Smartphone and social media use contributed to individual tendencies towards social media addiction in Italian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Psychological education in higher education: Opportunities and challenges in the Internet+ era

In the context of "Internet+," the rapid development and integration of information technology in China have brought new opportunities and challenges to psychological education in higher education. Compared with traditional psychological education, the high information throughput and multichannel presentation of "Internet+" have altered students’ cognitive characteristics. Consequently, traditional psychological education methods are no longer suitable for the current environment, and education methods pose new challenges for higher education. New media technologies within the "Internet+" framework have played a crucial role in psychological education. Further research is needed to explore new applications for enhancing the quality of psychological education in higher education institutions. This paper reviews the current opportunities and challenges faced by psychological education in the context of "Internet+", and explores a mechanism-driven, collaborative, and efficient educational strategy that is responsive to new conditions.

Scrolling through adolescence: a systematic review of the impact of TikTok on adolescent mental health

Amidst rising concerns about mental health in adolescents, the role of social media (SM), particularly highly visual platforms such as TikTok, has become a growing focus of investigation. In the extant literature, conclusive evidence is limited by the aggregate analysis of very heterogeneous SM platforms. This systematic scoping review examines the relationship between TikTok and mental health in adolescents. Additionally, it aims to highlight potential interactions between typical developmental processes and the unique aspects of TikTok, exploring their relevance to mental health within this demographic. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, and PsychINFO yielded 20 studies that met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total of 17,336 subjects from 10 countries. The retrieved studies analyzed four main topics related to TikTok use, i.e., the overall impact on adolescents' mental health, risk of problematic use and behavioral addiction, consequences on body image and self-esteem, and possible spreading of mental illness behaviors. While TikTok offers creative opportunities for self-expression and peer connection, the literature raises concerns about its potential negative effects on teens, such as lower life satisfaction, increased risk of "contagion" of certain psychiatric symptoms, and problematic usage patterns. Significant variations in study methodologies and outcome measures were observed. In the current era of evolving SM landscapes, a comprehensive approach informed by developmentally grounded research is critically needed to further understand the interplay between SM and adolescent mental health, providing insights for health authorities and policymakers.

The Association Between Social Media Addiction and Aggressive Behaviors: A Longitudinal and Gender-Specific Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Recent evidence demonstrates an association between social media addiction (SMA) and aggressive behaviors; however, the longitudinal relationship between these two variables remains not fully understood. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between SMA and aggressive behaviors (overt and relational aggression) in early adolescence and to identify gender differences in this relationship.

METHODS

A sample of 568 Italian early adolescents (52.3% girls; Mage = 12.59, SD = 0.87) attending middle schools in northern Italy was recruited from different schools. Participants completed an anonymous questionnaire to assess SMA and the perpetration of overt and relational aggressive behaviors. The questionnaire was completed twice with a 1-year intervals (T1 and T2).

RESULTS

The findings showed that females were at higher risk of SMA and relational aggression, whereas males exhibited higher levels of overt aggression at both time points (T1 and T2). Longitudinal analyses revealed that SMA at T1 was associated with higher likelihoods of both overt and relational aggression at T2 across both genders and that only in females was relational aggression at T1 associated with higher levels of SMA at T2.

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggests a relationship between SMA and aggressive behaviors and reveals gender differences in this pattern. Limitations, future directions, and practical implications of the research are discussed.

The effect of social media use on suicidal ideation in college students: Mediation by daytime sleepiness and sleep quality

BACKGROUND

Social media use and daytime sleepiness are common among university students and have significant implications for their mental health. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of social media use on suicidal ideation among university students and to analyse the mediating effects of daytime sleepiness and sleep quality.

METHODS

A total of 5899 full-time undergraduate students were included in this study. Questionnaires were distributed and collected using the QuestionStar platform. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between social media use, daytime sleepiness and sleep quality, and suicidal ideation among college students. The mediation model was tested using the bias-corrected percentile bootstrap method.

RESULTS

Among 4835 students, 612 (12.66 %) reported having had suicidal ideation. Regression analysis revealed that social media use (OR = 1.09, 1.05-1.12), daytime sleepiness (OR = 1.09, 1.06-1.11), general and poor sleep quality (OR = 1.89, 1.56-2.28; OR = 4.82, 3.76-6.18) were all significantly and positively associated with suicidal ideation. Furthermore, there was a chain-mediated effect of daytime sleepiness and sleep quality on the relationship between social media use and suicidal ideation.

LIMITATIONS

Causality could not be explored by cross-sectional studies, and future cohort studies are needed.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a chain-mediated effect between daytime sleepiness and sleep quality in the relationship between social media use and suicidal ideation. Therefore, it is recommended that students reduce their use of social media to improve their sleep quality and mental health.

From Childhood Experiences to Social Media Addiction: Unraveling the Impact on Adolescents

Social media usage among adolescents has significantly increased in recent years, playing a crucial role in contemporary youth culture. The increasing adoption of the internet across all age groups has led to numerous benefits, but also concerns regarding its misuse, particularly among adolescents. However, alongside these benefits, problems related to internet misuse have also escalated. Background/Objectives: A review of the literature reveals a lack of studies examining the long-term effects of childhood experiences on later social media addiction. This study aims to investigate the impact of childhood experiences on social media addiction during adolescence. Methods: This study employs a relational survey model, a quantitative research method. Data were collected using the Childhood Experiences Scale and the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents. This study's participants included 371 adolescents attending secondary education institutions under the Ministry of National Education of Türkiye during the 2024-2025 academic year. Participants were selected through simple random sampling. Relationship and impact tests were used to analyze the data. Results: This study found that adolescents with adverse school experiences exhibited social media addiction. A significant relationship was found between adverse school experiences and the time spent on social media. Furthermore, in terms of the gender variable, it was found that females scored significantly higher on the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents compared to males. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it is observed that adverse experiences encountered in children's school life may influence social media addiction in their future lives. In future studies, researchers may identify different childhood experiences that impact social media addiction.

Is using TikTok stressful? Exploring the longitudinal relationships between adolescents' self-concept clarity and digital stress

TikTok is a pervasive and controversial social media platform with a sizeable adolescent following. Using a two-wave longitudinal design spaced 3 months apart during the academic year (N = 328, 60.4% male, Mage = 16.99), we investigated how adolescents' self-concept clarity relates to approval anxiety, fear of missing out, and online vigilance as possible stressors experienced on TikTok. Results showed a negative bidirectional link between self-concept clarity and approval anxiety. We also found a negative unidirectional longitudinal association between self-concept clarity and fear of missing out (FoMO) and online vigilance, respectively. Last, we found that approval anxiety longitudinally fosters fear of missing out. These findings suggest that adolescents holding uncertain self-views are more likely to perceive TikTok as a stressful environment and that experiencing approval anxiety might be especially harmful for them.

Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

As adolescents increasingly engage with digital experiences, the internet serves as a platform for social interaction, entertainment, and learning. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, with remote learning and restricted physical interactions driving changes in internet behavior. Adolescents spent more time on gaming and social media, reflecting a notable shift in use patterns.

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic changed internet use patterns among Korean adolescents, including content types, time spent on web-based activities, and pathological use prevalence. Additionally, we anticipated that these changes would correlate with shifts in adolescents' psychological status during the pandemic.

