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 The impact of social media on young web users’ psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic progression

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (39) ◽  
pp. 50-61
Author(s):  
Alisar Hudimova ◽  
Ihor Popovych ◽  
Vita Baidyk ◽  
Olena Buriak ◽  
Olha Kechyk
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact

Aim. The present study empirically investigates and theoretically substantiates the results of the impact of social media on young web-users’ psychological well-being during the forced self-isolation caused by the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 254). Materials and methods. Standardized valid psycho-diagnostic methods, the author’s questionnaire (A. Hudimova, 2021), correlation and factor analyses were used to identify young web users’ patterns of social media involvement during the forced self-isolation. Results. The results show that during the global COVID-19 pandemic, young web users give preference for passive social media use rather than for communication. The obtained results showed an expansion in the time spent via social media by young web users. It was found that the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic is accompanied by the participants’ experience of negative emotions and fears of the unknown (r = .204; p <.01). It is substantiated that increasing immersion of young web users in social media is a kind of strategy to escape from bad thoughts (r = .271; p <.01). Significantly, it is stated that uncontrolled use of social media causes sleep disorders during isolation (r = .444; p <.01). Conclusions. The study proves that young people spend almost all day online due to the obsessive pattern of social media involvement and/or procrastination, which often provokes withdrawal syndrome upon the attempt to distract from them. The lack of controlled time spending on social media during self-isolation provokes an exacerbation of anxiety, apathy, depressed mood, and a sense of isolation from social reality. The obtained results provide evidence that the causal relations of passive social media use provoke an exacerbation of feelings of alienation, disrupt the healthy rhythm of sleep, and psychological state of young web-users during the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effects of social media motivations on women’s psychological well-being in Pakistan

First Monday ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iffat Ali Aksar ◽  
Mahmoud Danaee ◽  
Huma Maqsood ◽  
Amira Firdaus
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Psychological Well Being

Social media use has been increasing apace regardless of geographical and economic boundaries. In particular, its penetration has occurred more rapidly in developing and low-income countries with abounding health and psychological disadvantages. Given the understanding that women are more prone to psychological disorders than men, the current research is an effort to examine social media motives and subsequent effects on the psychological well-being of women social media users in Pakistan. The study is based on an online survey conducted to ascertain as to what extent social media use contributes to women’s psychological well-being or otherwise. The survey recorded responses of 240 women selected through purposive sampling technique. SEM-PLS analysis of the collected data revealed that social media usage plays a meaningful role in women’s psychological health. However, results exposed that Pakistani women, under the traditional patriarchal social pressure, not only have to observe cultural norms in online practices but are also forced to adhere to socially constructed gender roles in online spaces. The mixed results suggest conducting extensive research for a deeper insight into the role of social media in psychological well-being of women in other low-income countries.

scholarly journals Adolescent Social Media User Types and their Mental Health and Well-being: results from a longitudinal survey of 13–14-year-olds in the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizzy Winstone ◽  
Becky Mars ◽  
CMA Haworth ◽  
Jon Heron ◽  
Judi Kidger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Health And Well Being

Background There is mixed evidence as to the effects of different types of social media use on mental health, but previous research has been platform-specific and has focused on an oversimplified distinction between active and passive use. This study aimed to identify different underlying subgroups of adolescent social media user based on their pattern of social media activities and test associations between user type and future mental health. Methods Students from nineteen schools (N=2,456) in south-west England completed an online survey measuring thirteen social media activities and four psychosocial outcomes (past year self-harm, depression, anxiety and poor well-being) at age 13 years (October 2019) and repeated a year later (October 2020; aged 14 years). Latent class analysis using Mplus identified distinct classes of social media user. A bias-adjusted three-step model was used to test associations between class membership at baseline and mental health at follow-up. Analyses were adjusted for gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, disability, social media screen-time and baseline mental health.Results A four-class model of social media user at baseline was selected based on fit statistics and interpretability. User types were labelled High Communicators; Moderate Communicators; Broadcasters; and Minimal users. Broadcasters at age 13 had the poorest mental health outcomes at age 14, with mental health and well-being generally better in the two Communicator groups. Conclusions Findings suggest that adolescents with high levels of content sharing – in addition to socialising and browsing online – are most likely to be experiencing poor mental health a year later. Recommendations regarding social media use should move beyond screen-time to consider different user types, and mental health implications of their engagement with different online activities.

Embracing Social Media to Advance Knowledge Creation and Transfer in the Modernized University

2018 ◽  
pp. 667-687
Author(s):  
Catherine Lang ◽  
Narelle Lemon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Global Connections ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Advance Knowledge

New ways of utilizing technology in the online space are challenging how academics and students communicate, participate, and publish in modern universities, and thereby influence knowledge production, exchange, and transfer. Social media provides a suite of tools that are powerful additions to the pedagogy of academics and demonstrate that “the medium is the message” (McLuhan, 1960). These tools provide opportunity for public global dialogue, continuous discussions in the online space beyond the four walls of a physical classroom, and greater interactions between individuals and collective groups. In this chapter, the authors present several cases of social media use from the perspective of being researchers and teachers in higher education. Through strategic and precise use of social media, academics can create strong, connected, virtual communities to enhance knowledge production, exchange, and transfer within higher education. The cases demonstrate the ability to create and curate content while engaging with global connections to enhance and disrupt traditional ways of working in academia.

