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Xia M, Liu J. Does WeChat use intensity influence Chinese college students' mental health through social use of WeChat, entertainment use of WeChat, and bonding social capital? Front Public Health 2023; 11:1167172. [PMID: 38074739 PMCID: PMC10704145 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1167172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous research notes that the usage of WeChat is significantly related to individuals' mental health, but the underlying mechanism is still not completely discovered. The present study aimed to explore the sequential mediating roles of WeChat use motivations and bonding social capital on the effects of WeChat use intensity on mental health in Chinese college students. Method The present study adopted an online survey with a total of 487 Chinese college students. Correlation analysis and serial mediation analysis were measured by process regarding the hypothesis. Results The study presented findings indicating that WeChat use intensity had both direct and indirect impacts on the levels of life satisfaction and loneliness experienced by college students in China. Specifically, the utilization of WeChat for social motivation and entertainment motivation was found to have a suppressive effect on the relationship between the intensity of WeChat usage and individuals' life satisfaction. The association between the intensity of WeChat usage and mental health outcomes (life satisfaction and loneliness) was found to be mediated by bonding social capital. Furthermore, the association between the intensity of WeChat usage and mental health was found to be mediated by the sequential mediation effects of using WeChat for social motivation and bonding social capital, as well as the sequential mediation effects of using WeChat for entertainment motivation and bonding social capital. Conclusion Our findings provide implications for policymakers and social workers regarding renovating the perceptions of the relationships between WeChat use intensity and overall mental health. Specifically, practical online activities and services of SNSs are recommended to be designed for meeting social and recreational gratifications and boosting bonding social capital, which in turn promotes psychological wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jing Liu
- School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
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Marin-Dragu S, Forbes A, Sheikh S, Iyer RS, Pereira Dos Santos D, Alda M, Hajek T, Uher R, Wozney L, Paulovich FV, Campbell LA, Yakovenko I, Stewart SH, Corkum P, Bagnell A, Orji R, Meier S. Associations of active and passive smartphone use with measures of youth mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Res 2023; 326:115298. [PMID: 37327652 PMCID: PMC10256630 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Smartphone use provides a significant amount of screen-time for youth, and there have been growing concerns regarding its impact on their mental health. While time spent in a passive manner on the device is frequently considered deleterious, more active engagement with the phone might be protective for mental health. Recent developments in mobile sensing technology provide a unique opportunity to examine behaviour in a naturalistic manner. The present study sought to investigate, in a sample of 451 individuals (mean age 20.97 years old, 83% female), whether the amount of time spent on the device, an indicator of passive smartphone use, would be associated with worse mental health in youth and whether an active form of smartphone use, namely frequent checking of the device, would be associated with better outcomes. The findings highlight that overall time spent on the smartphone was associated with more pronounced internalizing and externalizing symptoms in youth, while the number of unlocks was associated with fewer internalizing symptoms. For externalizing symptoms, there was also a significant interaction between the two types of smartphone use observed. Using objective measures, our results suggest interventions targeting passive smartphone use may contribute to improving the mental health of youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Marin-Dragu
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Alyssa Forbes
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sana Sheikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | - Davi Pereira Dos Santos
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada
| | - Martin Alda
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada
| | - Tomas Hajek
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada
| | - Rudolf Uher
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada
| | | | | | - Leslie Anne Campbell
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Igor Yakovenko
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sherry H Stewart
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Penny Corkum
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Alexa Bagnell
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada
| | - Rita Orji
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sandra Meier
- IWK Health Centre Department of Psychiatry & Specific Care Clinics, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5850/5980 University Ave., PO Box 9700, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada.
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