The mediating role of anxiety symptoms in the link between chronic illness and problematic social media use in young adults: A cross-sectional study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Jolliff ◽  
Jonathan D'Angelo ◽  
Marina Jenkins ◽  
Megan Moreno
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Neurological Illness ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
Use Of Social Media

BACKGROUND Social media is a locus of information, self-expression, and support for people with chronic illness, such as chronic migraines or irritable bowel disease. However, people managing chronic illness may also be uniquely at risk for the problematic use of social media. This may be especially true for people with chronic illnesses that are commonly comorbid with anxiety, including gastrointestinal and neurological chronic illnesses. OBJECTIVE The objectives of the present study were to determine whether young adults with diagnosed gastrointestinal or neurological chronic illness were more at risk for problematic social media use, and whether symptoms of anxiety mediated this relationship. METHODS We administered a cross-sectional online survey using the platform Qualtrics to young adults between the ages of 18-25. Participants completed measures assessing gastrointestinal and neurological illness, anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment – 7), and problematic social media use (Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale). We tested two mediation models using model 4 of the PROCESS Macro in SPSS. RESULTS Participants (n = 4,939) were 50.6% female (n = 2,496), 58.1% white (n = 2,871), and had a mean age of 21.74 (SD = 2.3). Seven point four percent and 11.3% of participants endorsed gastrointestinal or neurological illness, respectively. For the problematic use of social media, 17.9% of participants earned a score at or above the cutoff of 19 (M = 13.34, SD = 5.72). Reporting gastrointestinal or neurological illness was positively associated with increased problematic social media use (PSMU), B = 1.62, SE B = .07, t(1, 4938) = 5.20, p < .001 and B = 1.82, SE B = .10, t(1, 4938) = 7.08, p < .001, respectively. This indirect effect from gastrointestinal illness to PSMU, through anxiety, was significant, B = .87, SE B = .13, CI [.621, 1.12], as was the indirect effect from neurological illness to PSMU through anxiety, B = 1.47, SE B = .12, CI [1.24, 1.70]. CONCLUSIONS People for whom chronic illness symptoms co-occur with symptoms of anxiety may be especially at risk for developing problematic social media use. Given that online support has been useful to those managing chronic conditions, it may not be helpful or feasible for researchers to discourage social media use in general. Instead, people with chronic illness will benefit from evidence-based best practices around healthy social media use, and can be empowered with knowledge about how to identify and reverse problematic social media use.

scholarly journals The “anti-vax” movement: a quantitative report on vaccine beliefs and knowledge across social media

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Staci L Benoit ◽  
Rachel F. Mauldin
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Knowledge And Beliefs ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Vaccine Information

Abstract Background Social media use has become a mainstay of communication and with that comes the exchange of factual and non-factual information. Social media has given many people the opportunity to speak their opinions without repercussions and create coalitionS of like-minded people. This also has led to the development of a community know as anti-vaxxers or vaccine deniers. This research explores the extent to which vaccine knowledge has reached on social media. Methods This cross sectional research explored the relationship between the spread of information regarding vaccines in relation to social media use. A sample of 2515 people over the age of 18 around the world completed the survey via a link distributed on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. A series of questions on vaccine knowledge and beliefs were compounded to create an individual’s “knowledge score” and a “belief score”. Knowledge scores were ranked from low knowledge to high knowledge with increasing scores. Belief scores were ranked from belief in myths to disbelief in myths with higher scores. This score was then analysed, using a Welch test and post hoc testing when applicable, across demographics and questions relating to social media use. Results Significant relations were found in both the knowledge and belief categories, many of which were similar findings between the two. North Americans had significantly lower knowledge and belief scores compared to all other continents. While the majority of people primarily use Facebook, Twitter users were significantly more knowledgeable. It was also found that higher education was correlated with higher knowledge and belief scores. Conclusions Overall, these correlations are important in determining ways to intervene into the anti-vax movement through the use of social media. Cross demographics were not analysed in this study but could be in future studies. To better understand the social media exposures related to vaccine information a follow up structured interview research study would be beneficial. Note that due to the cross sectional nature of this study, causal relationships could not be made.

Prevalence of problematic social media use among residents and teaching assistants in Ain Shams University Hospitals and faculty of medicine and its relationship to emotional distress

QJM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Allam ◽  
G ELNahas ◽  
M El-Habiby ◽  
H Elkholy
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
University Hospitals ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Stress Levels ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use

Abstract Background Social media use becomes pervasive and universal among young adults including medical personnel. Furthermore, it become established that more frequent use of the social media is associated with negative psychological well-being, anxiety which represents the second leading cause of disability among all psychiatric disorders and depression which represents the single largest contributor to global disability according to the World Health Organization. The Aim of this study To analyze the relationship between the use of social media, stress level, anxiety and depression among residents in Ain Shams University Hospitals (ASUH) and academic demonstrators in faculty of medicine. Patients and Methods This is an observational cross-sectional study, Conducted in Ain Shams University hospitals (ASUH), we included 200 of staff and medical school academics in faculty of medicine, starting from February 2018 till August 2019. Results 33 participants showed average social media use representing 16.5% while 167 participants showed problematic social media use representing 83.5%. 11 participants showed low stress levels representing 5.5%, 127 participants showed moderate stress levels representing 63.5% while 62 participants showed high stress levels representing 31%. Conclusion Social media use by clinicians is widespread, especially by younger clinicians for personal and reference purposes. Use of multiple SM platforms is independently associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety, even when controlling for overall time spent in their use.

