Self-Regulation as a Key Boundary Condition in the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Reinecke ◽  
Alicia Gilbert ◽  
Allison Eden
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Condition ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals How do Norwegian adolescents experience the role of social media in relation to mental health and well-being: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland ◽  
Viktor Schønning ◽  
Randi Træland Hella ◽  
Marius Veseth ◽  
Jens Christoffer Skogen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background During the last decade, social media has permeated most parts of society. Adolescents are particularly active users of social media, and their use has been suggested as a contributing factor to mental health issues in this group. Quantitative studies have found associations between the frequency and/or duration of social media use and more mental health issues. However, most studies are cross-sectional and the identified associations are weak and of questionable practical significance. The aim of this study was to investigate adolescents’ lived experiences of using social media, focusing on both negative and positive aspects, using a qualitative approach. Qualitative research enables in-depth explorations of the experiences of individuals, nuance quantitative findings, and offer the perspective of adolescents into policies regarding social media use. Methods Experiences and perspectives of 27 adolescents from two senior high schools in Norway were gathered using focus group interviews (mean age 16.8, range 15–18). The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results According to the participants, social media use catalyse changes to how people communicate and relate to each other (theme 1). Some changes were positive, in terms of facilitating social connectedness, while others were negative, such as people behaving worse than in face-to-face interactions. Further, social media use affected the participants at the individual level (theme 2); positively in terms of a sense of belonging and social support, and negatively in terms of perceived stress, body pressure, and displacing other activities such as sleep and homework. The motivations for using, or not using, social media were multifaceted (theme 3), reflecting the positive and negative aspects of social media in terms of interpersonal and personal consequences. Conclusion Social media was described as an important part of the participants’ everyday life, with both a positive and negative impact on their mental health and well-being. Considering the compelling nature of social media and adolescents’ relatively limited self-regulatory capacities, efforts to modify social media use should avoid relying on self-regulation, while also recognizing the importance of social media as an arena for peer interaction.

scholarly journals Social Media Use and Emotional Well-Being: The Role of Physical Activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 931-931
Author(s):  
Xin Yao Lin ◽  
Margie Lachman
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract There are mixed findings as to whether social media use (SMU) is positively or negatively related to well-being (positive/negative affect), and this relationship varies by age. The current study seeks to further explore this relationship by examining physical activity (PA) as a potential mediator at both a within (intraindividual) and between-person (interindividual) level across adulthood. The data are from the Midlife in the United States Refresher eight-day daily diary study (N=782, ages 25-75) with self-reported frequency of SMU, PA, and well-being (positive/negative affect). Multilevel structural equation modeling simultaneously tested how the relationships between the variables differed at both the between- and within-person levels. Between-person results showed that across the week, those who reported less SMU reported engaging in more PA, and more PA was associated with more positive affect. PA significantly mediated the relationship between SMU and positive affect for midlife and older adults, but not for younger adults. Effects for negative affect were not significant. Within-person results indicated that days with more PA were associated with more positive affect; however, PA did not mediate the relationship between SMU and positive or negative affect. These findings suggest the benefits of engaging in PA on one’s positive emotional well-being at both the between- and within-person levels. However, for midlife and older adults, more SMU across the week may take away time from engaging in PA, which in turn lowers their positive affect. Implications of the effects of SMU on PA and well-being across adulthood are discussed.

The Relationship between Health- and Fitness-Related Social Media Use and Consumers' Disordered Eating

Marketing ZFP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-47
Author(s):  
Vivienne Schünemeyer ◽  
Gianfranco Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Related Services ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Related Service ◽  
The Relationship

Health-related services shared through social media are enjoying considerable growth, particularly among young people, yet they have potentially detrimental outcomes for consumer well-being. This research undertakes an examination of literature pertaining to health-related social media use in an effort to explore its relationship with disordered eating in particular. In line with objectification theory, Study 1 affirms that viewing images and videos posted on health-related social media is positively associated with the level of people’s disordered eating. Furthermore, Study 2 clarifies that this relationship is mediated, as expected, by social physique anxiety, and it also is unexpectedly moderated by general social media use. That is, the relationship between viewing health-related images and videos and disordered eating is stronger among consumers who exhibit low and medium social media use rather than those with high social media use. The implications of these findings are relevant for both health-related service research and public policy.

