Can Social Networking Sites Alleviate Depression? The Relation between Authentic Online Self-Presentation and Adolescent Depression: a Mediation Model of Perceived Social Support and Rumination

Promoting a healthy lifestyle: exploring the role of social media and fitness applications in the context of social media addiction risk

The popularity of social networks turns them into a legal method for promoting a healthy lifestyle, which benefits not only people but also different countries' governments. This research paper aimed to examine the Keep fitness app integrated into WeChat, Weibo and QQ as regards long-term improvements in health-related behaviors (physical activity, nutrition, health responsibility, spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships and stress management) and assess the associated risk of increased social media addiction. Students from Lishui University in China (N = 300) participated in this study, and they were formed into control and experimental groups. The Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Scale and Social Media Disorder Scale were used as psychometric instruments. The Keep app was found to improve respondents' scores on the parameters of physical activity, nutrition and health responsibility (P = 0.00). However, the level of dependence on social media did not change in either the control or the experimental group during the year of research (P ≥ 0.05). It is concluded that fitness apps can be an effective tool to promote healthy lifestyles among young people in China and other countries. The feasibility of government investment in fitness apps to promote healthy lifestyles is substantiated.

Communication in Social Networking Sites on Offline and Online Social Support and Life Satisfaction Among University Students: Tie Strength Matters

PURPOSE

Use of social networking sites (SNS) is highly prevalent among college and university students. Conflicting findings were found on the effects of SNS use on well-being, and very few studies examined the effects of social interaction with strong ties and weak ties on SNS on online and offline social support. The present study examined the association between social interaction with weak ties and strong ties on SNS and life satisfaction among Chinese college and university students. The mediating role of online social support and offline social support was also examined.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 26,547 students from 30 colleges/universities in Shanxi province, China.

RESULTS

Social interaction with strong ties on SNS was associated with increased offline social support but had no significant association with online support. Social interaction with weak ties on SNS was associated with higher level of online support, but lower level of offline social support. Both offline and online social support were associated with life satisfaction. The direct effects of social interaction with strong ties and weak ties on life satisfaction were not significant. Mediation analyses supported the full mediating effect of offline social support in the relationship between social interaction with strong ties and life satisfaction, while online and offline support mediated the relationship between social interaction with weak ties and life satisfaction.

DISCUSSION

Social interaction with strong ties and weak ties on the SNS was associated with life satisfaction through different pathways. Interventions to maximize the benefits of SNS use are warranted.

Developing a Depression Care Model for the Hill Tribes: A Family- and Community-Based Participatory Research

A high prevalence of depression has been detected among individuals from the hill tribes in Thailand. However, there are no proper interventions to address this problem. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) design, the study team developed a model of depression care for this population. The study involved 45 people in the model development and 65 people in the model testing, who were patients, family members, village health volunteers (VHVs), community and religious leaders, healthcare personnel, NGOs, and local administrative staff. The model development was divided into three phases: understanding the current situation of depression and care, model development, and evaluation of its effectiveness using psychological and relevant outcomes. Questionnaires, observations, focus groups, and in-depth interviews were used for data collection, and content analysis was employed for qualitative data. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze changes in VHVs' knowledge and skills before and after training. The resulting model, "SMILE," consists of stakeholders' readiness (S), external and internal motivations (M), interpersonal relationship (I), life and community assets (L), and empowerment (E). VHVs underwent training on the model, and after training, their knowledge increased significantly from 3.50 ± 1.14 to 8.28 ± 0.81 (p < 0.001). Moreover, their basic counselling and depression screening skills showed improvement from 3.39 ± 1.23 to 7.64 ± 3.76 (p < 0.001). The developed model can be applied to other hill tribe communities in Northern Thailand to improve depression care.

The Role of Perfectionistic Self-Presentation and Problematic Instagram Use in the Relationship Between Self-Concept Clarity and Body Disconnection: A Serial Mediation Model