METHODS

Data from 827 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years (n=144 in 2018, n=142 in 2019, n=126 in 2020, n=130 in 2021, n=143 in 2022, and n=142 in 2023) were gathered over 6 years from 43 middle schools across 16 regions and 1 hospital in South Korea. The demographic data collected included age, sex, and school year. Participants also provided information on their internet use patterns and levels of internet addiction. Additionally, psychological status, including mood, anxiety, attention, and self-esteem, was assessed.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in the depression scale (Patient Health Questionnaire 9). The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 scores for 2018, 2019, and 2023 decreased compared to those in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (F5=3.07; P=.007). Regarding changes in internet use behavior, game playing among adolescents decreased after the pandemic compared to before, while watching videos increased. Additionally, the rate of problematic internet use was highest for games before COVID-19, but after COVID-19, it was highest for videos, and this trend continued until 2023 (χ23=8.16, P=.04). Furthermore, this study showed that the Young's Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS) score was highest in the game group in 2018 compared to other groups before COVID-19 (F5=14.63; P<.001). In 2019, both the game and video groups had higher YIAS scores than other groups (F5=9.37; P<.001), and by 2022, the YIAS scores among the game, video, and Social Network Service groups did not differ significantly. The degree of influence on the severity of internet addiction was also greatest for games before COVID-19, but after COVID-19, the effect was greater for videos than for games.

CONCLUSIONS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, internet use for academic and commercial purposes, including remote classes and videoconferences, increased rapidly worldwide, leading to a significant rise in overall internet use time. The demand for and dependence on digital platforms is expected to grow even further in the coming era. Until now, concerns have primarily focused on the use of games, but it is now necessary to consider what types of internet behaviors cause problems and how to address them.

The internet usage increases fear of infection with Covid-19

During the Covid-19 pandemic, because of convenience and efficiency, the internet has emerged as an important channel for both acquiring information and engaging in social interaction.The internet plays a crucial role in keeping individuals informed and connected during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the effects of the massive and untruthful information on the internet, as well as the excessive use of the internet during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially on the individuals fear and panic of infection with Covid-19, have not been adequately addressed. We utilize the data of Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) in the year of 2021, as one of a national, comprehensive and continuous survey projects which is conducted a cross-sectional survey among provinces in mainland China each year, to test the relationship between the internet usage and the individuals fear of infection with Covid-19. By utilizing Ordered-Probit model, we find that the higher frequency of the internet usage significantly increases the individuals fear of infection with Covid-19. On average, when individuals use the internet from never use to very often, the probability of feeling not too fearful to be infected with Covid-19 decreases by 2%. Additionally, the findings reveal that the impact is particularly pronounced among females, middle-income individuals, older individuals and those with lower educational levels. The results also indicate that the effect is greater among the individuals with chronic diseases, those who spend less time studying, and feel they are unlikely to be infected with Covid-19. Furthermore, as the frequency of internet usage increases, we observe a corresponding rise in the likelihood of receiving a vaccine, along with a change in attitudes towards the measures implemented by the government.

The effect of TikTok use on internet addiction of college students in Somalia: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to assess the effect of TikTok use on the internet addiction of college students in Somalia. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 210 students at the faculty of health sciences of a university in Mogadishu, Somalia. The data were obtained with the Individual Information Form and Young Internet Addiction Test-Short Form. The students' internet addiction average score was 31.93±7.14. A positive, very weak, significant correlation was determined between the students' daily time spent on TikTok and internet addiction (r=.190, p=.006). Internet addiction scores of students having a TikTok account and using the TikTok application were found to be significantly higher than students not having (p=.027) and not using the application (p=.032). This study shows that most students had a TikTok account and actively used this application, and their internet addiction level was moderate. The students having a TikTok account and using the application had higher internet addiction.

The relationship between autistic traits, social media addiction, and loneliness in adolescents with ADHD

BACKGROUND

Our study aims to investigate the relationship between autistic traits, social media addiction, and loneliness among adolescents diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to compare our findings with healthy controls.

METHODS

A total of 90 adolescents aged 14-18 years, 50 of them diagnosed with ADHD and 40 healthy controls, were included in our study. Adolescents participating in our study were evaluated with the Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form (CPRS-R:S), the Autism Spectrum Quotient-Adolescent Version (AQ-Adolescent), the 9-item Social Media Disorder Scale (SMD) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale Short Form (ULS-8). The SPSS 25.0 program was used in the analysis. p < 0.05 was accepted as the significance level.

RESULTS

It is found that adolescents diagnosed with ADHD had statistically significantly higher scores on the communication, social skill, imagination, attention switching subscales, and total score of the AQ-Adolescent compared to healthy controls. Moreover, adolescents diagnosed with ADHD obtained statistically significantly higher scores from the SMD and the ULS-8 compared to healthy controls. The ULS-8 showed a significant positive correlation with the AQ-Adolescent and the SMD in the ADHD group. It was also found that only loneliness may be associated with the risk of developing social media addiction in adolescents with ADHD.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study indicate that adolescents diagnosed with ADHD are susceptible to encountering challenges regarding social difficulties, feelings of loneliness, and social media addiction. It is believed that it may be essential to address these factors when dealing with social media addiction, which is prevalent among adolescents diagnosed with ADHD.

The longitudinal relationships between problematic smartphone use and anxiety symptoms among Chinese college students: A cross-lagged panel network analysis

Anxiety and problematic smartphone use (PSPU) are prevalent issues among college students, and traditional research has tended to focus on cross-sectional data and grounded only in overall levels, thereby ignoring the complex interactions between the two over time. The development of network analysis methods has provided a new perspective for in-depth exploration of the relationship. This study aimed to explore the complex longitudinal interactions and specific pathways between problematic smartphone use and anxiety among Chinese college students from an internal specific symptom perspective. This study constructed a cross-lagged network model using longitudinal data on problematic smartphone use and anxiety symptoms in two waves of college students collected from 2022 to 2023 (N=741, Mage = 18.49, SD=0.81, 45.6 % male). The study found that anxiety symptoms and problematic smartphone use interacted with each other and had a vicious cycle of symptoms over time, with the effects of anxiety symptoms being more pronounced. "Feeling afraid" and "Uncontrollable worrying" had the most significant effects on the other symptoms, with "Impatient without the phone" and "Can't stand not having a phone" were more likely to be influenced by other symptoms. "Feeling afraid" may be a bridge symptom in the network to connect the anxiety and problematic smartphone use communities. The findings suggest that accurately intervening in the intrinsic link between problematic smartphone use and anxiety symptoms can combat the exacerbation of both problems simultaneously, resulting in more effective and comprehensive treatment.

Relationships between daily emotional experiences and smartphone addiction among college students: moderated mediating role of gender and mental health problems

Introduction

The theoretical model of smartphone addiction highlights the role of emotional factors in fostering addictive behaviors. However, most research has focused on long-term emotional states and pathologies, often overlooking the immediate effects of daily emotional fluctuations on smartphone usage and their mechanisms.

Methods

Our study employed an online survey and a moderated parallel mediation model to explore how daily emotional experiences influence smartphone addiction among college students. We analyzed the mediating roles of anxiety, stress, and depression, and the moderating effect of gender.

Results

Our findings indicate that daily negative emotional experiences were positively correlated with smartphone addiction, with stress serving as a significant mediator in the relationship between both positive and negative emotional experiences and addiction. Interestingly, positive emotional experiences directly increased smartphone addiction risk among female students, but they also significantly reduced stress and depression, especially pronounced in women. Further analysis indicated that positive emotions primarily mitigate addiction through reducing stress, a pathway especially significant in females.

