scholarly journals The Accuracy and Validity of Self-Reported Social Media Use Measures Among Adolescents

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Verbeij ◽  
J. Loes Pouwels ◽  
Ine Beyens ◽  
Patti M. Valkenburg
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Learning Effect ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Fatigue Effect ◽  
Trace Data ◽  
Experience Sampling Methods ◽  
Over Time

A growing number of studies have tried to assess the effects of social media on adolescents, who are among the most avid social media users. To establish the effects of social media use, we need accurate and valid instruments to measure adolescents’ time spent with these media. The aim of this preregistered study was to examine the accuracy and validity of retrospective surveys and experience sampling methods (ESM), by comparing adolescents’ responses to these self-report measures with their digital trace data. The sample consisted of 131 adolescents (48% girls; Mage = 14.1) with Android smartphones. In both retrospective surveys and ESM, adolescents overestimated their time spent on social media, but they more accurately estimated their time spent on platforms that are used in a less fragmented way (Instagram) than on platforms that are used in a more fragmented way (Snapchat). The between-person validity of adolescents’ time spent estimates according to retrospective surveys and ESM was sufficient (r ranged from .51 to .55). The accuracy of retrospective surveys increased over time (i.e., learning effect), while both the accuracy and validity of ESM decreased over time (i.e. fatigue effect).

Social Media Use and Episodic Heavy Drinking Among Adolescents

2017 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geir Scott Brunborg ◽  
Jasmina Burdzovic Andreas ◽  
Elisabeth Kvaavik
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Sensation Seeking ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Self Report ◽  
School Grade ◽  
Peer Relationship ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Relationship Problems

Objectives Little is known about the consequences of adolescent social media use. The current study estimated the association between the amount of time adolescents spend on social media and the risk of episodic heavy drinking. Methods A school-based self-report cross-sectional study including 851 Norwegian middle and high school students (46.1% boys). Measures: frequency and quantity of social media use. Frequency of drinking four or six (girls and boys, respectively) alcoholic drinks during a single day (episodic heavy drinking). The MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale – Brief, the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items for Adolescents, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Peer Relationship problems scale, gender, and school grade. Results Greater amount of time spent on social media was associated with greater likelihood of episodic heavy drinking among adolescents ( OR = 1.12, 95% CI (1.05, 1.19), p = 0.001), even after adjusting for school grade, impulsivity, sensation seeking, symptoms of depression, and peer relationship problems. Conclusion The results from the current study indicate that more time spent on social media is related to greater likelihood of episodic heavy drinking among adolescents.

scholarly journals Facing Loneliness and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Isolation: The Role of Excessive Social Media Use in a Sample of Italian Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Boursier ◽  
Francesca Gioia ◽  
Alessandro Musetti ◽  
Adriano Schimmenti
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Core Elements ◽  
Use Of Social Media

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prompted people to face a distressing and unexpected situation. Uncertainty and social distancing changed people's behaviors, impacting on their feelings, daily habits, and social relationships, which are core elements in human well-being. In particular, restrictions due to the quarantine increased feelings of loneliness and anxiety. Within this context, the use of digital technologies has been recommended to relieve stress and anxiety and to decrease loneliness, even though the overall effects of social media consumption during pandemics still need to be carefully addressed. In this regard, social media use evidence risk and opportunities. In fact, according to a compensatory model of Internet-related activities, the online environment may be used to alleviate negative feelings caused by distressing life circumstances, despite potentially leading to negative outcomes. The present study examined whether individuals who were experiencing high levels of loneliness during the forced isolation for COVID-19 pandemic were more prone to feel anxious, and whether their sense of loneliness prompted excessive social media use. Moreover, the potentially mediating effect of excessive social media use in the relationship between perceived loneliness and anxiety was tested. A sample of 715 adults (71.5% women) aged between 18 and 72 years old took part in an online survey during the period of lockdown in Italy. The survey included self-report measures to assess perceived sense of loneliness, excessive use of social media, and anxiety. Participants reported that they spent more hours/day on social media during the pandemic than before the pandemic. We found evidence that perceived feelings of loneliness predicted both excessive social media use and anxiety, with excessive social media use also increasing anxiety levels. These findings suggest that isolation probably reinforced the individuals' sense of loneliness, strengthening the need to be part of virtual communities. However, the facilitated and prolonged access to social media during the COVID-19 pandemic risked to further increase anxiety, generating a vicious cycle that in some cases may require clinical attention.

