The impact of online social networking on adolescent psychological well-being (WB): a population-level analysis of Korean school-aged children

Association of screen-based activities and risk of self-harm and suicidal behaviors among young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

Emerging evidence suggests that screen-based activities are associated with self-harm and suicidal behaviors. This study aimed to examine these associations among young people through a meta-analysis. We systematically searched EBSCO pshyARTICLES, MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, and Web of Science from their inception to April 1, 2022, and updated on May 1, 2024. Longitudinal studies reporting the association between various screen-based activities and subsequent self-harm and suicidal behaviors in young people aged 10 to 24 were included. Nineteen longitudinal studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, and 13 studies comprising 43,489 young people were included in the meta-analysis, revealing that total screen use is significantly associated with the risks of self-harm and suicidal behaviors. Cyberbullying victimization was also related to these adverse outcomes. Subgroup analyses indicated that social media use and problematic screen use are significant risk factors for self-harm and suicidal behaviors. Study quality was appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and potential publication bias was deemed unlikely to affect the results significantly. These findings suggest that screen-based activities should be considered in the management and intervention strategies for self-harm and suicidal behaviors in young people.

Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization as Risk Factors for Self-Harm: Results From a Longitudinal Cohort Study of 13-14-Year-Olds in England

PURPOSE

Cyberbullying is a crucial issue that affects adolescent mental health, with evidence to suggest that adolescents who are victims of cyberbullying are at higher risk for self-harm. However, longitudinal evidence is lacking, meaning the direction of effects cannot be established. This study investigated longitudinal associations between levels of cyberbullying involvement (bully, victim, or both), frequency, and self-harm a year later in an adolescent sample.

METHODS

Data were collected from Year 9 students (13-14-year-olds; N = 1,195) enrolled in 19 schools in Southwest England using an online questionnaire with a 1-year follow-up period (October 2019-October 2020). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to test for associations between different levels of cyberbullying involvement at baseline and the likelihood of self-harm a year later, adjusting for key covariates. A secondary regression analysis also explored the associations between the frequency of cyberbullying involvement at baseline and subsequent self-harm.

RESULTS

Compared to those with no cyberbullying involvement, individuals who were both victims and perpetrators (adjusted odds ratio = 2.94, 95% confidence interval: 1.99-4.34) as well as victims only (adjusted odds ratio = 2.81, 95% confidence interval: 1.95-4.04) showed an increased risk of subsequent self-harm. In terms of frequency, associations were found between frequent and occasional cyberbullying and self-harm for both victims and perpetrators; however, associations for the perpetrator group attenuated to the null following adjustment for covariates.

DISCUSSION

Our findings highlight cyberbullying in early adolescence as a risk factor for subsequent self-harm. Cyberbullying prevention should be a priority for school mental health interventions, with consideration that most perpetrators of cyberbullying may also be victims.

The Impact of COVID-19 and Exposure to Violent Media Content on Cyber Violence Victimization Among Adolescents in South Korea: National Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent stay-at-home mandates, adolescents faced isolation and a decline in mental health. With increased online activity during this period, concerns arose regarding exposure to violent media content and cyber victimization among adolescents. Yet, the precise influence of pandemic-related measures on experiences of cyber violence remains unclear. Hence, it is pertinent to investigate whether the pandemic altered the dynamics of cyber violence victimization for individuals.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the effects of COVID-19 and exposure to violent media content on cyber violence victimization among adolescents in South Korea.

METHODS

We used national survey data from 2019 (n=4779) and 2020 (n=4958) to investigate the potential impact of COVID-19 on the prevalence of cyber violence among young adolescents. The data encompassed responses from elementary fourth-grade students to senior high school students, probing their exposure to violent media content, average internet use, as well as experiences of victimization and perpetration.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed a noteworthy decline in cyber victimization during 2020 compared with 2019 (B=-0.12, t=-3.45, P<.001). Furthermore, being a perpetrator significantly contributed to cyber victimization (B=0.57, t=48.36, P<.001). Additionally, younger adolescents (β=-.06, t=-6.09, P<.001), those spending more time online (β=.18, t=13.83, P<.001), and those exposed to violent media (β=.14, t=13.89, P<.001) were found to be more susceptible to victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the widespread belief that cyber violence among adolescents surged during COVID-19 due to increased online activity, the study findings counter this assumption. Surprisingly, COVID-19 did not exacerbate cyber victimization; rather, it decreased it. Given the strong correlation between cyber victimization and offline victimization, our attention should be directed toward implementing real-life interventions aimed at curbing violence originating from in-person violence at school.