Discussion

The study not only confirms the substantial impact of emotional experiences on addiction but also deepens our understanding of their mechanisms, underlining the importance of considering the nature of emotional experiences and gender-specific effects in devising prevention and intervention strategies.

The Influence of Likes and Sexist Attitudes on Adolescent Self-Esteem in Social Networks

The Internet allows teenagers to express their identity through the publication of images and texts on social networks, but sometimes they may develop self-esteem problems as a result. The present study analyzed self-esteem levels, and their relationship with sexism, Internet use and the influence of likes, in 309 subjects, by asking them about Internet use, social networks, self-esteem and sexism. The results showed low levels of self-esteem, although boys scored higher on the overall scale and for hostile sexism. Similarly, those with higher percentages of low self-esteem showed higher scores for benevolent sexism. It can be concluded that the use of social networks and the Internet, in relation to sexist attitudes, influences adolescents' self-esteem and social construction.

Enigma of social media use: complexities of social media addiction through the serial mediating effects of emotions and self-presentation

Introduction

Excessive social media use, though considered unhealthy, is no longer formally categorized as an addiction or disorder, leading to a lack of consensus on this behavior. It raises concerns regarding the exclusion of Internet Addiction Disorder from the DSM-5-TR due to insufficient empirical evidence. This study investigates the serial mediating effects of positive and negative affect, fear of missing out, and offline and online self-presentation in the relationship between social media use and social media addiction.

Method

The study was conducted in Hong Kong with 385 participants (84.2% F, age range = 18-60) of an online survey. This study administered the Social Media Use Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Fear of Missing Out Scale, Presentation of Online Self Scale, and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale.

Results

The results indicate that social media use plays a significant role in predicting both positive and negative affect. The findings further reveal that positive and negative affect, fear of missing out, and offline and online self-presentation act as serial mediators in the relationship between social media use and social media addiction. In other words, these variables work together in a sequential manner to mediate the impact of social media use on addiction. Additionally, the study indicates that social media use and social media addiction are fully mediated by both positive and negative affect, fear of missing out, and offline and online self-presentation.

Discussion

Social media use can evoke both positive and negative affect. The longer individuals are immersed in social media, the more their positive affect intensifies, exacerbating FoMO and fostering inconsistent offline and online self-presentation. Conversely, extended social media engagement can heighten negative affect, leading to anxiety about others having more rewarding experiences and concurrently inducing apprehension characterized by FoMO. To prevent addiction, the development of educational tools such as SimCity video games, scenario-based learning activities, and virtual reality experiences focused on social media use and social media addiction can offer a valuable opportunity for pre-exposure to the related risks and challenges.

When ethnic minorities hit the headlines: The longitudinal associations between news features and adolescents' ethnic prejudice

Ethnic prejudice poses great challenges to adolescents' adjustment to multicultural societies. However, little is known about the role of the media in influencing attitudes in adolescence. Combining information environment and ecological development theories, the current study examined the longitudinal associations between the quantity, valence (i.e., neutral, positive, and negative), and target (i.e., migrant, refugee, and foreigner) of the news about ethnic minority groups and youth's affective and cognitive prejudice. In total, 962 adolescents (Mage = 15.67, 48.13% females) completed questionnaires at two time points, and news data were gathered from a national newspaper. While news quantity did not matter, positive and negative news were respectively associated with reduced and increased levels of cognitive, but not affective, prejudice. Nuanced associations emerged when accounting for the news target. Results were replicated regardless of adolescents' direct consumption of newspapers. These findings highlight the role of the information environment and suggest the need to account for it in planning interventions.

How social media are changing pediatricians and pediatrics? - A claim for regulation

BACKGROUND

Social media has revolutionized the way healthcare professionals communicate with the public, particularly in Pediatrics. With over 5 billion users globally, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have become increasingly popular even among caregivers in recent years. These channels offer unique opportunities to improve public health education, allowing pediatricians to reach a wide audience with evidence-based content.

MAIN BODY

However, the risks associated with misinformation pose significant challenges to health professionals and medical organizations. In response, new recommendations for the proper use of social media in pediatric health communication should be proposed, aiming to provide a network where pediatricians can collaborate, share evidence-based information, and develop effective strategies for digital communication. With the growing use of artificial intelligence in healthcare and the rise of parental self-care practices, pediatricians must actively curate and share reliable information.

CONCLUSION

This could serve as a new hub for ensuring that accurate, high-quality evidence-based information is disseminated, balancing the benefits of digital health advancements with the ethical responsibility of safeguarding patient care. By prioritizing professionalism, ethical communication, and technological adaptation, the aim should be to foster a more informed and health-conscious community.

Social Technology in the Prevention of Adolescent Violence: documentary production

OBJECTIVE

To report the development of a technological innovation in the form of a documentary, aimed at disseminating actions for preventing violence against adolescents within the context of Primary Health Care.

METHODS

The documentary was developed through action research and interventions with adolescents in the territory of a Health Unit, conducted between 2020 and 2022, using Social Technology as both an action strategy and a conceptual reference.

RESULTS

The Social Technology proposal, created through workshops and seminars, resulted in a documentary focusing on violence prevention, involving 48 adolescents. The documentary's script, collectively developed, portrays a soccer match between teams symbolizing peace and violence, with peace ultimately prevailing. The documentary is six minutes long.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

The documentary has proven to be an effective Social Technology tool among adolescents, as it fosters critical thinking, is accessible, has potential for digital dissemination, and appeals to the target audience.

Effects of short video addiction on college students' physical activity: the chain mediating role of self-efficacy and procrastination

Introduction

Excessive use of short video applications can adversely affect the physical and mental health of college students. At present, regarding the effect of short video addiction on physical exercise, few scholars have studied the mechanism of action. This study aims to investigate the mechanism by which short video addiction impacts college students' physical exercise. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between short video addiction and physical activity, and examined the influence of self-efficacy and procrastination on this relationship.

Methods

In this research, 304 college students were selected as survey subjects. The questionnaires included Short Video Addiction Scale, Physical Activity Rating Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Short Version General Procrastination Scale. The data underwent correlation analysis using SPSS and mediation effect analysis using the PROCESS macro program.

Results

(1) 61.51% (187) of college students' physical activity was low exercise. (2) Physical activity was significantly negatively impacted by short video addiction. (3) Self-efficacy played an independent mediating role in the association between short video addiction and physical activity. (4) The association between short video addiction and physical activity was independently mediated by procrastination. (5) Self-efficacy and procrastination function as chain mediators in the association between short video addiction and physical activity.

Discussion

Our research identifies the role that self-efficacy and procrastination play in the connection between short video addiction and physical activity. Decreasing the utilization of short video applications and enhancing self-efficacy can reduce procrastination and improve physical activity for college student groups.

A multidimensional framework for understanding problematic use of short video platforms: the role of individual, social-environmental, and platform factors

Short video platforms have rapidly become a prominent form of social media, but their problematic use is increasingly concerning. This review synthesizes existing research to propose a comprehensive framework that integrates individual, social-environmental, and platform-related factors contributing to this issue. Individual factors are categorized into distal (e.g., personality, psychopathology) and proximal (e.g., usage expectations, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses during use) categories, with distal factors often shaping proximal ones, which more directly influence usage behaviors. Social-environmental factors, such as family dynamics and peer interactions, along with platform-related features, also significantly impact the likelihood of problematic use. Beyond their direct effects, our framework emphasizes the importance of examining the combined effects of these factors, particularly through mediation and moderation processes. Mediation processes reveal how distal individual factors influence problematic use by shaping more immediate, proximal factors. Similarly, social-environmental influences and platform features may affect problematic use by modifying individual factors. Moderation processes further illustrate how individual characteristics or social-environmental factors may alter the strength of these relationships. Understanding these complex, multidimensional relationships is essential for developing effective interventions to mitigate the risks associated with problematic short video platforms use. Future research should explore these processes in greater depth.