scholarly journals COVID-19, Loneliness and Technological Addiction: Longitudinal Data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guyonne Rogier ◽  
Sara Beomonte Zobel ◽  
Patrizia Velotti
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Nous Avons ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Social Media Addiction ◽  
Médias Sociaux ◽  
Stage 1 ◽  
Medias Sociaux

The COVID-19 outbreak has been shown to have had a negative impact on mental health: furthermore, lockdown measures may have increased levels of loneliness and addiction. Preliminary studies indicated an increased frequency of gaming and social media use during this time and augmented levels of loneliness likely account for the increase in gaming and social media addiction during lockdown. We conducted a longitudinal study administering a battery of self-report questionnaires at the beginning of lockdown (Stage 1) and three days before the end of the lockdown (Stage 2). Specifically, we measured loneliness feelings, frequency of gaming, and social media use, as well as both gaming and social media addiction. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modeling. We found that loneliness levels longitudinally predicted both gaming and social media addiction, even when controlling for gaming and social media use at Stage 1. Increased feelings of loneliness, a well-known risk factor for gaming, along with social media addiction, may be a central variable heightening vulnerability to the onset or the maintenance of technological addiction during forced social isolation. Thus, future preventive interventions may want to target this issue.RésuméL’éclosion de la COVID-19 a eu un effet nuisible sur la santé mentale. De plus, les mesures de confinement ont intensifié la solitude et les addictions. Les études préliminaires indiquent une augmentation de la fréquence d’utilisation des jeux vidéo et des médias sociaux pendant cette période. Cette hausse est probablement attribuable à l’accroissement de la solitude. Nous avons mené une étude longitudinale à l’aide d’une batterie de questionnaires d’autoévaluation, qui ont été remplis au début du confinement (étape 1) et trois jours avant la fin du confinement (étape 2). En particulier, nous avons mesuré le sentiment de solitude, la fréquence d’utilisation des jeux vidéo et des médias sociaux, et la dépendance aux jeux vidéo et aux médias sociaux. Nous avons eu recours à la modélisation par équation structurelle pour analyser les données. Nous avons observé que le niveau de solitude est un prédicteur longitudinal de la dépendance aux jeux vidéo et aux médias sociaux, en contrôlant par l’effet de l’utilisation des jeux vidéo et des médias sociaux observée à l’étape 1. Le sentiment accru de solitude, qui est un facteur de risque connu de dépendance aux jeux vidéo et aux médias sociaux, pourrait être une variable centrale de l’accroissement de la vulnérabilité au développement ou à la persistance d’une dépendance à la technologie dans un contexte d’isolement social imposé. Par conséquent, les interventions à venir en matière de prévention pourraient cibler ce problème.

scholarly journals The Attitudes of the Young towards Social Media

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 287
Author(s):  
Alpaslan Baki Ertekin ◽  
Yesim Avunduk
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Normality Test ◽  
The Social ◽  
Significant Difference

This study aimed to investigate the attitudes of young individuals towards social media. The study sample consisted of 391 university students studying at different faculties (172 males and 219 females) and with an age average of 22.47±2.29. The participants were selected using the appropriate sampling method, which is one of the non-random sampling methods. The data collection tools involved a personal information form and the “Social Media Attitude Scale” developed by Otrar and Argın (2015). Descriptive statistics were applied to determine the distribution of personal information (e.g., frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation) and the Shapiro Wilks normality test to check whether the data had a normal distribution. Since the data were appropriate for parametric tests, an independent t-test and ANOVA were applied to find the differences in social media use by specific demographic characteristics. According to the study findings, there was a significant difference in social media use by gender and faculty (p < 0.05), but no significant difference was found by age (p > 0.05). It was concluded that the participants' attitudes towards social media varied by only gender and faculty.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Stress and Addictive Social Media Use (SMU): Mediating Role of Active Use and Social Media Flow