scholarly journals Fear of Missing Out as a Predictor of Problematic Social Media Use and Phubbing Behavior among Flemish Adolescents

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vittoria Franchina ◽  
Mariek Vanden Abeele ◽  
Antonius van Rooij ◽  
Gianluca Lo Coco ◽  
Lieven De Marez
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Fear Of Missing Out ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Large Scale Survey ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) refers to feelings of anxiety that arise from the realization that you may be missing out on rewarding experiences that others are having. FOMO can be identified as an intra-personal trait that drives people to stay up to date of what other people are doing, among others on social media platforms. Drawing from the findings of a large-scale survey study among 2663 Flemish teenagers, this study explores the relationships between FOMO, social media use, problematic social media use (PSMU) and phubbing behavior. In line with our expectations, FOMO was a positive predictor of both how frequently teenagers use several social media platforms and of how many platforms they actively use. FOMO was a stronger predictor of the use of social media platforms that are more private (e.g., Facebook, Snapchat) than platforms that are more public in nature (e.g., Twitter, Youtube). FOMO predicted phubbing behavior both directly and indirectly via its relationship with PSMU. These findings support extant research that points towards FOMO as a factor explaining teenagers’ social media use.

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 PERANAN FEAR OF MISSING OUT TERHADAP PROBLEMATIC SOCIAL MEDIA USE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 276
Author(s):  
Keyda Sara Risdyanti ◽  
Andi Tenri Faradiba ◽  
Aisyah Syihab
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Fear Of Missing Out ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Sampel dalam penelitian ini berjumlah 254 remaja dalam rentang usia 12-22 tahun, dengan metode pengambilan Media sosial menjadi alat komunikasi sehari-hari bagi remaja masa kini. Kemudahan mengakses media sosial membentuk remaja memiliki keterikatan dengan akun media sosialnya. Perilaku ini memunculkan adanya dampak negatif bagi remaja, baik itu bagi dirinya sendiri maupun diluar dirinya, seperti merusak hubungan sosial dengan orang lain maupun mengganggu pendidikan remaja secara tidak langsung. Hanya saja, pemicu penggunaan media sosial yang tidak sehat ini, diakibatkan karena adanya kekhawatiran memiliki hubungan yang terputus dengan orang-orang disekitarnya. Maka dari itu, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat seberapa besar peranan yang dimiliki oleh fear of missing out (FOMO) terhadap problematic social media use (PSMU). sampel berbasis internet melalui volunteer (opt in) panel. Fear of Missing Out scale sebagai alat pengukuran untuk FOMO, sedangkan Social Media Use Questionnaire digunakan untuk mengukur PSMU. Hasil penelitian memiliki signifikansi secara positif (0,00>0,05), yang artinya semakin tinggi seseorang dalam memiliki perasaan takut, cemas, gelisah maupun khawatir bila tidak ikut terlibat dalam kegiatan sosial bersama orang disekitarnya, ia akan cenderung semakin memiliki keterikatan dengan media sosialnya hingga menimbulkan konsekuensi negatif bagi dirinya. Hasil juga menunjukan adanya sejumlah peranan yang diberikan oleh fear of missing out kepada problematic social media use sebesar 35,8%, sedangkan sisanya dipengaruhi oleh faktor lain. Social media has become the regular communication tool for today's youth. Ease of access media forms attachment of adolescents to their social media accounts. This behavior gives rise to negative impacts for adolescents, both for themselves and their surroundings, such as damaging social relationships with others and indirectly disrupting their education. Unhealthy use of social media is caused by fears of ruining relationships with people around them. Therefore, this study aims to see the extent to which the role of the fear of missing out (FOMO) affects problematic social media use (PSMU). The sample in this study amounted to 254 adolescents between 12-22 years age range, with internet-based sampling methods through volunteer (opt in) panels. The Fear of Missing Out scale is a measurement tool for FOMO, while the Social Media Use Questionnaire was used to measure PSMU. The result of the study indicated positive significance (0.00> 0.05), which means that the more a person is having feelings of fear, anxiety, or worry when not involved in social activities with people around them, they tend to have more attachment to the media social which in turn, causes negative consequences for them. The result also showed a number of influence by the fear of missing out to the problematic social media use as much as 35.8%, while the rest were influenced by other factors. 

scholarly journals Problematic social media use is associated with the evaluation of both risk and ambiguity during decision making

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dar Meshi ◽  
David Freestone ◽  
Ceylan Özdem-Mertens
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
Use Of Social Media