By combining authors who hypothesized that modern technology has greatly increased people's ability and people's possibility to distance themselves from their embodied awareness and those who have shown that communication through social media is more congenial to people with a tendency towards perfectionistic self-presentation (PSP), this study analyses the influence of self-concept clarity (SCC) in bodily dissociation (BD) and hypothesizes that people with a low SCC are more prone to BD and that PSP and problematic Instagram use (PIU) may play a serial mediating role in this relationship. Two hundred and 19 women (M_age = 31.8 ± 11.25) completed an online survey that included the Italian-validated versions of the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale, the Scale of Body Connection and the Bergen Facebook Scale modified for Instagram use. A Serial Mediation Model (Hayes's PROCESS Model 6) shows that both PSP and PIU significantly serially mediate the association between SCC and BD (β = -.025 SE = .011, 95% CI = [-.0498, -.0070]) and that there is a mediating effect of PIU between SCC and BD (β = -.04 SE = .020, 95% CI = [-.0865, -.0098]), but no mediating effect of PSP between SCC and BD was found (β = -.052 SE = .031, 95% CI = [-.1184, +.0039]). A possible explanation is that people with low SCC try to avoid others noticing their imperfections because they fail to integrate it into their self-concept and tend to use Instagram in a problematic way because this tool allows them to largely control the information they share. This use, in turn, alters their state of mind-body connection and this increases the disconnection from one's bodily sensations. The absence of mediation by the PSP between SCC and BD and the presence of PIU mediation between SCC and BD underlines the importance of technology in this relationship. The implications and limitations of this study will be discussed.

Burden or empowerment? A double-edged sword model of the efficacy of parental involvement in the academic performance of chinese adolescents

It has been traditionally thought that children can obtain resources that promote their academic performance through their parents' involvement. However, in reality, parents' involvement in their children's education may threaten children with an excessive academic burden. This study argues that parental involvement is both empowering and burdensome for children and proposes a model in which parental involvement is a double-edged sword. The model entails two paths, one in which learning constitutes a burden and another in which learning leads to empowerment. Based on a survey of 647 adolescents, a structural equation model is used to test this hypothesis. The results suggest that parental involvement can negatively impact academic performance because children feel more stressed as a result of the increase in academic expectations; parental involvement also has a positively impact on academic performance because of an increase in children's engagement in learning. The above results provide some practical guidance for parents' involvement in their children's education.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04589-y.

A "Motivation" model of couple support for digital technology use among rural older adults

Although recent research has demonstrated spouse support for technology use among older adults, by treating them as a homogeneous group, it has overlooked differences caused by socio-demographic dimensions in their digital engagement. Following the approach of the grounded theory and interviewing 15 couples in a developing aging region (Wuzhi County, Henan, China), this study paints a fuller picture of couple support for technology adoption among older adults in terms of their psychological motivations by dividing older adults into two categories: technology supports and technology recipients. The resulting concepts of motivation (e.g., social norms, benefit driven, perceptual elements, and value satisfaction), particularly limiting motivational factors (e.g.,individual status) reveal the psychological mechanisms behind this process and are conceptualized as a "motivation" model of couple support for digital technology use among rural older adults. Our study has strong implications for active and healthy aging, as policymakers can stimulate external motivation for technology adoption among older adults by fostering a sense of family responsibility and social ethos that encourages couples to help each other. In addition, local communities as stakeholders can educate older adults about the usefulness, ease of use, and risk-averse means of digital technology, and satisfy their altruistic and egoistic psychological needs to increase the inner value satisfaction they gain from the couple support process. By doing this, motivation and engagement are thereby increased, and ultimately, technology adoption in disadvantaged socioeconomic groups may be improved.

Community-Based Intervention Targeting Depressive Symptomatology in Indian Women: An Exploration of Its Efficacy in a Non-Specialized Healthcare Setting

Depressive symptomatology casts a more adverse impact on the well-being of women in countries with unfavourable societal norms. The prevalence of depressive symptomatology in Indian women and the treatment gap in case of mental health issues are alarming and thus may require interventions at a community level. The present study tested the efficacy of a psychosocial community-based intervention in managing depressive symptomatology and associated factors like rumination, reappraisal, psychological resilience, and self-efficacy using a pre-test post-test control group design. A total of 114 (M_age=23.03, SD = 5.29) and 37 (M_age=24.89, SD = 6.44) adult females were there in the experimental and the control group, respectively. A series of ANOVAs showed that participants' scores on depressive symptomatology and associated vulnerabilities and defences improved as compared to the baseline and the control group. The findings support the use of psychosocial community-based intervention in a non-specialized healthcare setting to manage depressive symptomatology, associated vulnerability and defences.

