Two Different Mismatches: Integrating the Developmental and the Evolutionary-Mismatch Hypothesis

Evolutionary psychology aims to understand the origins of the human mind, including disease. Several theories about the origins of disease have been proposed. One concerns a developmental mismatch—a mismatch might occur at the individual level between the environment experienced during childhood and the environment the adult finds herself in, possibly resulting in disease. A second theory concerns the idea of an evolutionary mismatch—humans are adapted to ancestral conditions so they might now experience a mismatch with their modern environment, possibly resulting in disease. A third theory—differential susceptibility—outlines how genetic and epigenetic differences influence the extent to which humans are susceptible to rearing, including positive and negative experiences. Because of these differences, some individuals are more prone to develop disease than others. We review empirical studies that substantiate these theories and argue that an overarching theory that integrates these three lines into one provides a more accurate understanding of disease from an evolutionary perspective.

Do evaluation and self-identification relate to self-reported and actual social media use?

Background and aims

Social media use can sometimes become excessive and damaging. To deal with this issue, scholars and practitioners have called for the development of measures that predict social media use. The current studies test the utility of evaluation and self-identification measures for predicting social media use.

Method

Study 1 examined the relation between evaluation (n = 58) and self-identification (n = 56) measures on the one hand and several self-report measures of social media use on the other hand. Study 2 examined whether the main results of Study 1 could be replicated and whether evaluation (n = 68) and self-identification (n = 48) also relate to actual social media use. We probed evaluation and self-identification using implicit and explicit measures.

Results

Explicit evaluation and self-identification measures significantly correlated with several of the self-report measures of social media. Explicit evaluation also significantly correlated with several indices of actual social media use. Implicit measures did not relate to social media use.

Discussion and conclusions

The current results suggest that researchers and practitioners could benefit from using explicit evaluation and self-identification measures when predicting social media use, especially an evaluation measure since this measure also seems to relate to actual social media use. Study 2 was one of the first to test the ecological validity of social media use measures. Although implicit measures could provide benefits for predicting social media use, the current studies did not show evidence for their predictive utility.

Intermittent brain network reconfigurations and the resistance to social media influence

Since its development, social media has grown as a source of information and has a significant impact on opinion formation. Individuals interact with others and content via social media platforms in a variety of ways, but it remains unclear how decision-making and associated neural processes are impacted by the online sharing of informational content, from factual to fabricated. Here, we use EEG to estimate dynamic reconfigurations of brain networks and probe the neural changes underlying opinion change (or formation) within individuals interacting with a simulated social media platform. Our findings indicate that the individuals who changed their opinions are characterized by less frequent network reconfigurations while those who did not change their opinions tend to have more flexible brain networks with frequent reconfigurations. The nature of these frequent network configurations suggests a fundamentally different thought process between intervals in which individuals are easily influenced by social media and those in which they are not. We also show that these reconfigurations are distinct to the brain dynamics during an in-person discussion with strangers on the same content. Together, these findings suggest that brain network reconfigurations may not only be diagnostic to the informational context but also the underlying opinion formation.

Teens, screens and quarantine; the relationship between adolescent media use and mental health prior to and during COVID-19

This study examines associations between media use and mental health for adolescents prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using two separate datasets that sampled adolescents (8th, 10th, and 12th graders) in 2018 (n = 31,825) and 2020 (n = 1,523), mental health (hopelessness and happiness), media use (time spent using a variety of media), and personal health habits (sleep) were assessed. Overall, we found that there were significant differences by year in adolescent hopelessness, with adolescents reporting less hopelessness in 2020 (during COVID-19) than in 2018 (pre COVID-19). There were not ​practical significant differences in adolescent happiness and loneliness. Adolescents also reported getting more sleep in our 2020 sample than the 2018 sample. Adolescents in 2020 spent significantly more time watching movies and video chatting, but less time texting and on social media than adolescents in 2018. Finally, we found that time spent video chatting and sleep had a different relationship with various aspects of mental health (happiness, hopelessness, or loneliness) in 2018 vs. 2020.

Adolescent perspectives on depression as a disease of loneliness: a qualitative study with youth and other stakeholders in urban Nepal

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of research on the adolescent experience of depression in low- and middle-income countries. Criteria derived from research conducted primarily among adult Western populations inform current diagnostic standards for depression. These clinical categories are often used without exploration of their relevance to adolescent experience. Also, reliance on these categories may overlook other symptoms of depression that manifest in non-western settings. Cross-cultural qualitative work with adults in non-Western settings has suggested some differences with experience of depression and symptoms that are most relevant to service users. Research into adolescent experiences of depression is warranted to inform the development of effective interventions.

METHODS

Qualitative interviews were conducted in Nepal with adolescents with depressive symptoms (n = 9), healthy adolescents (n = 3), parents (n = 6), teachers (n = 10), social workers (n = 14), primary (n = 6) and mental (n = 6) healthcare providers, and policymakers (n = 6). Two focus groups were conducted with parents (n = 12) of depressed and non-depressed adolescents. Data were analyzed according to the framework approach methodology.