Bidirectional and cross-lag relationship between social media use and psychological wellbeing: evidence from an Indian adolescent cohort study

INTRODUCTION

In an online era like today, the relationship between social media and depression among adolescents and young adults is erratic and still continues to be a debatable subject. The study aims to examine the association and bi-directional relationship between social media usage and depressive symptoms among the adolescent boys and girls in India.

METHODS

The study uses data from two waves of Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults (UDAYA) project survey conducted in two Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Depression was measured by a Patient Health Questionnaire. Logistic regression has been used for analyzing the data comprising the same time period, whereas the bidirectional relationship between two time periods has been evaluated by Cross-Lagged Path Model.

RESULT

Findings suggest that the percentage of moderate depressive symptoms increased from 1.7% to 3.0% from Wave 1 to Wave 2. Depression among adolescent girls increased slightly from wave 1 to wave 2 whereas a slight decrement was noticed in the moderate form of depressive symptom among adolescent girls using social media for the two waves. Socioeconomic factors like education, age, gender played an important role in affecting depression among adolescents in both the Wave of the survey. The path relationship reveals that social media users in Wave 1 [β=0.22, p<0.001] were positively associated with social media users in Wave 2. Similar patterns were observed for depressive symptoms at both the waves of the survey. However, cross lagged relations between social media use and depression could not be established between the survey periods.

CONCLUSION

A significant degree of association was found between social media use and depression among adolescent boys and girls in the study. The present study concludes that factors like age, gender and education showed significant relationships with social media use and depression.

The Impact of Social Media on the Mental Health of Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review

Adolescents increasingly find it difficult to picture their lives without social media. Practitioners need to be able to assess risk, and social media may be a new component to consider. Although there is limited empirical evidence to support the claim, the perception of the link between social media and mental health is heavily influenced by teenage and professional perspectives. Privacy concerns, cyberbullying, and bad effects on schooling and mental health are all risks associated with this population's usage of social media. However, ethical social media use can expand opportunities for connection and conversation, as well as boost self-esteem, promote health, and gain access to critical medical information. Despite mounting evidence of social media's negative effects on adolescent mental health, there is still a scarcity of empirical research on how teens comprehend social media, particularly as a body of wisdom, or how they might employ wider modern media discourses to express themselves. Youth use cell phones and other forms of media in large numbers, resulting in chronic sleep loss, which has a negative influence on cognitive ability, school performance, and socio-emotional functioning. According to data from several cross-sectional, longitudinal, and empirical research, smartphone and social media use among teenagers relates to an increase in mental distress, self-harming behaviors, and suicidality. Clinicians can work with young people and their families to reduce the hazards of social media and smartphone usage by using open, nonjudgmental, and developmentally appropriate tactics, including education and practical problem-solving.

Psychological and Emotional Effects of Digital Technology on Digitods (14-18 Years): A Systematic Review

Background

The use of smartphones and other technologies has been increasing in digitods aged 14-18 years old. To further explain this relationship and explore the gap in research, this paper will appraise the available evidence regarding the relationship digital technology use and psychological/emotional outcomes and report on the strength of the associations observed between these variables.

Methodology

To select relevant studies, five separate computerized searches of online and electronic databases were performed. These included PubMed (MEDLINE, National Library of Medicine), ScienceDirect, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science to attain literature from January 2017 to April 2022. The author independently reviewed studies for eligibility as per the inclusion/exclusion criteria and extracted the data according to a priori defined criteria. Risk of bias was assessed using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for healthcare studies and Cochrane Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) assessment tool.

Results

Seven studies were included in this review. A positive relationship was found between excessive digital technology usage and negative psychological and emotional outcomes in digitods aged 14-18 (p ≤ 0.005). A statistically significant difference was found between girls and boys, with girls experiencing more negative outcomes than boys.

