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Social support, online social support, and problematic social media use: A three-level meta-analysis
Liangrong Huang1, Miaomiao Zeng2, Xue Wen3
1School of Education, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, China; School of Philosophy and Sociology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Abstract:
Numerous studies have examined the relationship between social support and problematic social media use; however, findings are inconsistent. Hence, this study employed a three-level meta-analysis to clarify the relationship between social support and problematic social media use. Additionally, a meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between online social support and problematic social media use and to identify potential moderators of this relationship. After searching and screening the literature, this meta-analysis included a total of 65 studies, with 235 effect sizes and 52,738 participants. The results showed a negative correlation between social support and problematic social media use (r = -0.178, p < 0.001), and a positive correlation between online social support and problematic social media use (r = 0.399, p < 0.001). Age and educational stage significantly moderated the association between social support and problematic social media use. Online social support measurement and problematic social media use measurement significantly moderated the association between online social support and problematic social media use. It is suggested that treatment for problematic social media use should attend to individuals' levels of social support and online social support.
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