The social media see-saw: Positive and negative influences on adolescents’ affective well-being

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 3597-3623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Weinstein
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Relational Interactions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Depth Interviews

Social media use is nearly universal among US-based teens. How do daily interactions with social apps influence adolescents’ affective well-being? Survey self-reports ( n = 568) portray social media use as predominantly positive. Exploratory principal component analysis further indicates that positive and negative emotions form orthogonal response components. In-depth interviews with a sub-sample of youth ( n = 26), selected for maximum variation, reveal that affect experiences can be organized across four functional dimensions. Relational interactions contribute to both closeness and disconnection; self-expression facilitates affirmation alongside concern about others’ judgments; interest-driven exploration confers inspiration and distress; and browsing leads to entertainment and boredom, as well as admiration and envy. All interviewees describe positive and negative affect experiences across multiple dimensions. Analyses suggest the relationship between social technology usage and well-being—whether enhanced or degraded—is not confined to an “either/or” framework: the emotional see-saw of social media use is weighted by both positive and negative influences.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Social Media Use and Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Social Support

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 427-427
Author(s):  
Margie Lachman ◽  
Xin Yao Lin
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Daily Diary Study ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Frequent social media usage can have negative effects on well-being, but the mechanisms involved are unclear. This study explored the mediating role of giving and receiving support. Using the Midlife in the United States Refresher eight-day daily diary study (N=782, age 25-75), multilevel structural equation modeling examined the hypothesized relationships at both the within- (intraindividual) and between-person (interindividual) levels. Results showed that at the within-person level, days with more social media use were associated with a larger proportion of time giving support and worse well-being (less positive affect and more stress, negative affect, and loneliness). At the between-person level, more social media use was associated with worse well-being. Giving support, but not receiving support, mediated the relationship between social media use and well-being at the within, but not the between-person level. Discussion focuses on ways to address the negative consequences of social media use related to social connections and well-being.

scholarly journals How do Norwegian Adolescents Experience The Role of Social Media in Relation to Mental Health and Well-Being: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland ◽  
Viktor Schønning ◽  
Randi Træland Hella ◽  
Marius Veseth ◽  
Jens Christoffer Skogen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background: During the last decade, social media has permeated most parts of society. Adolescents are particularly active users of social media, and their use has been suggested as a contributing factor to mental health issues in this group. Quantitative studies have found associations between the frequency and/or duration of social media use and more mental health issues. However, most studies are cross-sectional and the identified associations are weak and of questionable practical significance. The aim of this study was to investigate adolescents’ lived experiences of using social media, focusing on both negative and positive aspects, using a qualitative approach. Qualitative research enables in-depth explorations of the experiences of individuals, nuance quantitative findings, and offer the perspective of adolescents into policies regarding social media use.Methods: Experiences and perspectives of 27 adolescents from two upper secondary schools in Norway were gathered using focus group interviews (mean age 16.8, range 15-18). The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: According to the participants, social media use catalyse changes to how people communicate and relate to each other (theme 1). Some changes were positive, in terms of facilitating social connectedness, while others were negative, such as people behaving worse than in face-to-face interactions. Further, social media use affected the participants at the individual level (theme 2); positively in terms of a sense of belonging and social support, and negatively in terms of perceived stress, body pressure, and displacing other activities such as sleep and homework. The motivations for using, or not using, social media were multifaceted (theme 3), reflecting the positive and negative aspects of social media in terms of interpersonal and personal consequences.Conclusion: Social media was described as an important part of the participants’ everyday life, with both a positive and negative impact on their mental health and well-being. Considering the compelling nature of social media and adolescents’ relatively limited self-regulatory capacities, efforts to modify social media use should avoid relying on self-regulation, while also recognizing the importance of social media as an arena for peer interaction.

scholarly journals Priming Effects of Social Media Use Scales on Well-Being Outcomes: The Influence of Intensity and Addiction Scales on Self-Reported Depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 205630512096178
Author(s):  
Hannah Mieczkowski ◽  
Angela Y Lee ◽  
Jeffrey T Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Priming Effects ◽  
Asking Questions ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Relationship

To understand behavior on social media, researchers have created and validated dozens of scales. Many can be sorted into two main categories: those that focus on the intensity of social media use and those that focus on addictive aspects. These scales tend to result in different conclusions regarding people’s well-being: studies asking about addiction find that social media use is often associated with higher reported depression scores, whereas studies focusing on intensity typically find an association with improved well-being. While these different outcomes may be explained by real underlying differences in well-being, the difference may also be due to the priming effects that addiction and intensity scales have on subsequent well-being measures. In this article, we report on two studies that examine priming effects on reported depression for these two types of social media use scales. We examine the possibility that different associations between social media and depression may be caused by the survey design itself, not by underlying differences in depression. In light of our findings, we propose that researchers investigating the relationship between social media and well-being adopt the methodology of asking questions about well-being before questions about social media use to mitigate effects of priming.

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