Stress, Coping, and Social Media Use

2020 ◽  
pp. 241-267
Author(s):  
Dilek Demirtepe-Saygili
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Coping Process ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Source Of Information

Social media has become a part of people's lives and many psychological processes are suggested to be related with social media use. This chapter examines social media use from a stress and coping perspective. Social media can be a stressor for users with the content of posts they see, with a fear of negative evaluation, as an unhealthy attachment to social media accounts, and as a result of cyberbullying. Social media use can also be a problem-focused coping as a source of information, an emotion-focused coping as a distraction, and a source of social support. Lastly, it can be a predictor or a part of well-being as well as a moderator or mediator between coping and well-being. After elaborating on social media use as a part of the coping process, implications for research and practice are discussed. The key points from a coping viewpoint are specified for users, parents, teachers, and professionals. While problematic use of social media can be part of dysfunctional coping and a worse well-being, healthy use can help individuals deal with stresses and lead to a better well-being.

scholarly journals The link between mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and the use of social media

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Search Time ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Test Period ◽  
False Information ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
A Priority ◽  
Use Of Social Media

The world was faced the extensive spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus. The COVID-19 crisis is a crisis of both physical and mental health. Proper mental health is crucial to the functioning of society at all times in every country and should be a priority and at the center of response and recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health and well-being - the well-being of society as a whole - have been severely compromised during the pandemic and are a priority for urgent consideration. In the qarantine period, the social media were important sourses of information. The aim of this study was to fi nd out the relation between social media use and stress together with anxiety during this pandemic of COVID-19. We are looking for trends of social media use and infl uence that on behavioral and mental disorders. This study was conducted with the help of an online based survey of individuals from a fi rst wave and during a second wave of pandemic in Ukraine. It was conducted to understand the relationship between social media and stress during the Covid-19 pandemic and to see dynamics of change. A total of 199 participants of the fi rst test period and 152 participants of a second test period responded to the survey which was conducted by snowballing sampling techniques in the convenient atmosphere. We applied two validated, self-reporting questionnaires namely Perceived Stress Scale and test of Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7. When period of use of social media had increased during the pandemic, it led to an increase in the perception and dissemination of false information (fakes) that negative aff ected psychological well-being. Negative aspects of the use of social networks can aff ect the level of anxiety and stress of the population of our country. Among the respondents, 120 (34.2%) think that their mental health and wellbeing was being deteriorated during this period of pandemic. Total percentage 51.0% of the participants were suff ering from mild anxiety, 11.1% from moderate anxiety and 6.3% from severe anxiety The dissemination of false information in the context of increased search time has all the prerequisites for increasing the risk of deteriorating mental health in our country during a pandemic.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 Pandemic Drives People to Orthorexia and Anxiety with the Influence of Social Media: A Cross-Sectional Study of 525 Adults in Semi-Quarantine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asli Devrim-Lanpir ◽  
Hatice Kübra Barcın Güzeldere ◽  
Elif Ede Çintesun
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Nutritional Supplement ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world tremendously, causing an increased risk of eating and anxiety disorders. Increased social media exposure and obsession with healthy eating to minimize the risk of catching the COVID-19 may cause orthorexia and anxiety symptoms in individuals during pandemic. We aimed to assess the presence and interaction between orthorexia and anxiety symptoms during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also determined the influences of social media and nutritional supplement use on orthorexic and anxiety symptoms. Methods We performed an online survey of individuals in COVID-19 quarantine (n = 525) using Google forms. We determined their orthorexia and anxiety symptoms using ORTO-11 and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire, respectively. We also assessed their nutritional supplement and social media use, and how these patterns were affected during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Higher orthorexia (67% in men, 83.2% in women) and anxiety (62.4% in men; 95.4% in women) symptoms were detected in individuals in COVID-19 pandemic. Orthorexia symptoms were found positively associated with anxiety symptoms in both sexes. The time spent on social media to follow the COVID-19, health, and nutrition news were closely associated with higher orthorexic symptoms in both sexes, and higher anxiety symptoms in women (r=-0.638 in men; r=-0.560 in women, p < 0.001). The use of multivitamins and ß-glucan to mainly support immunity were linked to orthorexic symptoms in both sexes. Discussion The COVID-19 pandemic has detrimental influences on mental well-being that drove individuals into psychologic problems. Increased social media use to follow healthy eating news has also create an undesirable impact on orthorexic problems. Therefore, it is crucial to detect orthorexia and anxiety symptoms earlier and modulate daily behaviours during the pandemic in order to prevent long-term detrimental consequences.

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.

scholarly journals Social Media Use in Child Welfare Practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd Edward Sage ◽  
Melanie Sage
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Child Welfare Workers ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Welfare Workers

The scholarly child welfare literature offers little information about the use of social media by child welfare workers. We conducted a study of 171 child welfare workers across several states using an online survey. The resulting data offer insights from workers about current practices related to social media use in a child welfare work setting. Most respondents see social media as an acceptable tool for conducting child welfare assessments. Respondents describe strains and benefits of social media use. It is recommended that agencies provide guidance on ethical decision-making for using social media as a work-related tool. Agencies should also provide policy clearly defining social media use and misuse.

Blurring the Boundaries

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Julie A Delello ◽  
Kouider Mokhtari
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Use Of Social Media

This article reports the results of a mixed methods study aimed at exploring faculty and student perceptions regarding the use of social media in the higher education classroom. Two groups of faculty (n = 50) and students (n = 396) voluntarily responded to an online survey consisting of a mix of close and open-ended questions pertaining to their perceptions of social media use inside and outside the classroom. Key findings revealed that among faculty (52%) and students (23%) see social media as a distraction. In addition, contrary to prior research indicating that interpersonal boundaries between faculty and students are shifting as people become more connected via social media, only 17% of students and 29% of faculty reported forming social media friendships outside of the classroom. These findings are discussed in light of extant research on the use of social media along with implications for the role of social media in the higher education classroom.

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