RESULTS

Loneliness was the hallmark experience that stood out for all adolescents. This was connected with 5 other clusters of symptoms: low mood and anhedonia; disturbances in sleep and appetite, accompanied by fatigue; irritability and anger; negative self-appraisals including hopelessness and self-doubt; and suicidality. Adolescents distinguished depression from other forms of stress, locally referred to as tension, and described depression to involve having "deep tension." Perceived causes of depression included (1) Family issues: neglectful or absent parents, relationship problems, and family discord; (2) Peer relationships: romantic problems, bullying, and friendship problems; and (3) Social media: social comparison, popularity metrics, cyberbullying, and leaking of personal information.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with other cross-cultural studies, loneliness was a core element of the adolescent experience of depression, despite its absence as a primary symptom in current psychiatric diagnostic classifications. It is important to note that among youth, symptoms were clustered together and interrelated (e.g., sleep and appetite changes were connected with fatigue). This calls for the need for more cross-cultural qualitative research on experience of depression among adolescents, and potential for modification of diagnostic criteria and prevention and treatments to focus on the experience of loneliness.

Measurement Invariance of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale Across Genders

Social media addiction has been a hot issue in scientific research in recent years, its antecedents and consequences have been extensively studied. Among these studies, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) is one of the most commonly used instruments. However, little is known about whether this scale has the equivalent psychometric properties for men and women. The purpose of the current study is to examine the measurement invariance (including configural invariance, metric invariance, scalar invariance, and error variance invariance) of the BSMAS across genders. In total, 1,120 participants were recruited from 5 universities. R program was applied to conduct the single-group and multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) based on the social media addiction symptom ratings. The results demonstrated that BSMAS was a valid and psychometrically robust instrument for assessing the risk of social media addiction among university students, and that the four types of measurement invariance of the BSMAS across genders were confirmed. Consequently, gender differences in the BSMAS scores are likely to reflect the genuine differences between men and women, and comparisons on the level of social media addiction of university students between gender groups can be interpreted meaningfully.

Digital Addiction and Sleep

In 2020, the World Health Organization formally recognized addiction to digital technology (connected devices) as a worldwide problem, where excessive online activity and internet use lead to inability to manage time, energy, and attention during daytime and produce disturbed sleep patterns or insomnia during nighttime. Recent studies have shown that the problem has increased in magnitude worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent to which dysfunctional sleep is a consequence of altered motivation, memory function, mood, diet, and other lifestyle variables or results from excess of blue-light exposure when looking at digital device screens for long hours at day and night is one of many still unresolved questions. This article offers a narrative overview of some of the most recent literature on this topic. The analysis provided offers a conceptual basis for understanding digital addiction as one of the major reasons why people, and adolescents in particular, sleep less and less well in the digital age. It discusses definitions as well as mechanistic model accounts in context. Digital addiction is identified as functionally equivalent to all addictions, characterized by the compulsive, habitual, and uncontrolled use of digital devices and an excessively repeated engagement in a particular online behavior. Once the urge to be online has become uncontrollable, it is always accompanied by severe sleep loss, emotional distress, depression, and memory dysfunction. In extreme cases, it may lead to suicide. The syndrome has been linked to the known chronic effects of all drugs, producing disturbances in cellular and molecular mechanisms of the GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems. Dopamine and serotonin synaptic plasticity, essential for impulse control, memory, and sleep function, are measurably altered. The full spectrum of behavioral symptoms in digital addicts include eating disorders and withdrawal from outdoor and social life. Evidence pointing towards dysfunctional melatonin and vitamin D metabolism in digital addicts should be taken into account for carving out perspectives for treatment. The conclusions offer a holistic account for digital addiction, where sleep deficit is one of the key factors.

Social comparisons: A potential mechanism linking problematic social media use with depression

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The majority of Australians are regular users of social media, especially young adults. Of concern, is that a minority of people appear to use social media in an addictive or problematic way which is associated with negative psychological outcomes such as depression. Social comparisons, where users compare themselves to others on social media, have also been linked with depression. Therefore, the key aim of the study was to determine whether social comparisons mediate the relationship between Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU) and depression.

METHOD

In a two-part study 144 participants (65 females) answered a series of self-report questions assessing factors relating to PSMU and then came into the lab to view a series of social media images, (pre-tested to be upward or downward comparisons).

RESULTS

Females used social media more problematically, liked more upward than downward comparison images and compared themselves more negatively to others on social media than did males. Higher PSMU scores were associated with depression and low self-esteem and comparing oneself more negatively to others on social media. Finally, focusing on upward comparisons and a tendency to make negative comparisons to others on social media partially mediated the association between PSMU and depression.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Social comparisons may function as a mechanism linking PSMU with negative psychological outcomes. Clinical interventions for individuals with PSMU which reduce the focus on upward social comparisons may also reduce negative psychological outcomes such as depression.

Daily social media use, social ties, and emotional well-being in later life

Older American adults are increasingly utilizing communication technologies, but research has seldom explored older adults' daily social media use and its interface with other "offline" social ties. To explore a complementary and/or compensatory function of social media in later life, this study employed data from the Daily Experiences and Well-Being Study (2016-2017) to examine associations between daily social media use, daily social encounters, social network structure, and daily mood. Community-dwelling older adults (N = 310; Mage = 73.96) reported on their overall social network structure (diversity in types of social ties and size of network), their daily social encounters in-person and by phone, social media use, and emotional well-being for 5 to 6 days. Multilevel models revealed that daily social media use was associated with daily mood in the context of daily social encounters and the size of the social network. Individuals reported less negative mood on days with more social media use and more in-person encounters. More daily social media use was associated with more positive mood for individuals with a relatively small social network but not for their counterparts with larger social networks. Findings suggest that social media is a distinct form of social resource in later life that may complement the emotional benefits of daily social encounters and compensate for the age-related reduction in social network size. Future research should consider how socially isolated older adults might use computer-mediated communication such as social media to foster a sense of social connection.