AbstractBackground and aimsPeople can engage in excessive, maladaptive use of social media platforms. This problematic social media use mirrors substance use disorders with regard to symptoms and certain behavioral situations. For example, individuals with substance use disorders demonstrate aberrations in risk evaluations during decision making, and initial research on problematic social media use has revealed similar findings. However, these results concerning problematic social media use have been clouded by tasks that involve learning and that lack a clear demarcation between risky and ambiguous decision making. Therefore, we set out to specifically determine the relationship between problematic social media use and decision making under both risk and ambiguity, in the absence of learning.MethodsWe assessed each participant's (N = 90) self-reported level of problematic social media use. We then had them perform the wheel of fortune task, which has participants make choices between a sure option or either a risky or ambiguous gamble. In this way, the task isolates decisions made under risk and ambiguity, and avoids trial-to-trial learning. Results: We found that the greater an individual's problematic social media use, the more often that individual choses high-risk gambles or ambiguous gambles, regardless of the degree of ambiguity.Discussion and conclusionsOur findings indicate that greater problematic social media use is related to a greater affinity for high-risk situations and overall ambiguity. These findings have implications for the field, specifically clarifying and extending the extant literature, as well as providing future avenues for research.

scholarly journals Does the rise of the Internet bring erosion of strong ties? Analyses of social media use and changes in core discussion networks

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 2432-2449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Vriens ◽  
Erik van Ingen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Core ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Data Representative

We derive hypotheses from popular accounts of how use of social media affects our strong ties. Several authors have suggested that social media use erodes our strong ties by increasing the volume of social interactions and decreasing their depth. Using two-wave panel data representative of the Dutch population between 15 and 45 years, we examine changes in the core discussion networks (CDNs) of 5312 respondents (with 10,896 relations). Contradicting an erosion of strong ties, we found positive effects of social media use on CDN size, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Social media use was positively related to talking to CDN members in our cross-sectional model. Finally, we found that the CDNs of frequent social media users were more dynamic than those of less frequent users: they are more likely to both lose old and gain new ties. This suggests that Internet use is associated with more, and more dynamic, social interaction.

scholarly journals Problematic Social Media Use and Health among Adolescents

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1885
Author(s):  
Leena Paakkari ◽  
Jorma Tynjälä ◽  
Henri Lahti ◽  
Kristiina Ojala ◽  
Nelli Lyyra
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Parental Monitoring ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Moderate Risk ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Problematic Use ◽  
Problematic Social Media Use ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Negative Health Outcomes

(1) Background: The use of social media has become an integral part of adolescents’ daily lives. However, the intensive use of social media can develop into a health-threatening addiction, but unfavourable health consequences can occur even with less use. Social media user groups categorized as no-risk, moderate risk (of developing problematic behaviour), and problematic use were examined with reference to their prevalence, their associations with individual determinants and health, and the increased health risk between groups. (2) Methods: The Finnish nationally representative HBSC data (persons aged 11, 13, and 15, n = 3408) and descriptive and binary logistic regression analysis were applied. (3) Results: Problematic social media use (9.4%) was most common among older age groups, and among persons with moderate/low school achievement, low health literacy, and low parental monitoring. Belonging to a moderate risk group (33.5%) was most frequent among girls, and among adolescents with low/moderate parental monitoring and health literacy. All the negative health indicators systematically increased if the respondent belonged to a moderate risk or problematic use group. (4) Conclusions: The study confirmed the association between problematic social media use and negative health outcomes and highlighted the need to pay close attention to adolescents at moderate risk who exhibited negative health outcomes.

scholarly journals Changes in Digital Media Use and Physical Activity in German Young Adults under the Covid-19 Pandemic - A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 642-654
Author(s):  
Jasmin Helbach ◽  
Katharina Stahlmann
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Infection Control Measures

Many studies observed a reduction of physical activity (PA) and an increase in digital media use in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have been conducted in Europe or looked at changes in the association between both behaviors. Hence, this study aims at investigating the changes in digital media use/social media use and PA as well as in its association among young adults in Germany. Cross-sectional data of 884 German young adults (mean age 22.36 (±1.99), 76% female) collected via an online questionnaire between August 1 and September 30, 2020 were analyzed. Participants reported on digital media use (smartphone, television, computer, gaming console), social media use (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok) and PA (days/week of ≥30 min. PA) separately for the period of strict infection control measures in Germany (March - end of May 2020) and for normal times (before March 2020). Descriptive statistics of digital media use, social media use and PA were compared between both periods. Linear regression adjusted for sociodemographic and work-related characteristics were conducted for both periods with total media use, the various media devices and social media use, respectively, as independent and PA as dependent variables. Whereas PA did not differ between both periods, mean total digital media use increased by 1 hour during the period of strict infection control measures. Digital media use and social media use were negatively associated with PA in both time periods. Differences in these associations by sex could be found for some digital media devices. However, 60% of respondents did not comply with the WHO recommendations for PA. Under consideration of possible recall bias, young adults’ digital media use, but not PA, seemed to have changed under the strict infection control measures. However, interventions are needed to increase PA and to prevent its reduction in the course of the pandemic.

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