Conclusions

As the evidence in this review is distinctive, it is imperative that further research be conducted to investigate any synergistic relationships among these variables on a larger scale in order to better advise public health initiatives to specifically target heightened digital technology usage in adolescents.

Days with and without self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: Impact of childhood maltreatment on adolescent online social networking

INTRODUCTION

Among adolescents, an increasing rate of interpersonal interactions occurs online. Previous research has shown that interpersonal context exerts a robust impact on suicidal thoughts or behaviors, yet little attention has focused on examining the content of online interactions surrounding self-injurious thoughts or behaviors. As such, the present study sought to compare online social networking behaviors among adolescents on days with and without experiencing self-injurious thoughts or behaviors, as influenced by childhood maltreatment history.

METHOD

Adolescents aged 13-18 hospitalized for self-injurious thoughts or behaviors were recruited as part of an ongoing longitudinal study. A subsample (N = 22) of adolescents provided data from their online social networking platforms (i.e., text messages, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). Using a mixed-methods approach, online social networking data on days of experiencing self-injurious thoughts or behaviors and days of not experiencing self-injurious thoughts or behaviors were compared.

RESULTS

Results indicate the frequency and content of online social networking messaging do not change by day of self-injurious thoughts or behaviors or history of childhood maltreatment. However, childhood maltreatment predicts received conflictual messages as well as sent symptomatic messages on days of experiencing self-injurious thoughts or behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood maltreatment may play a role in the content of adolescent online behaviors, particularly on days when they experience self-injurious thoughts or behaviors. Implications for intervention are discussed.

Suicide attempt-related emergency department visits among adolescents: a nationwide population-based study in Korea, 2016-2019

BACKGROUND

The incidence of adolescent suicide in Korea is increasing; however, nationwide data regarding short-term prediction of suicide attempts (SAs) is still limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the incidence of SA-related annual emergency department (ED) visits among adolescents in Korea from 2016 to 2019 and to summarize the corresponding demographic and clinical characteristics based on the dispositions of SA-related ED visits.

METHODS

Most referral hospitals provide relevant essential ED information to the National Emergency Medical Center through the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). We analyzed NEDIS data on adolescent visits (aged < 20 years) for a 4-year period from 2016 to 2019. Patients were classified into the discharge and hospitalization groups for comparison, and jointpoint regression analysis was used to identify the years in which there was a change in annual percentage change (APC) in age- and sex-standardized incidence rates of SA-related ED visits. The characteristics of patients in the discharge group and hospitalization group subgroups were also compared.

RESULTS

The APC in the incidence rate of SA-related ED visits in the 4-year study period revealed a 35.61% increase. The incidence rate increase was higher among females (APC: 46.26%) than among males (APC: 17.95%). Moreover, the incidence rate increased faster in mid-adolescence patients (APC: 51.12%) than in late-adolescence patients (APC: 26.98%). The proportion of poisoning as the SA method was 69.7% in the hospitalization group and 34.5% in the discharge group (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

Our findings suggest that an increase in the number of SA-related ED visits among female and mid-adolescent patients represented the largest increase in SA-related ED visits from 2016 to 2019. Accordingly, evidence-based suicide prevention programs need to be customized based on sex and age, and further diversification of health care systems is needed through analysis of the characteristics of the dispositions of SA-related ED visits.

From Wellbeing to Social Media and Back: A Multi-Method Approach to Assessing the Bi-Directional Relationship Between Wellbeing and Social Media Use

Literature concerning the relationship between social media use and wellbeing is inconsistent in its findings, and most research has focused on time spent on social media rather than on what emerging adults do there, with whom and why. Here, we investigated whether momentary social stress affects emerging adults’ social media use, and whether this social media use relates to subsequent changes in wellbeing. We implemented a multi-method paradigm utilising objective and self-report data to investigate how social stress relates to how (much) and why emerging adults use social media. We report on findings based on 114 17–25-year-old emerging adults recruited on university campus. Our findings suggest that social stress does not affect adolescents’ subsequent social media use and that there is no relationship between social media use after stress and changes in momentary wellbeing. Our work illustrates the need for detailed approaches in social media and psychological wellbeing research.

