Social Comparison as a Potential Moderator of the Relationship between Social Media Use and Psychological Wellbeing in Young Adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Loi ◽  
Einar Thorsteinsson ◽  
Emily Ebdell
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Social Comparison ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Potential Moderator

scholarly journals The Moderating Role of Social Network Size on Social Media Use and Self-Esteem: An Evolutionary Mismatch Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy J. Lim ◽  
Clement Lau ◽  
Norman P. Li
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Comparison ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Evolutionary Mismatch ◽  
Social Network Size ◽  
The Relationship

Existing meta-analyses have shown that the relationship between social media use and self-esteem is negative, but at very small effect sizes, suggesting the presence of moderators that change the relationship between social media use and self-esteem. Employing principles from social comparison and evolutionary mismatch theories, we propose that the social network sizes one has on social media play a key role in the relationship between social media use and self-esteem. In our study (N = 123), we showed that social media use was negatively related to self-esteem, but only when their social network size was within an evolutionarily familiar level. Social media use was not related to self-esteem when people’s social networks were at evolutionarily novel sizes. The data supported both social comparison and evolutionary mismatch theories and elucidated the small effect size found for the relationship between social media use and self-esteem in current literature. More critically, the findings of this study highlight the need to consider evolutionarily novel stimuli that are present on social media to better understand the behaviors of people in this social environment.

scholarly journals Self-Compassion and Instagram Use Is Explained by the Relation to Anxiety, Depression, and Stress

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Keyte ◽  
Lauren Mullis ◽  
Helen Egan ◽  
Misba Hussain ◽  
Amy Cook ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractPrevious research acknowledges that prolonged social media use is associated with several negative psychological consequences, including higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. In order to protect individuals from social stressors, research illustrates the role that self-compassion can play, with individuals high in self-compassion reporting greater emotional wellbeing; hence, proposing self-compassion could be a trait that is positively related to social media use. This research aimed to investigate the relationship between Instagram use and self-compassion, and whether this relationship can be explained through the relation to psychological wellbeing (depression, anxiety, and stress). A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate this relationship amongst young adults (n = 173), utilizing a revised version of The Multidimensional Facebook Intensity Scale to explore Instagram, The Self-Compassion Scale, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Instagram intensity appeared to influence psychological wellbeing, with participants who spent more time on Instagram reporting poorer psychological wellbeing. Whilst higher levels of self-compassion were associated with lower levels of reported depression, anxiety, and stress, the relationship between Instagram intensity and self-compassion was not mediated to the extent as expected by wellbeing. Possible explanations and future directions are discussed as to what could explain the positive relationship between self-compassion and Instagram use.

Pre-sleep Cognitive Influence of Night-time Social Media Use and Social Comparison Behaviour in Young Women

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon McNee ◽  
Heather Woods
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Comparison ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Social Media Engagement ◽  
Social Comparison Orientation ◽  
The Relationship

Night-time social media use in young people has received significant attention from the international media, governments, and policymakers due to its published associations with increased depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. However - as not all young people engage with social media in the same way - there are calls for a shift of research focus away from suggested negative impacts of social media use and towards nuanced understanding of social media engagement style. As a result, individual differences in social media engagement must be appreciated when considering the relationship between social media use and wellbeing. The current study presents pilot data which highlights an association between social comparison orientation, night-time social media use, mental wellbeing, and sleep in female users of Facebook and Instagram (N = 60). Social comparison orientation, rumination tendency, sleep health, and night-time social media use were examined using online questionnaire measures. Social comparison orientation was found to be positively associated with night-time social media use and rumination tendency. In addition, rumination was highlighted as a significant mediator of the relationship between social comparison behaviour and poor sleep – suggesting that the behaviours we engage in online may influence sleep through a cognitive pathway. Our findings contribute to a growing body of research which demonstrates how the nature of social media interactions can impact wellbeing with implications for the design of integrated social media literacy and sleep interventions.

Green living and the social media connection: The relationship between different media use types and green lifestyle politics among young adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Leissner
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Environmental Engagement ◽  
The Social ◽  
Original Survey ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Green Lifestyle

Today, environmental issues are not only communicated by traditional mass media, but they are also posted, shared and discussed in social media. This raises the question of the extent to which social media use also influences real environmental engagement. Using original survey data collected among young adults in Germany, this study demonstrates that social media use is clearly associated with stronger engagement in green lifestyle politics. Further, regarding different motives and forms of social media use, the findings of the study show that active use of social media for informational purposes predicts green lifestyle politics.

scholarly journals LONELINESS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE MEDIATIONAL ROLES OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SEEKING

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 708-726
Author(s):  
Ellie Lisitsa ◽  
Katherine S. Benjamin ◽  
Sarah K. Chun ◽  
Jordan Skalisky ◽  
Lauren E. Hammond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Social Support Seeking ◽  
Lower Social Support ◽  
Support Seeking ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and shelter-at-home have become necessary for public health and safety in the United States. This period of social isolation may be a risk factor for mental health problems, particularly among young adults for whom rates of loneliness are already high. Young adults also engage in more social media use than other age groups, a form of socialization associated with adverse effects on mental health, including loneliness and depression. Methods: The current study examined potential mediating roles of social media use and social support seeking on the relationship between age and loneliness symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 1,674 adults who completed an online survey regarding depressive symptoms, loneliness, coping strategies, and changes to their daily lives as a result of the pandemic. Results: Results indicated that young adults were lonelier than older adults during the pandemic, showed a greater increase in social media use, and lower social support seeking. Higher increases in social media use and lower social support seeking mediated the relationship between age group and loneliness. Discussion: Findings are discussed in context of prior research and potential effects of stress and isolation during the pandemic. Clinical implications and suggestions for intervention are elaborated.

scholarly journals Plurality in the Measurement of Social Media Use and Mental Health: An Exploratory Study Among Adolescents and Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512110353
Author(s):  
Diamantis Petropoulos Petalas ◽  
Elly A. Konijn ◽  
Benjamin K. Johnson ◽  
Jolanda Veldhuis ◽  
Nadia A. J. D. Bij de Vaate ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Media Effects ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Quadratic Functions ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Social Media Use

On a daily basis, individuals between 12 and 25 years of age engage with their mobile devices for many hours. Social Media Use (SMU) has important implications for the social life of younger individuals in particular. However, measuring SMU and its effects often poses challenges to researchers. In this exploratory study, we focus on some of these challenges, by addressing how plurality in the measurement and age-specific characteristics of SMU can influence its relationship with measures of subjective mental health (MH). We conducted a survey among a nationally representative sample of Dutch adolescents and young adults ( N = 3,669). Using these data, we show that measures of SMU show little similarity with each other, and that age-group differences underlie SMU. Similar to the small associations previously shown in social media-effects research, we also find some evidence that greater SMU associates to drops and to increases in MH. Albeit nuanced, associations between SMU and MH were found to be characterized by both linear and quadratic functions. These findings bear implications for the level of association between different measures of SMU and its theorized relationship with other dependent variables of interest in media-effects research.

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