Social Media Use and Display of Depressive Symptoms Online by Adolescents and Young Adults

2018 ◽  
pp. 73-88
Author(s):  
Ana Radovic ◽  
Olga Santesteban-Echarri ◽  
Mario Álvarez-Jiménez ◽  
John Gleeson ◽  
Simon M. Rice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Social Media Use

scholarly journals Plurality in the Measurement of Social Media Use and Mental Health: An Exploratory Study Among Adolescents and Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512110353
Author(s):  
Diamantis Petropoulos Petalas ◽  
Elly A. Konijn ◽  
Benjamin K. Johnson ◽  
Jolanda Veldhuis ◽  
Nadia A. J. D. Bij de Vaate ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Media Effects ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Quadratic Functions ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Social Media Use

On a daily basis, individuals between 12 and 25 years of age engage with their mobile devices for many hours. Social Media Use (SMU) has important implications for the social life of younger individuals in particular. However, measuring SMU and its effects often poses challenges to researchers. In this exploratory study, we focus on some of these challenges, by addressing how plurality in the measurement and age-specific characteristics of SMU can influence its relationship with measures of subjective mental health (MH). We conducted a survey among a nationally representative sample of Dutch adolescents and young adults ( N = 3,669). Using these data, we show that measures of SMU show little similarity with each other, and that age-group differences underlie SMU. Similar to the small associations previously shown in social media-effects research, we also find some evidence that greater SMU associates to drops and to increases in MH. Albeit nuanced, associations between SMU and MH were found to be characterized by both linear and quadratic functions. These findings bear implications for the level of association between different measures of SMU and its theorized relationship with other dependent variables of interest in media-effects research.

scholarly journals Problematic social media use and depressive symptoms among U.S. young adults: A nationally-representative study

2017 ◽  
Vol 182 ◽  
pp. 150-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel Shensa ◽  
César G. Escobar-Viera ◽  
Jaime E. Sidani ◽  
Nicholas D. Bowman ◽  
Michael P. Marshal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
Nationally Representative

scholarly journals Association Between LGB Sexual Orientation and Depression Mediated by Negative Social Media Experiences: National Survey Study of US Young Adults

10.2196/23520 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. e23520
Author(s):  
César G Escobar-Viera ◽  
Ariel Shensa ◽  
Jaime Sidani ◽  
Brian Primack ◽  
Michael P Marshal
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Potential Influence ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Unit Increase

Background Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons are disproportionately affected by depression and have high social media use rates. Negative social media experiences may modify depressive symptoms among LGB persons. We sought to assess the potential influence of negative social media experiences on the association between LGB orientation and depression. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the potential influence of negative social media experiences on the association between LGB orientation and depression. Methods We performed a web-based survey of a national sample of US young adults aged 18-30 years. We assessed the respondents’ LGB orientation, negative social media experiences, and depression using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. We used generalized structural equation modeling to assess both the direct and indirect effects (via negative social media experiences) of LGB orientation on depression while controlling for relevant demographic and personal characteristics. Results We found a conditional indirect effect (ab path) of LGB orientation on depressive symptoms via negative social media experience (a: observed coefficient 0.229; P<.001; bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% CI 0.162-0.319, and b: observed coefficient 2.158; P<.001; bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% CI 1.840-2.494). The results show that among LGB respondents, for those who reported negative social media experiences in the past year, a 1 unit increase in these experiences was associated with a 0.494 unit increase in depressive symptomatology. Conclusions Our results suggest that higher rates of depression among LGB young adults are partially explained by negative social media experiences; these results could help inform future patient/provider conversations about mental health risk and protective factors related to social media use. Reducing these experiences and increasing positive social media experiences among LGB persons may mitigate depressive symptomatology in this population.

scholarly journals Social media use in adolescents and young adults with serious illnesses: an integrative review

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-244
Author(s):  
George Peat ◽  
Alison Rodriguez ◽  
Joanna Smith
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Healthcare Research ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Life Threatening

ObjectivesAdolescents and young adults with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions are often socially isolated because of the demands of their illness. Although adolescents and young adults have a noticeable online and social media presence, their motivations for using social media remain unclear. This article aims to summarise empirical research undertaken about how and why social media is used by adolescents and young adults with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.MethodsAn integrative literature review was undertaken. Key healthcare research databases including CINHAL, MEDLINE and PSYCHINFO were searched for empirical studies reporting the use of social media by adolescents and young adults with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Fifteen articles met the inclusion criteria; included articles were quality appraised and a thematic synthesis undertaken to identify key themes.ResultsThe reasons why adolescents and young adults with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions use social media are diverse, with differences relating to age and gender. However, this population in general uses social media to connect with others who have similar lived experiences.ConclusionSocial media platforms can be useful adjuncts to the care of adolescents and young adults with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. However, current evidence is dominated by studies on social media use by adolescents and young adults with cancer. More research is required to gain a holistic understanding of how and why social media is used by this population and its perceived benefits and limitations.

scholarly journals Problematic Social Media Use in Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults: Observational Study

10.2196/23688 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. e23688
Author(s):  
Erin A Vogel ◽  
Danielle E Ramo ◽  
Judith J Prochaska ◽  
Meredith C Meacham ◽  
John F Layton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Emotional Social Support

