scholarly journals Idiographic Network Models of Social Media Use and Depression Symptoms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micaela Rodriguez ◽  
George Aalbers ◽  
Richard J. McNally
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Social Media Use

scholarly journals Idiographic network models of social media use and depression symptoms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micaela Rodriguez ◽  
George Aalbers ◽  
Richard J. McNally
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
The Impact

Disentangling the impact of social media use on our well-being is a priority for psychological research. Numerous studies indicate that active social media use (ASMU) tends to enhance well-being, whereas passive social media use (PSMU) undermines it. However, such research has conducted analyses at the group-level, thus potentially obscuring individual differences. In this study, we examined person-centered relationships between social media use and depression symptoms by using a secondary analysis of a publicly available experience sampling dataset (Aalbers et al., 2019). Dutch undergraduate students (N = 125) reported PSMU, ASMU, and depression symptoms 7 times daily for 14 days. We (a) visualized interindividual variability in temporal associations between social media use and individual depression symptoms, (b) compared the aggregate network model to idiographic models, and (c) determined the distribution of person-specific temporal associations between PSMU, ASMU, and depression symptoms. Overall, we found that associations between social media use and depression symptoms differed substantially from individual to individual in both strength and kind. In addition, PSMU and ASMU were very weakly to weakly associated with depression symptoms for most individuals. Future work should examine the differential impact that social media have on our well-being, and how their effects may differ depending on our demographic characteristics, personality traits, and usage patterns.

Social media use, physical activity, and internalizing symptoms in adolescence: Cross-sectional analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren A. Rutter ◽  
Holly M. Thompson ◽  
Jacqueline Howard ◽  
Tennisha N. Riley ◽  
Robinson De Jesus-Romero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Anxiety Depression

BACKGROUND An overwhelming majority of American adolescents have access to smartphones, and recent estimates suggest that they spend considerable time on social media in comparison to other physical and leisure activities. A large body of literature has established that social media use is related to poor mental health, but the complicated relationship between social media and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents is yet to be fully understood. OBJECTIVE Our primary aim was to investigate the effect of social media use on anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescents, exploring physical activity as a mediator. METHODS A Qualtrics survey manager recruited adult panel participants between February and March 2019, who indicated they had adolescent children who spoke English. A total of 4,592 adolescent-parent dyads completed the survey, which took approximately 39 minutes. The survey entailed completing online questionnaires assessing various aspects of social media use, psychological symptoms, and psychosocial factors. The average age of adolescent participants was 14.62 (SD = 1.68, [12-17]), and the majority of the adolescent sample was male (52.01%). RESULTS There were significant differences in symptoms based on gender: females reported higher rates of social media use and males reported higher rates of depression. Non-binary and transgender adolescents had higher rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness than the female and male adolescents in the sample. Results showed a positive relationship between social media use and internalizing symptoms, with greater use linked to higher rates of anxiety (r = .26, P <.001), depression (r = .32, P <.001), and loneliness (r = .23, P <.001), replicating prior findings. Physical activity was associated with decreased anxiety and depression symptoms after controlling for other extracurricular activities and social media use ( = -.21, R2 = .24, F (5, 4290) = 266.0, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS More social media use is associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness among adolescents, controlling for age and gender. Exercise may protect against the potentially harmful effects of social media in some adolescents. Limitations of the current study include its self-report nature and cross-sectional design. Overall, findings suggest the need to tailor interventions for anxious and depressed youth, and caution against over-involvement in extracurricular activities, including exercise. Future work should examine social media use beyond how much time adolescents spend using social media, and instead focus on the type of social media consumption. CLINICALTRIAL n/a

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