The Plebeian Algorithm: A Democratic Approach to Censorship and Moderation

Background

The infodemic created by the COVID-19 pandemic has created several societal issues, including a rise in distrust between the public and health experts, and even a refusal of some to accept vaccination; some sources suggest that 1 in 4 Americans will refuse the vaccine. This social concern can be traced to the level of digitization today, particularly in the form of social media.

Objective

The goal of the research is to determine an optimal social media algorithm, one which is able to reduce the number of cases of misinformation and which also ensures that certain individual freedoms (eg, the freedom of expression) are maintained. After performing the analysis described herein, an algorithm was abstracted. The discovery of a set of abstract aspects of an optimal social media algorithm was the purpose of the study.

Methods

As social media was the most significant contributing factor to the spread of misinformation, the team decided to examine infodemiology across various text-based platforms (Twitter, 4chan, Reddit, Parler, Facebook, and YouTube). This was done by using sentiment analysis to compare general posts with key terms flagged as misinformation (all of which concern COVID-19) to determine their verity. In gathering the data sets, both application programming interfaces (installed using Python’s pip) and pre-existing data compiled by standard scientific third parties were used.

Results

The sentiment can be described using bimodal distributions for each platform, with a positive and negative peak, as well as a skewness. It was found that in some cases, misinforming posts can have up to 92.5% more negative sentiment skew compared to accurate posts.

Conclusions

From this, the novel Plebeian Algorithm is proposed, which uses sentiment analysis and post popularity as metrics to flag a post as misinformation. This algorithm diverges from that of the status quo, as the Plebeian Algorithm uses a democratic process to detect and remove misinformation. A method was constructed in which content deemed as misinformation to be removed from the platform is determined by a randomly selected jury of anonymous users. This not only prevents these types of infodemics but also guarantees a more democratic way of using social media that is beneficial for repairing social trust and encouraging the public’s evidence-informed decision-making.

[Measuring adolescents' use of social media: A systematic review]

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this review was to provide an overview of the methods used to measure social network site use among adolescents. Such a review is important given the number and diversity of sites and the prevalence of their use among adolescents.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted in line with PRISMA guidelines to arrive at an analysis of 58 peer-reviewed studies indexed in PubMed, PsychInfo, or Scopus. To be included in the review, articles had to be peer-reviewed, available in full text, and published in French or English. For inclusion, studies were required to pertain to adolescents aged between 11 and 18 years; to focus on social network site use and indicate how their use was estimated. Studies that simultaneously examined social network sites and general internet use or video games and only provided a combined analysis were excluded. The keywords for the search were: social media use, social media usage, social media misuse, measure, teen, and adolescents.

RESULTS

In the literature, different methods were used to operationalize the use of social network sites: quantitative methods with the measurement of frequency and duration of use of social network sites, and qualitative methods to measure the different activities adolescents engage in on such sites. In this review, 28 articles investigated the use of social media through a measurement of frequency and 22 articles through a measurement of the duration of use. Most of the studies focused on social network sites in general, without specifying which sites in particular were considered by the respondents when answering the question. However, some articles provided cross measures of quantitative and qualitative measurements resulting in the examination of both the frequency of use and the time spent on specific activities on social network sites.

CONCLUSIONS

The present review highlights the great diversity in the methods used to measure the use of social network sites among adolescents. The reliance on frequency-based measurements without taking into account the specificities of the activities or sites involved limits the investigation of their impact on adolescent functioning and behaviors. Given the observed discrepancies in the literature concerning the measurement of social network site use among adolescents and their associated biases, the development of specific instruments is needed to advance in this important field of research.

Psychological Correlates of Sedentary Screen Time Behaviour Among Children and Adolescents: a Narrative Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aims of this narrative review were to (1) synthesise the literature on the relationship between screen time and important mental health outcomes and (2) examine the underpinning factors that can influence this association.

RECENT FINDINGS

Paralleling the rise of mental health issues in children and adolescents is the ubiquitous overuse of screens, but it is unclear how screen time is related to important mental health outcomes and whether this association differs by gender, age and screen type.

METHODS

Medline/PubMed, PsychINFO and Google Scholar databases were searched on December 2019 for articles published mainly in the last 5 years. The search focused on two main concepts: (i) screen time and (ii) mental health outcomes including anxiety, depression, psychological and psychosocial well-being and body image concerns.