COVID-19-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Relation With Social Media Addiction Among University Students: Mediating Role of Fear of Missing Out

OBJECTIVE

Traumatic experiences and stressful life events have crippling outcomes on individuals' psychiatric disorders and are also frequently comorbid with addictive behaviors. This study aims to propose a mediation model to examine the association between coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social media addiction (SMA) among university students, and the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study with 856 university students (mean age 19.2 years; 67.9% female) was conducted in China. The COVID-19-related PTSD scale, the FoMO scale, and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale were used, in addition to an online questionnaire addressing participants' sociodemographic information. Descriptive statistics and correlations were conducted with SPSS 21.0. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) with AMOS 21.0 was performed to assess the hypothesized mediation mode. The bootstrap with the 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed to test the significance of the mediating effect.

RESULTS

SEM demonstrated that COVID-19-related PTSD symptoms significantly and negatively influenced SMA (β=0.247, p<0.001), FoMO significantly and positively affected university students' SMA (β=0.341, p<0.001), and FoMO partially mediated the association between COVID-19-related PTSD symptoms and SMA. The mediation effect of FoMO was 0.176, with bootstrapping 95% CI=0.123, 0.235.

CONCLUSION

The main effects of COVID-19-related PTSD symptoms and FoMO on SMA among university students were identified, providing intervention strategies for mental health professionals on how to reduce the risk of SMA when confronting future traumatic events and public health crises.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 4 Years after the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adolescents with Different Levels of Physical Activity Engagement: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study was to assess whether the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents had decreased four years after the initial assessment. This study aimed to determine if children with an active lifestyle and participation in sports activities were protected against this traumatic stress. This study included a total of 284 Italian participants assessed at two different time points: the first assessment was conducted in 2020 when the children were aged 9-12 years, and a second assessment was carried out four years later when the participants were aged 13-16. Participants completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised questionnaire (IES-R), with the IES-8 and IES-15 versions used accordingly based on age group. In the 2020 assessment, 146 (51.4%) reported a score higher than the cut-off for significant traumatic stress, while in 2024, only 49 participants (17.2%). The chi-square analysis indicated that this decrement was statistically significant (p < 0.001). RM-ANOVA showed a significant reduction for both Intrusion Score and Avoidance Score (p < 0.001). A statistical interaction between gender and time was observed. There were weak correlations between the level of children's sport practice, and no differences between those who engage in individual or team sports. Despite this study showing that young people are overcoming the pandemic crisis and its consequences, identifying potential modifiable risk factors and empowering protective factors remains crucial, especially for those who continue to experience psychological issues. The restrictions particularly impacted active children by disrupting their routine, which may have compromised the universally recognized protective value of sports.

Association between problematic social networking use and anxiety symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A growing number of studies have reported that problematic social networking use (PSNU) is strongly associated with anxiety symptoms. However, due to the presence of multiple anxiety subtypes, existing research findings on the extent of this association vary widely, leading to a lack of consensus. The current meta-analysis aimed to summarize studies exploring the relationship between PSNU levels and anxiety symptoms, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, attachment anxiety, and fear of missing out. 209 studies with a total of 172 articles were included in the meta-analysis, involving 252,337 participants from 28 countries. The results showed a moderately positive association between PSNU and generalized anxiety (GA), social anxiety (SA), attachment anxiety (AA), and fear of missing out (FoMO) respectively (GA: r = 0.388, 95% CI [0.362, 0.413]; SA: r = 0.437, 95% CI [0.395, 0.478]; AA: r = 0.345, 95% CI [0.286, 0.402]; FoMO: r = 0.496, 95% CI [0.461, 0.529]), and there were different regulatory factors between PSNU and different anxiety subtypes. This study provides the first comprehensive estimate of the association of PSNU with multiple anxiety subtypes, which vary by time of measurement, region, gender, and measurement tool.

A war on prejudice: The role of media salience in reducing ethnic prejudice

INTRODUCTION

Ethnic prejudice poses a great challenge to the cohesion of current multicultural societies. Prior research has found that media portrayals of immigration-related issues might skew individual attitudes and feelings toward ethnic minorities. While these studies have focused on negative representations of ethnic minorities, less is known about the effects of media reports of unfortunate events affecting the victims of war, as in the case of the Ukrainian group in the Russia-Ukraine war. Therefore, the current research aims to examine whether media salience of this situation might change adolescents' ethnic prejudice against the Ukrainian minority.

METHODS

A total of 1016 ethnic-majority Italian adolescents (Mage = 15.66, SDage = 1.17, 49.61% females) completed online questionnaires during school hours before (T1: January/February 2022) and after (T2: April/May 2022) the Russia-Ukraine war onset. Additionally, the media salience of the war was quantified separately for the national newspaper and Twitter.

RESULTS

Levels of prejudice significantly decreased from T1 to T2 for multiple ethnic minority groups but especially so for the Ukrainian group. The results of bivariate Latent Change Score models highlighted that increased salience of the war in the national newspaper was significantly associated with decreased prejudice against Ukrainians, regardless of adolescents' levels of self-reported newspaper consumption. Conversely, changes in the salience of the war on Twitter were not associated with changes in prejudice.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the importance of media attention for the war's victims in skewing individuals' outgroup perceptions and feelings.

Social media addiction relationship with academic engagement in university students: The mediator role of self-esteem, depression, and anxiety

This research analyzed how addiction to social media relates to academic engagement in university students, considering the mediating role of self-esteem, symptoms of depression, and anxiety. A quantitative methodology was used with a non-experimental-relational design. A set of questionnaires was applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 412 students enrolled at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. On average, participants use 4.83 different social media platforms at least once a week. Instagram and TikTok users report significantly higher levels of social media addiction, symptoms of depression, and anxiety compared to non-users. Directly, social media addiction does not significantly influence academic engagement scores. However, there are significant indirect inverse effects on academic engagement. Symptoms of depression and self-esteem mediate these effects. Social media addiction increases symptoms of depression, which in turn decreases academic engagement scores. Social media addiction decreases self-esteem, which serves as a variable that significantly increases academic engagement. Overall, findings suggest that social media addiction has a total inverse effect on academic engagement; symptoms of depression and self-esteem mediate this relationship. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Understanding and preventing the advertisement and sale of illicit drugs to young people through social media: A multidisciplinary scoping review

ISSUES

The sale of illicit drugs online has expanded to mainstream social media apps. These platforms provide access to a wide audience, especially children and adolescents. Research is in its infancy and scattered due to the multidisciplinary aspects of the phenomena.

APPROACH

We present a multidisciplinary systematic scoping review on the advertisement and sale of illicit drugs to young people. Peer-reviewed studies written in English, Spanish and French were searched for the period 2015 to 2022. We extracted data on users, drugs studied, rate of posts, terminology used and study methodology.