Relationships between Social Networking Sites Use and Self-Esteem: The Moderating Role of Gender

With the prevalence of the internet, there is growing attention on the impacts of social networking sites use among adolescents. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between different types of online activities (i.e., information searching, social interaction and entertainment) and self-esteem. It examined whether the relationships vary across gender. One hundred and ninety-three students (57.5% males; M_age = 13.33, SD_age = 1.58) participated in the present study. Unexpectedly, the associations between online activities and self-esteem were not significant (p > 0.05). Path analysis showed gender moderated the relationships between social interaction activities and self-esteem. Females reported higher levels of engagement in social interaction activities and self-esteem than their male counterparts. The present study shows the importance of assessing different types of online activities as a predictor for understanding the impact of social media use among adolescents.

Psychological Well-Being of Left-Behind Children in China: Text Mining of the Social Media Website Zhihu

China’s migrant population has significantly contributed to its economic growth; however, the impact on the well-being of left-behind children (LBC) has become a serious public health problem. Text mining is an effective tool for identifying people’s mental state, and is therefore beneficial in exploring the psychological mindset of LBC. Traditional data collection methods, which use questionnaires and standardized scales, are limited by their sample sizes. In this study, we created a computational application to quantitively collect personal narrative texts posted by LBC on Zhihu, which is a Chinese question-and-answer online community website; 1475 personal narrative texts posted by LBC were gathered. We used four types of words, i.e., first-person singular pronouns, negative words, past tense verbs, and death-related words, all of which have been associated with depression and suicidal ideations in the Chinese Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (CLIWC) dictionary. We conducted vocabulary statistics on the personal narrative texts of LBC, and bilateral t-tests, with a control group, to analyze the psychological well-being of LBC. The results showed that the proportion of words related to depression and suicidal ideations in the texts of LBC was significantly higher than in the control group. The differences, with respect to the four word types (i.e., first-person singular pronouns, negative words, past tense verbs, and death-related words), were 5.37, 2.99, 2.65, and 2.00 times, respectively, suggesting that LBC are at a higher risk of depression and suicide than their counterparts. By sorting the texts of LBC, this research also found that child neglect is a main contributing factor to psychological difficulties of LBC. Furthermore, mental health problems and the risk of suicide in vulnerable groups, such as LBC, is a global public health issue, as well as an important research topic in the era of digital public health. Through a linguistic analysis, the results of this study confirmed that the experiences of left-behind children negatively impact their mental health. The present findings suggest that it is vital for the public and nonprofit sectors to establish online suicide prevention and intervention systems to improve the well-being of LBC through digital technology.

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Cyberbullying Among Chinese Adolescents: A Mediation Model of Loneliness and Depression

Recent research has ascertained some risk factors for cyberbullying. However, few studies have investigated the potential influence of difficulties in emotion regulation (DER) on cyberbullying, and there is little knowledge about the mediating mechanisms underlying this association. This study investigated whether DER would be significantly related to adolescent cyberbullying and whether loneliness and depression would sequentially mediate the link between DER and adolescent cyberbullying. A sample of 719 Chinese middle school students completed measures regarding demographics, DER, loneliness, depression, and cyberbullying. After controlling for the demographic covariates, the results showed that (a) DER was positively associated with adolescent cyberbullying; (b) loneliness and depression sequentially mediated the relation between DER and adolescent cyberbullying. This study emphasizes the underlying mediating mechanisms between DER and adolescent cyberbullying, which is of great significance for the prevention and intervention of adolescent cyberbullying in the digital age.

Relationship between negative coping style and fear of COVID-19 among Wuhan college students during the post-pandemic period: A moderated chain mediation model

OBJECTIVES

After a long-term lockdown, particularly one in which human life is at risk, negative psychological consequences are expected. In this study, we aimed to explore the cause of stress and fear of coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) among Chinese college students in Wuhan during the latest strictest lockdown.

METHODS

During the COVID-19 outbreak, 1,070 college students from Wuhan, aged 18-29 years, took part in an online survey. We used correlations, bootstrap tests, and other statistical analysis methods to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Negative coping style significantly positively predicted fear of COVID-19, and stress had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between negative coping style and fear of COVID-19. In addition, rumination and stress had a chain-mediating effect on the relationship between negative coping style and fear of COVID-19. Perceived social support moderated the three paths of this serial mediation model.

CONCLUSION

Negative emotions, such as stress and fear of COVID-19, in college students are caused by both behavior (e.g., negative coping style) and cognition (e.g., rumination). Importantly, negative cognitive thinking (i.e., rumination) is often a malign consequence of a negative coping style. Thus, to improve students' mental health, students should be encouraged to engage in more positive behaviors and seek social support during periods of adherence to regular prevention and control measures.

