Abstract
In the present study, we aimed to explore the relationship between intensity of social media use (SMU), problematic SMU and well-being outcomes. Four categories of SMU were developed taking into account both intensity of use and problematic SMU simultaneously: non-active; active; intense; and problematic use. Using these four categories, we assessed associations between SMU and mental and social well-being, and substance use. Data from 190,089 respondents aged 11, 13, and 15 years from 42 countries involved in the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study were analyzed. With a slight cross-national variance, 78% of adolescents in the sample were classified as active or intense users, and 7% showed signs of problematic SMU. The remaining 15% belonged to the non-active users. Three-level regression analyses revealed that the problematic users showed the least favorable mental and social well-being profile and the highest level of substance use. Compared with active users, non-active users reported lower mental and social well-being, but also the lowest substance use levels. Intense non-problematic users showed the highest levels of social well-being. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing both the intensity and problematic component of SMU to reliably assess associations with mental and social well-being and substance use.
Highlights
The current generation of adolescents, referred to as generation Z, was born to the reality of social media platforms
Descriptive characteristics of social media use Overall, we observed that the number of reported symptoms of the Social Media Disorder Scale was higher in adolescents classified as active users than in non-active users in terms of intensity of their online communication via social media
The first aim of the present study among 190,089 adolescents from 42 countries, was to create a classification of social media users based on a combination of both the intensity of SMU and problematic SMU, dis tinguishing between non-active, active, intense, and problematic social media users
Summary
The current generation of adolescents, referred to as generation Z, was born to the reality of social media platforms. For this gen eration, who have never known a world without technology, social media acts as a vehicle for fostering social connectedness (Allen et al, 2014; Radovic et al, 2017), entertainment, and education (Smahel et al, 2020). While the intensity of SMU expresses the frequency of communication with peers and others via social media such as instant messengers and social network sites, problematic SMU is an expression
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