RESULTS

Sixty studies were included in the review. Higher levels of screen time were associated with more severe depressive symptoms. We found moderate evidence for an association between screen time and poor psychological well-being and body dissatisfaction especially among females. Relationships between screen time and anxiety were inconsistent and somewhat gender specific. Social media use was consistently associated with poorer mental health. Higher levels of screen time are generally associated with poorer mental health outcomes, but associations are influenced by screen type, gender and age. Practitioners, parents, policy makers and researchers should collectively identify and evaluate strategies to reduce screen time, or to use screens more adaptively, as a means of promoting better mental health among children and adolescents.

Social Media and Well-Being: Pitfalls, Progress, and Next Steps

Within a relatively short time span, social media have transformed the way humans interact, leading many to wonder what, if any, implications this interactive revolution has had for people's emotional lives. Over the past 15 years, an explosion of research has examined this issue, generating countless studies and heated debate. Although early research generated inconclusive findings, several experiments have revealed small negative effects of social media use on well-being. These results mask, however, a deeper set of complexities. Accumulating evidence indicates that social media can enhance or diminish well-being depending on how people use them. Future research is needed to model these complexities using stronger methods to advance knowledge in this domain.

How Can Adolescents Benefit from the Use of Social Networks? The iGeneration on Instagram

In the last few years, Instagram has been a topic of much contention, as it has been shown to be associated with both risks and benefits for young users. This study explores the influence of the use of Instagram on adolescents' constructions of self and interpersonal experience. Forty Italian adolescents aged between 11 and 16 years were interviewed and completed repertory grids. The results showed that the adolescents' self-construction and distance from others were mostly influenced by receiving, or not receiving, positive feedback, rather than by using Instagram itself. Specifically, there was an increase in self-acceptance and social desirability after receiving a "like" and an increase in social isolation after receiving no "likes". The regression model also showed a decrease in self-acceptance on Instagram in the case of female adolescents, and in participants who edited photos. These findings are useful for understanding the constant need for approval adolescents require today and could be used as a guiding tool for future studies and intervention policies. The present study offers an innovative methodology that refers to the relevant dimensions of adolescents' self-construction rather than investigating the more general relationship between personality traits and social networks' use.

Problematic internet use: A scoping review – longitudinal research on a contemporary social problem, 2006–2017

Background and aims:

Problematic internet use (PIU), and kindred concepts such as internet addiction (IA), make up a growing research field, partly due to the suggested inclusion of internet gaming disorder in a future DSM-6 as well as the fact that gaming disorder is on its way to being included in the ICD-11. Conclusions from research are far from unified. This study aims to synthesise the research field of problematic internet use/internet addiction/gaming disorder, with a focus on the reporting of prevalence and change.

Methods:

Longitudinal studies of PIU/IA formed the basis for a scoping review. Systematic searches of Web of Science, Scopus and Proquest, for peer-reviewed and published articles based on empirical data collected at a minimum of two time points for studies, and with an end point set at 2017, led to the inclusion of 97 studies. Endnote X7 was used to organise the results and NVivo 11 was used for synthesising the results.

Results:

Analyses focused on prevalence and change. Findings show variation among measures and prevalence as well as in reported outcomes relating to social life and other problems. Most studies reported relations between PIU/IA and other problems in life, but no specific time order could be established. Furthermore, many studies did not present data on prevalence or change even though using a longitudinal survey design.

Discussion and conclusions:

In summary, the research field is plagued by a lack of consensus and common understanding, regarding both measures, perceptions of the problem, and findings.

Social Media Use and Deliberate Self-Harm Among Youth: A Systematized Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

Suicide is now the 2^nd leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults. Social media's influence on youth suicidal risk or attenuation of risk is a novel and rapidly expanding topic of research that requires attention from a broad range of mental health services professionals. We aimed to provide an updated review of social media-related risk and protective factors to youth deliberate-self harm (DSH) to guide mental health services professionals in offering care and support to youth vulnerable to suicide.

METHODS

Studies on which primary research was conducted that evaluated young people's use of social media platforms related to DSH were systematically searched via Scopus and identified through expert recommendation and the Association for Computing Machinery's digital library of conference materials. The search focused on the timeframe June 2014 to September 2019, to offer an update since the time the most recent systematic reviews on this topic concluded their literatures searches. Quality was reviewed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).