KEY FINDINGS

A total of 56 peer-reviewed papers were included. The analysis of these highlights the variety of drugs advertised and platforms used to do so. Various methodological designs were considered. Approaches to detecting illicit content were the focus of many studies as algorithms move from detecting drug-related keywords to drug selling behaviour. We found that on average, for the studies reviewed, 13 in 100 social media posts advertise illicit drugs. However, popular platforms used by adolescents are rarely studied.

IMPLICATIONS

Promotional content is increasing in sophistication to appeal to young people, shifting towards healthy, glamourous and seemingly legal depictions of drugs. Greater inter-disciplinary collaboration between computational and qualitative approaches are needed to comprehensively study the sale and advertisement of illegal drugs on social media across different platforms. This requires coordinated action from researchers, policy makers and service providers.

Video Game Playing and Internet Gaming Disorder: A Profile of Young Adolescents

In recent times, growing concern has arisen regarding the utilization of technology, video games, and the emergence of internet gaming disorder (IGD), particularly among young adolescents. This worry arises from the ambiguity in distinguishing between "normal" and "problematic" video game behavior, despite efforts to establish clear criteria for defining both. The goal of this study is to outline distinct profiles of adolescent video game players and identify variables associated with their gaming practices that correlate with problematic gaming. The study utilizes a substantial sample of adolescents drawn from a representative cross-section of educational institutions in the city of Madrid, ranging in age from 12 to 16 years. In total, 1516 participants (75%) acknowledged engaging in video game activities. The research delves into characterizing prevailing profiles of video game participants within this cohort and scrutinizes the profile that aligns with issues of IGD. In summary, approximately three-quarters of young adolescents participate in video gaming, with males constituting the majority. Typically, participants immerse themselves in action genre games for over three days per week, with males exhibiting a higher frequency than their female counterparts. Elevated gaming frequency correlates with heightened IGD scores, particularly among females. Young adolescents show a preference for game consoles (males) and mobile phones (females) and often play alone at home. Specific factors such as the device used, online mode, company, and gaming location impact the IGD scores. These profiles aim to assist families and educators in recognizing potential risk behaviors and IGD concerns; however, it is crucial to emphasize the necessity for case-specific screening and evaluation before deliberating on such behaviors.

Smartphone Addiction Among University Students' During the Post-COVID-19 Era: The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Future Anxiety

OBJECTIVE

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-related psychological symptoms can lead to smartphone addiction (SPA) risk and other behavioral disorders, thus impacting individuals' mental health and well-being. The present study aims to propose a mediation model to investigate the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and SPA, and the mediating role of future anxiety (FA) during the post-COVID-19 era.

METHODS

An online questionnaire including the Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Dark Future Scale, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale among university students from China, was conducted between September 14 and November 22, 2022. Finally, 1,154 valid questionnaires were collected. The reliability and confirmatory factor analysis results showed that all three scales had good reliability and validity.

RESULTS

Structural Equation Model demonstrated that EI significantly and negatively influenced SPA (β=0.211, p<0.001), university students' FA significantly and positively effected SPA (β=0.315, p<0.001), EI significantly predicted SPA in university students, and FA partially mediated the association between EI and SPA. The mediation effect of FA was 0.110, which accounted for 34.27% of the total effect. Bootstrap results furthermore tested the rigor of the mediating effect.

CONCLUSION

These findings broaden our understanding regarding the relationship between EI and SPA and the mediating role of FA, providing new sights for educators on how to reduce the risk of SPA when confronting the ongoing and possible future pandemics.

Social Media and Selfie-Related Mortality Amid COVID-19: Interrupted Time Series Analysis

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 had a considerable impact on mortality, but its effect on behaviors associated with social media remains unclear. As travel decreased due to lockdowns during the pandemic, selfie-related mortality may have decreased, as fewer individuals were taking smartphone photographs in risky locations.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we examined the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on trends in selfie-related mortality.

METHODS

We identified fatal selfie-related injuries reported in web-based news reports worldwide between March 2014 and April 2021, including the deaths of individuals attempting a selfie photograph or anyone else present during the incident. The main outcome measure was the total number of selfie-related deaths per month. We used interrupted time series regression to estimate the monthly change in the number of selfie-related deaths over time, comparing the period before the pandemic (March 2014 to February 2020) with the period during the pandemic (March 2020 to April 2021).

RESULTS

The study included a total of 332 selfie-related deaths occurring between March 2014 and April 2021, with 18 (5.4%) deaths during the pandemic. Most selfie-related deaths occurred in India (n=153, 46.1%) and involved men (n=221, 66.6%) and young individuals (n=296, 89.2%). During the pandemic, two-thirds of selfie-related deaths were due to falls, whereas a greater proportion of selfie-related deaths before the pandemic were due to drowning. Based on interrupted time series regression, there was an average of 1.3 selfie-related deaths per month during the pandemic, compared with 4.3 deaths per month before the pandemic. The number of selfie-related deaths decreased by 2.6 in the first month of the pandemic alone and continued to decrease thereafter.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a marked decrease in selfie-related mortality, suggesting that lockdowns and travel restrictions likely prevented hazardous selfie-taking. The decrease in selfie-related mortality occurred despite a potential increase in social media use during the pandemic.

Quality of life and mental health of adolescents: Relationships with social media addiction, Fear of Missing out, and stress associated with neglect and negative reactions by online peers

Social networking is proliferating globally and in Vietnam, but this led to several negative aspects of adolescents' health, including physical activity, sleep quality, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. This study aimed to identify the relationship between social media usage and examine risk factors (Fear of Missing out and Risk of Neglect) on social media usage, and the overall quality of life and mental health among individuals actively using social media networks. An online cross-sectional study was conducted in three cities in Vietnam (Hanoi, Tuyen Quang, and Can Tho) from September through to October 2021. A structured questionnaire assessed for characteristics of social media use and other associated factors. 1891 participants were recruited, with 98.4% having access to social media. s. Factors like "PHQ-9 score", "Problematic Internet use", and "Time average used social media per day", were negatively associated with the EQ5D5L Index. By contrast, "Gender", and "Using smartphone" were positive factors of the EQ5D5L Index. "FOMO score" and "self-harm and suicide" were positive factors of the PHQ-9 score while "Using smartphone" was negative. In terms of self-harm and suicide, "FOMO score" and "Problematic Internet use" were positive factors, by contrast, "Using smartphone" was a negative factor. This is the first study to examine social media addiction among Vietnamese adolescents, its relationship with FOMO score, stresses associated with rejection and neglect, and the overall quality of life. Our results highlighted there is a relationship between FOMO score and impaired overall quality of life, increased depressive symptoms, and an association between stresses relating to negative rejection and FOMO score.

Nomophobia and smartphone addiction amidst COVID-19 home confinement: the parallel mediating role of digital gaming and social media tools usage across secondary school students

Introduction

With the inevitable technological boom enforced by the COVID-19 lockdowns and online emergency remote teaching practices, the prevalence of nomophobia (NMP) and smartphone addiction (SA) among adolescents has become a pressing issue, which has come under scrutiny. However, the impact of social media tools usage (SMTU) and digital gaming behavior (DGB) on these phenomena remains unclear since there is little research focusing on the complex interplay among these variables. Regarding this context, the present study aimed to explore the parallel mediating role of secondary school students' SMTU and DGB in the relation between NMP and SA.

Methods

In line with this aim, we employed a cross-sectional design with a critical case sampling strategy and collected data through an online survey from a total of 427 secondary school students in Istanbul in the 2021-2022 academic year. In order to test the parallel mediation model, we employed multiple linear regression models by utilizing PROCESS models with 5000 BC bootstrap samples and 95% CI.