Social Media and Psychological Well-Being Among Youth: The Multidimensional Model of Social Media Use

Social media use is almost ubiquitous among adolescents and emerging adults. Although much has been studied about the psychological implications of social media use, there is currently no integrative model in which multiple dimensions of social media are considered. The goal of this theoretical article is to introduce the Multidimensional Model of Social Media Use (MMSMU), which aims to provide a useful framework for researchers and practitioners to study and understand young people's social media use in relation to their psychological well-being. The model attends to three major dimensions: activities performed on social media, motives for social media use, and communication partners connected through social media. We present empirical evidence showing whether each dimension is associated with better or poorer well-being and identify or propose mechanisms explaining the associations. Before concluding the article, we discuss clinical implications and possible ways to further expand the proposed model.

Exploring the Role of Social Media Use Motives, Psychological Well-Being, Self-Esteem, and Affect in Problematic Social Media Use

Given recent advances in technology, connectivity, and the popularity of social media platforms, recent literature has devoted great attention to problematic Facebook use. However, exploring the potential predictors of problematic social media use beyond Facebook use has become paramount given the increasing popularity of multiple alternative platforms. In this study, a sample of 584 social media users (M_age = 32.28 years; 67.81% female) was recruited to complete an online survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics, patterns, and preferences of social media use, problematic social media use (PSMU), social media use motives, psychological well-being, self-esteem, and positive and negative affect. Results indicated that 6.68% (n = 39) of all respondents could be potentially classed as problematic users. Moreover, further analysis indicated that intrapersonal motive (β = 0.38), negative affect (β = 0.22), daily social media use (β = 0.18), surveillance motive (β = 0.12), and positive affect (β = −0.09) each predicted PSMU. These variables accounted for about 37% of the total variance in PSMU, with intrapersonal motive driving the greatest predictive contribution, over and above the effects of patterns of social media use and sociodemographic variables. These findings contribute to the increasing literature on PSMU. The results of this study are discussed in light of the existing literature on PSMU.

Social Networking Sites Addiction and Materialism Among Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model Involving Depression and Need to Belong

Recent research indicates that social networking site (SNS) addiction is positively associated with materialism. However, little attention has been paid to the potential mechanisms in this relationship. This study tested the mediating role of depression and the moderating role of need to belong (NTB) in the relationships between SNS addiction and adolescents’ materialism. This research model was tested among 733 adolescents in China (mean age = 16.79 years, SD = 0.91). The findings indicated that both SNS addiction and NTB were positively related to adolescents’ materialism. Mediation analyses showed that depression mediated the association between SNS addiction and adolescents’ materialism. Moderated mediation indicated that the effect of SNS addiction on materialism and the effect of SNS addiction on depression were exacerbated by NTB. This study can advance our understanding of how SNS could contribute to adolescents’ materialism in this digital society.

The effects of social comparison orientation on psychological well-being in social networking sites: Serial mediation of perceived social support and self-esteem

This study investigates the effects of the social comparison orientation in social networking sites on psychological well-being. In particular, it examines the mediation effect of perceived social support and self-esteem in the relationship between social comparison orientation and psychological well-being. Data were collected through an online survey with 236 participants in South Korea. The results showed that social comparison orientation negatively influenced psychological well-being. In the relationship between social comparison orientation and psychological well-being, perceived social support had no mediation effect, self-esteem had a significant negative mediation effect, and perceived social support and self-esteem had a negative serial mediation effect. The social comparison orientation in social networking sites could elicit negative emotions, which decrease perceived social support, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Theoretical and practical implications as well as suggestions for future studies are discussed in detail.

Discrimination and Well-Being Among Asians/Asian Americans During COVID-19: The Role of Social Media

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Asians and Asian Americans have been experiencing an uptick of discrimination. With most people experiencing months of lockdowns, social media may become a particularly important tool in Asian people's coping with discrimination. Grounded in the multiactivity framework of social media use, this study explored whether experience with discrimination was associated with more social media use among Asian people and how adaptive social media use was for their well-being during COVID-19. A sample of 242 Asians/Asian Americans residing in the United States (M_age = 32.88, SD = 11.13; 48 percent female) completed an online survey. Results showed that more experience of discrimination during COVID-19 was associated with more engagement in social media private messaging, posting/commenting, and browsing, but the activities yielded different implications for subjective well-being. Both social media private messaging and posting/commenting were associated with more perceived social support, which contributed to better subjective well-being. Social media posting/commenting was also related to better subjective well-being through lower worry about discrimination. In contrast, social media browsing was associated with poorer subjective well-being through more worry about discrimination.