RESULTS

A total of 38 articles were eligible, and 24 articles rated as high quality were included in a narrative review. Of the included articles, 19 explored DSH risk and 8 explored DSH protection. Most articles reported on cross-sectional quantitative or qualitative studies. Opportunities for both risks and benefits were explored, and potential influences of social media use were considered for subgroups of youth who may be especially vulnerable to suicide.

CONCLUSIONS

In the relatively short period of review, the association between social media use and youth DSH was tested in population-based studies, offering preliminary evidence for suicide prevention and treatment efforts. Further research is needed to understand the contribution of social media use to youth DSH, particularly among youth most vulnerable to suicidal risk.

Social Media Use and Mental Health and Well-Being Among Adolescents - A Scoping Review

Introduction: Social media has become an integrated part of daily life, with an estimated 3 billion social media users worldwide. Adolescents and young adults are the most active users of social media. Research on social media has grown rapidly, with the potential association of social media use and mental health and well-being becoming a polarized and much-studied subject. The current body of knowledge on this theme is complex and difficult-to-follow. The current paper presents a scoping review of the published literature in the research field of social media use and its association with mental health and well-being among adolescents. Methods and Analysis: First, relevant databases were searched for eligible studies with a vast range of relevant search terms for social media use and mental health and well-being over the past five years. Identified studies were screened thoroughly and included or excluded based on prior established criteria. Data from the included studies were extracted and summarized according to the previously published study protocol. Results: Among the 79 studies that met our inclusion criteria, the vast majority (94%) were quantitative, with a cross-sectional design (57%) being the most common study design. Several studies focused on different aspects of mental health, with depression (29%) being the most studied aspect. Almost half of the included studies focused on use of non-specified social network sites (43%). Of specified social media, Facebook (39%) was the most studied social network site. The most used approach to measuring social media use was frequency and duration (56%). Participants of both genders were included in most studies (92%) but seldom examined as an explanatory variable. 77% of the included studies had social media use as the independent variable. Conclusion: The findings from the current scoping review revealed that about 3/4 of the included studies focused on social media and some aspect of pathology. Focus on the potential association between social media use and positive outcomes seems to be rarer in the current literature. Amongst the included studies, few separated between different forms of (inter)actions on social media, which are likely to be differentially associated with mental health and well-being outcomes.

Links between screen use and depressive symptoms in adolescents over 16 years: Is there evidence for increased harm?

Recent scholarship has been divided on whether an observed increase in suicides in the United States among teenagers and preteens (12-18) can be attributed to an increased use in social screen media beginning in 2009. If these concerns are accurate effect sizes for the relationship between screen use and suicide should increase over the 16 years since 2001. The current study used the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (n = 45,992) from 2001 to 2017, to track effect sizes for screen/depression correlations, controlling for age and gender. A second dataset from the UK Understanding Society dataset (ns for each wave ranged between 3,536 and 4,850) was used to study associations between time spent on social media and emotional problems. Metaregression was be used to examine whether effect sizes increase across time. Results generally did not support the hypothesis that effect sizes between screen and social media use are increasing over time. Aside from the trends over time, for any given year, most effect sizes were below the r = .10 threshold used for interpretation with the exception of computer use which was just at that threshold. It is concluded that screens and social media use are unlikely to bear major responsibility for youth suicide trends. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76S7cxiaU88.

Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Social media are responsible for aggravating mental health problems. This systematic study summarizes the effects of social network usage on mental health. Fifty papers were shortlisted from google scholar databases, and after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were chosen and all papers were evaluated for quality. Eight papers were cross-sectional studies, three were longitudinal studies, two were qualitative studies, and others were systematic reviews. Findings were classified into two outcomes of mental health: anxiety and depression. Social media activity such as time spent to have a positive effect on the mental health domain. However, due to the cross-sectional design and methodological limitations of sampling, there are considerable differences. The structure of social media influences on mental health needs to be further analyzed through qualitative research and vertical cohort studies.