Results and discussion

Results illustrated that there was an increase in the prevalence of NMP and SA during the COVID-19 home confinement as consistent with the previous research. The results also indicated that among the multiple mediators, the mediating role of SMTU was significant in the relation between NMP and SA. This means NMP has direct and indirect significant impact on SA through SMTU. However, the mediating role of DGB was found nonsignificant in this relationship. Our results are robust and hold key contributions to both theoria and praxis in educational psychology research realm by disentangling the complex underlying mechanism between NMP, SMTU, DGB, and SA. On the practical side, our results provide insightful implications for school boards and researchers in the development of effective interventions.

TikTok use and psychosocial factors among adolescents: Comparisons of non-users, moderate users, and addictive users

Short-video applications like TikTok are increasingly popular. This study examines the association between short-video application use (SVU) and psychosocial factors in 1,346 adolescents (M_age = 14.97, 51.8% female). 199 non-users and 1147 users (686 moderate users, 461 addictive users) were identified. Results revealed a high prevalence of addictive SVU in the sample. Addictive users exhibited worse mental health conditions than non-users and moderate users, including higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, social anxiety, attention problems, and lower life satisfaction and sleep quality. Addictive users also faced higher academic stress, poorer academic performance, more bullying victimization, worse parental relationships, more negative parenting styles, and lower parental education levels. Moderate users had different family environments than non-users, but no differences in mental health or school performance. Together, these findings suggest that addictive users experience a more disadvantageous situation across mental health, family, and school conditions, while non-users have advantageous family environments. Moderate SVU may not be associated with negative mental health condition or poor school performance. Moderate and addictive SVU should be considered distinct phenomena. Given the psychiatric symptoms present in addictive users of TikTok and similar apps, targeted interventions and treatments are urgently needed.

A cross-lagged study of the associations among problematic smartphone use, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in chinese university students

The present study aimed to investigate the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships among problematic smartphone use (PSU), depressive symptoms (DS), and suicidal ideation (SI) in Chinese university students. Using a cross-lagged design, the Mobile Phone Addiction Inventory Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Self-Rating Idea of Suicide Scale as research instruments, 194 university students completed a questionnaire four consecutive times. June of Year 1, December of Year 2, June of Year 2, and December of Year 3 of their college study. We refer to these as the Time 1 (T1), Time 2 (T2), Time 3 (T3), and Time 4 (T4) assessments, respectively. The levels of PSU and DS fluctuated significantly over time. DS at T1 was significantly predicted to influence SI at T2 (β = 0.17, p < .05); DS at T3 was significantly predicted by PSU and by SI at T2 (respectively, β = 0.30, p < .05; β = 0.21, p < .05); DS at T2 significantly predicted PSU at T3 (β = 0.14, p < .05); and DS at T3 significantly predicted SI at T4 (β = 0.14, p < .05) in the cross-lagged pathway. DS at T3 fully mediated the relationship between PSU at T2 and SI at T4 (indirect effect: β = 0.133, 95% CI = [0.063, 0.213]). The results suggest that there is a reciprocal relationship between PSU and DS and, furthermore, that DS plays an important mediating role between PSU and SI. Our results suggest the importance of early identification and treatment of SI. Timely reduction of PSU and improvement of DS among university students may help prevent SI.

Does Problematic Use of Social Network Mediate the Association between Bullying Victimization and Loneliness among Lebanese Adolescents?

(1) Background: Bullying victimization has been associated with several behavioral outcomes, particularly loneliness. Similarly, an increase in social network use has been identified in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been shown to be associated with bullying and loneliness. Investigating the mediating factors of loneliness among bullied adolescents is useful for taking preventive measures in the Lebanese population. This study aims to examine the association between bullying victimization and loneliness among Lebanese adolescents while considering the indirect effect of problematic social network use. (2) Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study, between January and April 2022, that enrolled 379 adolescent Lebanese students (64.9% females, mean age 16.07 ± 1.19 years) who were current residents of Lebanon (15 to 18 years), and were from the five governorates of Lebanon (Beirut, Mount Lebanon, North, South and Bekaa). The snowball method was applied to select our sample; an electronic copy of the questionnaire was created using the Google Forms software and an online strategy was designed to collect the data. (3) Results: Negative social comparison and addictive consequences of problematic use of social network mediated the association between bullying victimization and loneliness. Higher bullying victimization was significantly associated with higher negative social comparison and addictive consequences of problematic use of social network, which in turn were significantly associated with more loneliness. Finally, higher bullying victimization was directly significantly associated with more loneliness. (4) Conclusions: Studying the mediating factors of loneliness in bullied adolescents can improve our understanding of this topic, allowing us to propose new interventions to prevent psychological problems in adolescents. Future studies are needed to further clarify the physiological processes that underlie the associations between social triggers and loneliness during adolescence.

Social Isolation Affects the Mimicry Response in the Use of Smartphones : An Ethological Experiment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Humans are social animals that rely on different ways to interact with each other. The COVID-19 pandemic strongly changed our communication strategies. Because of the importance of direct contact for our species, we predict that immediately after the forced social isolation, people were more prone to engage in direct rather than in virtual interactions, thus showing a lower mimicry response in the use of smartphones. In a non-longitudinal study, we collected behavioral data under naturalistic contexts and directly compared the data of the mimicry response gathered immediately following the Italian lockdown (May-September 2020) with those gathered one year later (May-October 2021). Contrary to our expectations, the mimicry response in the use of smartphones was higher immediately after the lockdown than a year later. Probably the large use of these devices during the lockdown translated into a greater sensitivity to be affected by others' smartphone manipulation. Indeed, social isolation modified, at least in the short term, the ways we interact with others by making us more prone to engage in "virtual" social interactions. The bright side of the coin unveiled by our findings is that the effect seems to diminish over time. The large behavioral dataset analyzed here (1,608 events; 248 people) also revealed that the mimicry response in the use of smartphones was higher between familiar subjects than between strangers. In this view, mimicry in manipulating smartphones can be considered an example of joint action that fosters behavioral synchrony between individuals that, in the long-term, can translate into the formation of social bonding.

Family Matters More Than Friends on Problematic Social Media Use Among Adolescents: Mediating Roles of Resilience and Loneliness

Problematic social media use (PSMU) among adolescents has raised global concern in the current digital age. Despite the important role of perceived social support in adolescents' PSMU has been examined, possible different influences between perceived support from family and friends are still unknown. To address the gap, the present study aimed to examine how perceived support from family and friends is associated differently with PSMU and the mediating roles of resilience and loneliness therein. A sample of 1056 adolescents was recruited to complete standard questionnaires. Mediation analysis showed that resilience and loneliness mediated this association partially between perceived support from family and PSMU but totally between perceived support from friends and PSMU. Further, ANOVA-based analysis showed that influences of perceived support from family and friends on PSMU were mutually independent, and there was no interaction between them. Our results not only highlight different and independent impacts of perceived support from family and friends on PSMU, but also clarify the mediating mechanisms linking perceived social support to adolescent PSMU.

A bidirectional association between smartphone addiction and depression among college students: A cross-lagged panel model

Background

Smartphone addiction (SA) is associated with adverse consequences, especially for freshmen. Evidence indicates that SA is associated with depression, and it is necessary to conduct a longitudinal study to explore the association further.

Methods

SA (measured by the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version) and depression (measured by the Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale) among 1,186 freshmen were surveyed at baseline and a respective 12-month follow-up for each participant. The application of a cross-lagged panel model approach (CLPM) revealed an association between SA and depression after adjusting for demographic variables.