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Zhao ◽  
Guangyu Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Chinese College Students ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Self Report Data

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is likely to enhance the risk of addictive social media use (SMU) as people spend more time online maintaining connectivity when face-to-face communication is limited. Stress is assumed to be a critical predictor of addictive SMU. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between stress and addictive SMU in crises like the current COVID-19 situation remain unclear. The present study aimed to understand the relationship between COVID-19 stress and addictive SMU by examining the mediating role of active use and social media flow (i.e., an intensive, enjoyable experience generated by SMU that perpetuates media use behaviors). A sample of 512 Chinese college students (Mage = 22.12 years, SD = 2.47; 62.5% women) provided self-report data on COVID-19 stress and SMU variables (i.e., time, active use, flow, addictive behavior) via an online survey from March 24 to April 1, 2020. The results showed that COVID-19 stress was positively associated with tendencies toward addictive SMU. Path analyses revealed that this relationship was significantly serially mediated by active use and social media flow, with SMU time being controlled. Our findings suggest that individuals who experience more COVID-19 stress are at increased risk of addictive SMU that may be fostered by active use and flow experience. Specific attention should be paid to these high-risk populations and future interventions to reduce addictive SMU could consider targeting factors of both active use and social media flow.

The Longitudinal Association Between Social-Media Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents and Young Adults: An Empirical Reply to Twenge et al. (2018)

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 462-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Heffer ◽  
Marie Good ◽  
Owen Daly ◽  
Elliott MacDonell ◽  
Teena Willoughby
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Longitudinal Association ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

Research by Twenge, Joiner, Rogers, and Martin has indicated that there may be an association between social-media use and depressive symptoms among adolescents. However, because of the cross-sectional nature of this work, the relationship among these variables over time remains unclear. Thus, in this longitudinal study we examined the associations between social-media use and depressive symptoms over time using two samples: 594 adolescents ( Mage = 12.21) who were surveyed annually for 2 years, and 1,132 undergraduate students ( Mage = 19.06) who were surveyed annually for 6 years. Results indicate that among both samples, social-media use did not predict depressive symptoms over time for males or females. However, greater depressive symptoms predicted more frequent social-media use only among adolescent girls. Thus, while it is often assumed that social-media use may lead to depressive symptoms, our results indicate that this assumption may be unwarranted.

scholarly journals Social Media and Cyber-Bullying in Autistic Adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paraskevi Triantafyllopoulou ◽  
Charlotte Clark-Hughes ◽  
Peter E. Langdon
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Cyber Bullying ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cyber Aggression ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Bullying Victimisation

AbstractSocial media can lead to rejection, cyber-bullying victimisation, and cyber-aggression, and these experiences are not fully understood as experienced by autistic adults. To investigate this, 78 autistic adults completed self-report measures of social media use, cyber-bullying victimisation, cyber-aggression, and self-esteem. High levels of social media use were found to be associated with an increased risk of cyber-victimisation; whereas self-esteem was positively correlated with feelings of belonging to an online community and negatively correlated with feelings of being ignored on social network sites and chat rooms. Future studies are needed to further investigate the experience of cyber-bullying victimisation of autistic adults.

scholarly journals The Selfie Generation: Examining the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Early Adolescent Body Image

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilyssa Salomon ◽  
Christia Spears Brown
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Body Shame ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Body Surveillance ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
And Gender

Social media use among adolescents continues to increase each year. This cross-sectional study explored how the amount of time spent using social media and the frequency of specific behaviors on social media, namely, behaviors that involve self-objectification, were related to body surveillance and body shame among a sample of early adolescents ( N = 142; 43 boys and 99 girls, [Formula: see text] = 12.44 years, SDage = 0.61). Utilizing self-report measures, three types of social media were examined: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Analyses indicated that greater levels of self-objectifying social media use predicted greater body shame among youth, and this was mediated by an associated increase in body surveillance. This mediation was moderated by self-monitoring and gender, such that the mediating role of body surveillance was stronger among girls and adolescents who are particularly focused on others for approval (i.e., high in self-monitoring). Implications of these findings are discussed.

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