A Stimulated Recall Method for the Improved Assessment of Quantity and Quality of Social Media Use

Background

Social media are as popular as ever, and concerns regarding the effects of social media use on adolescent well-being and mental health have sparked many scientific studies into use effects. Social media research is currently at an important crossroads: conflicting results on social media use’s effects on well-being are abundant, and recent work in the field suggests that a new approach is required. The field is in need of an approach involving objective data regarding use where necessary and attention to different kinds of detail such as the why and how of social media use.

Objective

We present a novel paradigm implementing a principle from educational sciences called stimulated recall and demonstrate how it can be applied to social media use research. Our stimulated recall paradigm implements a number of elements that can fill the gaps currently present in social media and well-being research.

Methods

Objective data are collected regarding users’ social media behaviors through video footage and in-phone data and used for a structured stimulated recall interview to facilitate detailed and context-sensitive processing of these objective data. In this interview, objective data are reviewed with the participant in an act of co-research, in which details such as the reasons for their use (eg, boredom) and processes surrounding their use (eg, with whom) are discussed and visualized in a stimulated recall chart.

Results

Our ongoing study (N=53) implementing this paradigm suggests this method is experienced as pleasant by participants in spite of its personal and intensive nature.

Conclusions

The stimulated recall paradigm offers interesting and necessary avenues for approaching social media use research from new angles, addressing aspects of use that have thus far remained underexposed. The answers to questions such as “Why do adolescents use social media?” “In what ways exactly do they use social media?” and “How does social media use make them feel in the moment?” are now within reach, an important step forward in the field of social media use and well-being research.

[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The Relationship between social Media Use, Subjective Health and Risk Behavior Among Children and Adolescents]

BACKGROUND

The current generation of young people spends more time using social media than any other age group. So far, not much is known about the consequences of social media use in terms of health and well-being among teenagers in Germany. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between social media use, health and risk behavior using data from a large representative sample for Germany.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the German part of the WHO collaborative study "Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC)" conducted in 2013/14. The analysis is based on 5.094 students aged 11, 13 and 15 years. Social media use was measured with an index based on 5 items. Outcomes were different measures of health and well-being as well as risk behavior. Analyses were conducted using cross tabulations and log-binomial regression models, separately for girls and boys.

RESULTS

The results show that a frequent use of social media among girls was linked with poorer self-rated health (OR=1.58, 95%-CI=1.17-2.15) as well as repeated multiple psychosomatic complaints (OR=1.56, 95%-CI=1.22-1.98). For boys, multiple psychosomatic complaints (OR=1.36, 95%-CI=1.03-1.80) and low school satisfaction (OR=1.39, 95%-CI=1.06-1.83) were associated with high social media use. In terms of risk behavior, there was a clear and consistent link between frequent social media use and regular tobacco and alcohol consumption, drunkenness and bullying of classmates, irrespective of gender. The results remained stable after adjusting for age, school type and migration background.

CONCLUSIONS

A clear association between social media use and various indicators of health and risk-behavior in childhood and adolescence in Germany could be identified. The results provide first indications of possible health-damaging effects of heavy social media use; these need to be confirmed using longitudinal data.

The relationship between family social capital, social media use and life satisfaction in adolescents

Background: Nowadays, two social phenomena are identified as factors that significantly influence life satisfaction among adolescents: family social capital and social media use. This study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between family social capital and life satisfaction, and the possible mediating role of social media use between the variables among Iranian adolescents. Methods: In 2018, this cross-sectional study was carried out on 835 adolescents aged from 12to 19, in six high schools of Isfahan, Iran. Data were collected using a validated four-section questionnaire including demographic characteristics (3 items), life satisfaction (5 items), family social capital (31 items) and social media use (4 items) scales. IBM SPSS version 21 statistical software and AMOS version 24 were used to analyze the data. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the fit of model. The significance level of 0.05 was considered for all data analyses. Results: The findings indicated that family social capital and social media use explained 50%of the variance in life satisfaction. Social media use was found with a partial mediating role in the association between family social capital and life satisfaction. Family social capital was the strongest predictor of life satisfaction (β =0.681, P<0.001). The relationship between social media use and life satisfaction was also statistically significant (β =- 0.12, P<0.001). Conclusion: Social media use and family social capital should be considered while investigating the determinants of life satisfaction among adolescents.