Background Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals experience minority stress, especially when they lack social support. SGM young adults may turn to social media in search of a supportive community; however, social media use can become problematic when it interferes with functioning. Problematic social media use may be associated with experiences of minority stress among SGM young adults. Objective The objective of this study is to examine the associations among social media use, SGM-related internalized stigma, emotional social support, and depressive symptoms in SGM young adults. Methods Participants were SGM young adults who were regular (≥4 days per week) social media users (N=302) and had enrolled in Facebook smoking cessation interventions. As part of a baseline assessment, participants self-reported problematic social media use (characterized by salience, tolerance, and withdrawal-like experiences; adapted from the Facebook Addiction Scale), hours of social media use per week, internalized SGM stigma, perceived emotional social support, and depressive symptoms. Pearson correlations tested bivariate associations among problematic social media use, hours of social media use, internalized SGM stigma, perceived emotional social support, and depressive symptoms. Multiple linear regression examined the associations between the aforementioned variables and problematic social media use and was adjusted for gender identity. Results A total of 302 SGM young adults were included in the analyses (assigned female at birth: 218/302, 72.2%; non-Hispanic White: 188/302, 62.3%; age: mean 21.9 years, SD 2.2 years). The sexual identity composition of the sample was 59.3% (179/302) bisexual and/or pansexual, 17.2% (52/302) gay, 16.9% (51/302) lesbian, and 6.6% (20/302) other. The gender identity composition of the sample was 61.3% (185/302) cisgender; 24.2% (73/302) genderqueer, fluid, nonbinary, or other; and 14.6% (44/302) transgender. Problematic social media use averaged 2.53 (SD 0.94) on a 5-point scale, with a median of 17 hours of social media use per week (approximately 2.5 h per day). Participants with greater problematic social media use had greater internalized SGM stigma (r=0.22; P<.001) and depressive symptoms (r=0.22; P<.001) and lower perceived emotional social support (r=−0.15; P=.007). Greater internalized SGM stigma remained was significantly associated with greater problematic social media use after accounting for the time spent on social media and other correlates (P<.001). In addition, participants with greater depressive symptoms had marginally greater problematic social media use (P=.05). In sum, signs of problematic social media use were more likely to occur among SGM young adults who had internalized SGM stigma and depressive symptoms. Conclusions Taken together, problematic social media use among SGM young adults was associated with negative psychological experiences, including internalized stigma, low social support, and depressive symptoms. SGM young adults experiencing minority stress may be at risk for problematic social media use.

Problematic Social Media Use in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Meta-Analysis (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Shannon ◽  
Katie Bush ◽  
Paul Villeneuve ◽  
Kim Hellemans ◽  
Synthia Guimond
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

UNSTRUCTURED This study sought to systematically examine problematic social media use in youth and its association with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Our hypothesis was that problematic social media use increased the risk of each mental health outcome measure. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies in adolescents and young adults, using the databases Engineering Village, Psychinfo, Pubmed, and Web of Science. A total of 21 studies were identified in our review and included in the meta-analysis. Our meta-regression shows moderate, but statistically significant correlations between problematic social media use and depression (r = .257, p < .001), anxiety (r = .342, p < .001), and stress (r = .313, p < .001). We did not find evidence of heterogeneity of these summary correlations by age. This study provides further evidence of the association between problematic social media use and negative mental health among adolescents and young adults, and supports future research to focus on the underlying mechanisms of problematic use.

scholarly journals Problematic Social Media Use in Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults: Observational Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin A Vogel ◽  
Danielle E Ramo ◽  
Judith J Prochaska ◽  
Meredith C Meacham ◽  
John F Layton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Emotional Social Support

BACKGROUND Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals experience minority stress, especially when they lack social support. SGM young adults may turn to social media in search of a supportive community; however, social media use can become problematic when it interferes with functioning. Problematic social media use may be associated with experiences of minority stress among SGM young adults. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to examine the associations among social media use, SGM-related internalized stigma, emotional social support, and depressive symptoms in SGM young adults. METHODS Participants were SGM young adults who were regular (≥4 days per week) social media users (N=302) and had enrolled in Facebook smoking cessation interventions. As part of a baseline assessment, participants self-reported problematic social media use (characterized by salience, tolerance, and withdrawal-like experiences; adapted from the Facebook Addiction Scale), hours of social media use per week, internalized SGM stigma, perceived emotional social support, and depressive symptoms. Pearson correlations tested bivariate associations among problematic social media use, hours of social media use, internalized SGM stigma, perceived emotional social support, and depressive symptoms. Multiple linear regression examined the associations between the aforementioned variables and problematic social media use and was adjusted for gender identity. RESULTS A total of 302 SGM young adults were included in the analyses (assigned female at birth: 218/302, 72.2%; non-Hispanic White: 188/302, 62.3%; age: mean 21.9 years, SD 2.2 years). The sexual identity composition of the sample was 59.3% (179/302) bisexual and/or pansexual, 17.2% (52/302) gay, 16.9% (51/302) lesbian, and 6.6% (20/302) other. The gender identity composition of the sample was 61.3% (185/302) cisgender; 24.2% (73/302) genderqueer, fluid, nonbinary, or other; and 14.6% (44/302) transgender. Problematic social media use averaged 2.53 (SD 0.94) on a 5-point scale, with a median of 17 hours of social media use per week (approximately 2.5 h per day). Participants with greater problematic social media use had greater internalized SGM stigma (<i>r</i>=0.22; <i>P</i>&lt;.001) and depressive symptoms (<i>r</i>=0.22; <i>P</i>&lt;.001) and lower perceived emotional social support (<i>r</i>=−0.15; <i>P</i>=.007). Greater internalized SGM stigma remained was significantly associated with greater problematic social media use after accounting for the time spent on social media and other correlates (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). In addition, participants with greater depressive symptoms had marginally greater problematic social media use (<i>P</i>=.05). In sum, signs of problematic social media use were more likely to occur among SGM young adults who had internalized SGM stigma and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, problematic social media use among SGM young adults was associated with negative psychological experiences, including internalized stigma, low social support, and depressive symptoms. SGM young adults experiencing minority stress may be at risk for problematic social media use. CLINICALTRIAL

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