Results

The CLPM results showed a significant path from baseline SA to follow-up depression (β = 0.08, P < 0.001) and a significant path from baseline depression to follow-up SA (β = 0.08, P < 0.001). Compared with the overall cross-lagged model, the cross-lagged coefficient of the path from baseline SA to follow-up depression increased in the female group (β = 0.10, P = 0.015), and the cross-lagged coefficient of the path from baseline depression to follow-up SA also increased significantly (β = 0.15, P < 0.001). In contrast, the cross-lagged model in the male group showed no predictive effect between SA and depression (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The current study showed a significant bidirectional association between smartphone addiction and depression among freshmen, but only in the female population.

TikTok and adolescent vision health: Content and information quality assessment of the top short videos related to myopia

Background

Despite the increasing recognition of the public health value of social media platforms, TikTok short videos focusing on adolescent vision health have not received much attention. We aimed to evaluate the content, sources, and information quality of myopia-related videos on TikTok.

Methods

The top 200 most-liked myopia-related videos on the Chinese version of TikTok were queried and screened on March 12, 2022. The descriptive characteristics, contents, and sources of the selected 168 videos were obtained, and their overall quality, reliability, understandability, and actionability were assessed using the validated scoring instruments DISCERN and PEMAT-A/V.

Results

Medical professionals were the main source (45.8%, 77/168) of videos. Misinformation (10.1%, 17/168) was mainly attributable to for-profit organizations (20%, 3/15) and individual non-medical users (31.3%, 10/32). However, their videos enjoyed the highest numbers of "likes," "comments," and "shares" (P < 0.05). The mean reliability and overall quality regarding treatment choice were (2.5 ± 0.5) and (3.1 ± 0.9), respectively. Videos on TikTok showed relatively high understandability (84.7%) and moderate actionability (74.9%). Video producers tended to partly or fully provide information regarding management (81.5%, 137/168) and outcome (82.1%, 138/168), and to ignore or only slightly mention content related to definition (86.9%, 146/169) and signs (82.1%, 138/168). The five video sources showed significant differences in the prevalence of misleading information (P < 0.001), publication reliability (P < 0.001), overall quality (P = 0.039), content score (P = 0.019), and understandability (P = 0.024).

Conclusion

Considering the moderate-to-poor reliability and variable quality across video sources, the substantial myopia-related content on TikTok should be treated with caution. Nevertheless, TikTok videos may serve as a surrogate or supplement for information dissemination if providers can ensure more comprehensive and accurate content.

Acupuncture ameliorates Mobile Phone Addiction with sleep disorders and restores salivary metabolites rhythm

OBJECTIVES

Mobile Phone Addiction (MPA) is a novel behavioral addiction resulting in circadian rhythm disorders that severely affect mental and physical health. The purpose of this study is to detect rhythmic salivary metabolites in MPA with sleep disorder (MPASD) subjects and investigate the effects of acupuncture.

METHODS

Six MPASD patients and six healthy controls among the volunteers were enrolled by MPA Tendency Scale (MPATS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), then the salivary samples of MPASD and healthy controls were collected every 4-h for three consecutive days. Acupuncture was administered for 7 days to MPASD subjects, then saliva samples were collected again. Salivary metabolomes were analyzed with the method of LC-MS.

RESULT

According to our investigation, 70 (57.85%) MPA patients and 56 (46.28%) MPASD patients were identified among 121 volunteers. The symptoms of the 6 MPASD subjects were significantly alleviated after acupuncture intervention. The number of rhythmic saliva metabolites dropped sharply in MPASD subjects and restored after acupuncture. Representative rhythmic saliva metabolites including melatonin, 2'-deoxyuridine, thymidine, thymidine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate lost rhythm and restored after acupuncture, which may attribute to promising MPASD treatment and diagnosis biomarkers. The rhythmic saliva metabolites of healthy controls were mainly enriched in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, whereas polyketide sugar unit biosynthesis was mainly enriched in MPASD patients.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed circadian rhythm characteristics of salivary metabolites in MPASD and that acupuncture could ameliorate MPASD by restoring part of the dysrhythmia salivary metabolites.

U-shaped association between online information exchange and app usage frequency: a large-scale survey of China 's online young and middle-aged people with pre diabetes and diabetes

Background

China has the world's largest diabetic population, and the cost of caring for all these people every day is substantial. Online information exchange and app usage frequency have been demonstrated to play a significant influence in the management of blood glucose and enhancement of diabetes-related quality of life. However, the association between online information exchange and app usage frequency among actual online populations remains unclear and deserves additional study. Therefore, we evaluated the factors affecting the frequency of app usage in the online glucose management population, with a particular emphasis on the connection between online information exchange and app use frequency, contributing to the expansion of the research of diabetes management models.

Method

This cross-sectional study was conducted by disseminating questionnaires in blood glucose management-related forums and WeChat groups and included 1586 online users concerned about blood glucose management. Information exchange and app usage frequency were considered as independent and dependent variables, respectively. We performed stratified and single factor analysis, multiple equation regression analysis, smooth curve fitting, and threshold effect and saturation effect analysis. R (version 4.1.3, http://www.Rproject.org) and EmpowerStats were used for data analysis.

Result

After adjusting for other covariates, information exchange was independently and positively associated with app use frequency (β = 8.6, 95% CI: 6.5 to 11.2, p < 0.001). Through interaction analysis, the most significant interaction factors influencing the relationship between information exchange and app usage frequency were identified as health insurance status, whether living with parents, glycated hemoglobin status in the previous month, and self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). The association between information exchange and app usage frequency is U-shaped, with information exchange inflection points of 3.0 and 4.2. Information exchange and app usage frequency are negatively correlated when the average information exchange score is less than 3.0, and for every point increase in the average information exchange score, the likelihood of the app high usage frequency group compared to the app low usage frequency group decreases by 70%. The relationship between information exchange and app usage frequency is strongest when it is greater than or equal to 3.0 and less than or equal to 4.2. The probability of the app high usage frequency group occurring compared to the app low usage frequency group rises 17.3 times for every 1 point increase in the average information exchange score. The probability of the app high usage frequency group occurring in comparison to the app low usage frequency group increased by 1.8 times for every 1 point rise in information exchange when the average information exchange score was higher than 4.2.

Conclusion

Age, body mass index, married, living with parents, hemoglobin level, SMBG, and information exchange were positively connected with app usage frequency in our study of online blood glucose management population. The link between information exchange and app use frequency was significantly U-shaped. The app usage frequency changed the most with the rise in information exchange when the information exchange score was greater than or equal to 3.0 and less than or equal to 4.2. Therefore, we ought to offer effort to concentrate on and increase the health-related behaviors and activities of those in this score interval.

Social Media Use and Its Association with Mental Health and Internet Addiction among Portuguese Higher Education Students during COVID-19 Confinement

The use of social media was one of the most common way to keep in touch with friends and family during confinement. For higher education students, the fact that their universities were closed was a major change in their lives. The aim of this study is to relate the prevalence and type of social media with Internet addiction and mental health of university students in a district of Portugal during COVID-19 confinement. Mental health was studied by applying the reduced version of the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) and to measure the Internet use and dependence, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was used. The study (cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational) used an online questionnaire, conducted on Google^® Forms and the link was sent to 4450 students, in the months of April to June 2020, during the confinement. A total of 329 valid questionnaires were obtained. We can conclude that regarding mental health, students in the 18-24 age group, single or divorced and who are not in a relationship, and with worse academic results, show worse levels of mental health. It is noteworthy that the students with the same characteristics also have the highest levels of addiction to internet.

