Longitudinal Associations Between Social Media Use and Mental Health Outcomes in Sample of Irish Youth: A Brief Report

Abstract

Questions remain over whether internet and social media use are associated with mental health outcomes in youth. Data has remained inconsistent in previous longitudinal studies. The current study sought to extend this work with a longitudinal study involving Irish youth (N = 8,500) assessed initially at age 9 (time 1; T1), then again at ages 13 (time 2; T2) and 17/18 (time 3; T3). Analyses were preregistered. Early internet use (T1) and social media use (T2) were assessed along with controls for emotional problems at T1 and T2, language problems, parental conflict, popularity, and happiness at T1. Outcomes included emotional problems, peer problems, and emotional stability at T3. Results indicated that early internet use and social media use were not associated with later mental health problems when controlling for other factors. These results do not support the belief that social media use is a predictor of later mental health problems in youth.