Why increases in adolescent depression may be linked to the technological environment

Between 2011 and 2018, rates of depression, self-harm, and suicide attempts increased substantially among U.S. adolescents. The most probable cause(s) of these trends likely 1) began or accelerated during these years, 2) affected a large number of people, 3) impacted everyday life, and 4) were associated with depression. In several large studies, heavy users of technology are twice as likely as light users to be depressed or have low well-being. Cohort declines in face-to-face social interaction may also impact even non-users of digital media. Thus, although technology use is not the cause of most depression, increased time spent on technology and the technological environment may be causes of the sudden increase in depression since 2011.

More Time on Technology, Less Happiness? Associations Between Digital-Media Use and Psychological Well-Being

Studies using large samples consistently find that more frequent users of digital media are lower in psychological well-being than less frequent users; even data sets used as evidence for weak effects show that twice as many heavy users (vs. light users) are low in well-being. Differences in perspective may stem from the statistics used; I argue that comparing well-being across levels of digital-media use is more useful than the percentage of variance explained, as most studies on digital-media use do not measure other influences on well-being (e.g., genetics, trauma), and these other influences, unlike frequency of digital-media use, are rarely controllable. Nonusers are generally lower in well-being than light users of digital media, however, suggesting that limited use may be beneficial. Longitudinal and experimental studies suggest that at least some of the causation moves from digital-media use to lower well-being. Mechanisms may include the displacement of activities more beneficial to well-being (sleep, face-to-face social interaction), upward social comparison, and cyberbullying.

The Influence of Psychological Stress, Depressive Symptoms, and Cortisol on Body Mass and Central Adiposity in 10- to-12-Year-Old Children

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of psychological stress and depressive symptoms on body mass and central adiposity in 10-to-12-year-old children and to determine the mediating role of cortisol in the relationships among psychological stress, depressive symptoms, body mass, or central adiposity.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The convenience sample included 147 children (84 females; 63 males) who were recruited from one middle school and three elementary schools in a rural area of a southeastern state. Height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and salivary cortisol were measured. Children completed the Rating Scale for Pubertal Development for screening, Children's Depression Inventory, and the Feel Bad Scale. Bivariate correlation, multiple regression analyses, and univariate regression techniques were used in data analyses.

RESULTS

A positive relationship between psychological stress and depressive symptoms (r = 0.559, p < .001) was found. Depressive symptoms explained a significant amount of the variance in body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.37, p ≤.001) and central adiposity (β = 0.40, p ≤ .001) when sex, race/ethnicity, puberty, and socioeconomic status were controlled. No statistically significant relationships were found between psychological stress and cortisol or between depressive symptoms and cortisol.

CONCLUSIONS

Depressive symptoms were reported by normoweight, overweight, and obese children. Depressive symptoms accounted for variance in body mass and central adiposity. Practice Implications In addition to regular screening of BMI and WC, nurses and other health care professionals need to consider psychological factors that contribute to childhood obesity.

Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study

Previous research on associations between screen time and psychological well-being among children and adolescents has been conflicting, leading some researchers to question the limits on screen time suggested by physician organizations. We examined a large (n = 40,337) national random sample of 2- to 17-year-old children and adolescents in the U.S. in 2016 that included comprehensive measures of screen time (including cell phones, computers, electronic devices, electronic games, and TV) and an array of psychological well-being measures. After 1 h/day of use, more hours of daily screen time were associated with lower psychological well-being, including less curiosity, lower self-control, more distractibility, more difficulty making friends, less emotional stability, being more difficult to care for, and inability to finish tasks. Among 14- to 17-year-olds, high users of screens (7+ h/day vs. low users of 1 h/day) were more than twice as likely to ever have been diagnosed with depression (RR 2.39, 95% CI 1.54, 3.70), ever diagnosed with anxiety (RR 2.26, CI 1.59, 3.22), treated by a mental health professional (RR 2.22, CI 1.62, 3.03) or have taken medication for a psychological or behavioral issue (RR 2.99, CI 1.94, 4.62) in the last 12 months. Moderate use of screens (4 h/day) was also associated with lower psychological well-being. Non-users and low users of screens generally did not differ in well-being. Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being were larger among adolescents than younger children.