TikTok Tourette's: Are We Witnessing a Rise in Functional Tic-Like Behavior Driven by Adolescent Social Media Use?

Perceptions of Tourette syndrome (TS) and tic disorders are often driven by social media. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media consumption greatly increased, particularly in the adolescent population. In parallel with increased social media consumption, there has also been an increase in tic severity and functional tic-like behavior (FTLB). Given that many of the tic videos posted on social media are misleading, perpetuate false beliefs about TS, or reinforce tic-like behaviors, there is increasing concern that these videos are driving the rapid increase in FTLBs. Several studies have reviewed newly presenting cases of FTLB and have found shared characteristics, including that a higher proportion of affected individuals are female, there is a low proportion with a history of childhood or family tics, and symptom onset is typically acute and develops in the teenage years. In addition, the quality of the tics seen in association with FTLB mirrors many of the tics seen on popular social media channels, with higher rates of coprophenomena, tic attacks, and involvement of the trunk and extremities than is seen with typical tics. FTLBs are likely a specific subgroup of functional tics largely influenced by the portrayal of and growing popularity of functional tics posted on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, several factors, including increased anxiety, social isolation, and social media use in general during the pandemic are likely also contributing factors to the surge of FTLBs seen recently. In this era of increased social media consumption, it will become increasingly important for clinicians to educate patients about where and how medical information is spread, to ensure the best possible diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for patients.

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.

Research trends in social media addiction and problematic social media use: A bibliometric analysis

Despite their increasing ubiquity in people's lives and incredible advantages in instantly interacting with others, social media's impact on subjective well-being is a source of concern worldwide and calls for up-to-date investigations of the role social media plays in mental health. Much research has discovered how habitual social media use may lead to addiction and negatively affect adolescents' school performance, social behavior, and interpersonal relationships. The present study was conducted to review the extant literature in the domain of social media and analyze global research productivity during 2013-2022. Bibliometric analysis was conducted on 501 articles that were extracted from the Scopus database using the keywords social media addiction and problematic social media use. The data were then uploaded to VOSviewer software to analyze citations, co-citations, and keyword co-occurrences. Volume, growth trajectory, geographic distribution of the literature, influential authors, intellectual structure of the literature, and the most prolific publishing sources were analyzed. The bibliometric analysis presented in this paper shows that the US, the UK, and Turkey accounted for 47% of the publications in this field. Most of the studies used quantitative methods in analyzing data and therefore aimed at testing relationships between variables. In addition, the findings in this study show that most analysis were cross-sectional. Studies were performed on undergraduate students between the ages of 19-25 on the use of two social media platforms: Facebook and Instagram. Limitations as well as research directions for future studies are also discussed.

Somatic, Emotional and Behavioral Symptomatology in Children during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Children's and Parents' Alexithymia

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected the psychophysical wellbeing of children worldwide. Alexithymia, a personality trait involving difficulties in identifying and expressing feelings represents a vulnerability factor for stress-related disorders. Under pandemic stress exposure, we aimed to investigate the role of parents' and children's alexithymia in the psychophysical symptomatology shown by children and to evaluate possible differences according to age, gender and history of COVID-19 infections. The perception of parents and children about the impact of the pandemic on children's emotional, social and physiological wellbeing was also explored. Sixty-five familial triads were surveyed in the period from March to May 2022: children (n = 33 males; mean age = 9.53, sd = 1.55), mothers (mean age = 44.12; sd = 6.10) and fathers (mean age = 47.10; sd = 7.8). Both parental and children's alexithymia scores were significantly associated with somatic and externalizing symptomatology in children. Self-reported anger and externally oriented thinking scores were higher in younger children (age 8-9.9 years) than in older ones (10-12 years). Girls scored higher than boys in somatic complaints, as reported by parents. No difference emerged between children affected/not affected by COVID-19. Notably, children reported a greater negative impact of the pandemic on their emotional and psychosocial well-being than their parents. The findings emphasize the role of alexithymia in the occurrence of psychophysical symptoms in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduced parental awareness of the emotional burden imposed by the pandemic on children indicates the need to better consider how epidemics affect children's mental health and to develop adequate preventive strategies to support them in these exceptional times.

Effect of smartphone use before bedtime on smartphone addiction behaviors among Chinese college students

Smartphone addiction behaviors are becoming more and more common with the rapid popularity and widespread use of smartphones. Such behaviors are significantly influenced by the overuse of smartphones before bedtime. In this study, the overuse of smartphones after 9:00 pm before bedtime was investigated by an online questionnaire. The sample consists of 1,035 college students in China. The artificial neural networks were applied to predict the use time of smartphones before bedtime based on their different usages, and the relationship between smartphone usage and additive behaviors was analyzed. The results show that the neural network model can more accurately predict the usage time of smartphones according to the usage of smartphones before going to bed. At the same time, it is also found that the prediction accuracy of the samples that use the smartphone for less than half an hour and more than 3 h before bed is higher than that of other samples. Moreover, watching short videos and playing games are more likely to lead to mobile phone addiction behavior. These findings would help guide college students to correctly use phones and reduce smartphone addition, which is of great significance for mental health education.

The Trap of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Italian Adolescents Fare Well at First, Maybe Thanks to Protective Trait Expression

Abundant research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has been negatively affecting mental health in adolescence. Few works, however, benefit from data from the same sample before and after the onset of the pandemic. The present longitudinal study involved a non-clinical group of 136 Italian adolescents (Mage = 16.3 years ± 1.08, 67% girls) to investigate their psychological response to the first lockdown and explore the role of a protective trait (i.e., Positivity) in moderating the effect of Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) on internalizing symptoms before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing psychopathological symptoms, psychological well-being, IU, and Positivity on three separate occasions: October 2019 (T1), January 2020 (T2), and April 2020 (T3). The results showed that internalizing and externalizing symptoms as well as psychological well-being did not vary significantly over time. Positivity was found to significantly moderate the relationship between IU and internalizing symptoms at T3 (i.e., during the COVID-19 lockdown) only. Overall, our findings suggest that the teenagers' good adjustment to the initial phase of the pandemic might have been associated with the enhanced weight of the Positivity trait, which may have encouraged a positive attitude towards self, life, and the future.

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.

Social media use in female adolescents: Associations with anxiety, loneliness, and sleep disturbances

Social Media Disorder (SMD) is characterised by the intense and excessive use of social media. Although previous studies have shown that SMD was associated with poor mental health, research across types of usage and platforms remain limited. Here, we conducted an initial investigation of social media usage across platforms and its relation to anxiety, sleep and loneliness in female adolescents. Forty one 16- to 19-year-old British female adolescents were administered online questionnaires. Intensity of social media activity across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter was measured with the Social Media Disorder Scale. Anxiety was indicated by the Beck Anxiety Inventory Trait, loneliness was examined via a short three-point questionnaire and sleep quality was measured via both the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and self-reported seven-day sleep diaries. Results showed that, compared to those without SMD, users with SMD experienced elevated levels of loneliness and had less sleep on average, and during the weekdays in particular. Only frequency of posting on Facebook, but not general usage, was associated with poorer sleep quality. These preliminary findings showed that social media disorder across platforms and usage could potentially have different associations to mental health and sleep.