Adolescent Digital Stress: Frequencies, Correlates, and Longitudinal Association With Depressive Symptoms

Adolescents are among the most frequent users of social media and are highly attuned to social feedback. However, digital stress, or subjective distress related to social media demands, expectations, and others' approval and judgment, is understudied in adolescents.

We conducted a preliminary investigation of self-reported digital stress and its hypothesized correlates (social media, peer status, and mental health variables) among 680 students (M_age = 14.27, SD = .62; 49.2% female).

Nearly half of participants reported experiencing digital stress at least "sometimes," regardless of race or ethnicity; sex differences were small. Digital stress was associated with greater social media use and importance, peer importance, popularity, and all mental health variables. Digital stress was also associated longitudinally with increases in depressive symptoms.

These preliminary findings suggest the importance of further investigation of digital stress and its effects on adolescent health.