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Adolescents and Social Media: Longitudinal Links Between Types of Use, Problematic Use and Internalizing Symptoms
Marie-Pier Gingras1, Mara Brendgen1,2, Miriam H Beauchamp3,2
1Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, H3C3P8, Montreal, Canada.
Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
|June 9, 2023
Summary
Problematic social media use in adolescents predicts later anxiety symptoms. Active social media use also predicts anxiety, but only in less extraverted teens, suggesting extraversion may buffer negative effects.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Adolescent Health
- Digital Media Studies
Background:
- Inconsistent findings exist regarding adolescent social media use and mental health.
- Previous research has not clearly defined the direction of these associations.
- Moderating factors like sex and extraversion require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine longitudinal associations between different types of adolescent social media use (passive, active, problematic) and depression/anxiety symptoms.
- To investigate the moderating effects of sex and extraversion on these associations.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with 257 adolescents surveyed at ages 13 and 14.
- Utilized online questionnaires for depression, anxiety, and problematic social media use.
- Employed social media use diaries and cross-lagged panel modeling (CLPM).
Main Results:
- Problematic social media use was positively associated with later anxiety symptoms (β=.16, p=.010).
- Active social media use predicted increased anxiety in adolescents with low to moderate extraversion (β=-.14, p=.032).
- No significant moderation by sex was found; social media use predicted anxiety, but not vice-versa.
Conclusions:
- Problematic and active social media use can predict subsequent anxiety symptoms in adolescents.
- Extraversion may act as a protective factor, mitigating the negative impact of active social media use on anxiety.
- Findings highlight the nuanced relationship between social media engagement and adolescent mental well-being.
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