Social Media Networking Sites Usage and Depression Among University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Roles of Social Anxiety and Loneliness

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased psychological issues such as excessive social media networking sites usage (SMNSU), loneliness, social anxiety, and depression. In this quantitative study, we examined how SMNSU can directly and indirectly influence depression, with loneliness and social anxiety examined as mediator variables. A 39-item questionnaire was used to collect survey data on SMNSU, loneliness, social anxiety, and depression from 244 blended learning undergraduate students from universities in the Hunan province in China. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was conducted using SmartPLS 3.3.3 to measure the relationships between the stated variables of interest. Results indicated that SMNSU has a direct, significant, and positive relationship with depression. In terms of mediating effects, both loneliness and social anxiety have an intervening role in the association between SMNSU and depression. This study focused on the higher education sector of China by recruiting students who were enrolled in blended learning courses during the COVID-19 pandemic and experiencing psychological problems. We found that excessive SMNSU is associated with depression. Loneliness and social anxiety also increase depression along with excessive SMNSU among blended learning students during unprecedented situations, in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic. The valuable implications of these findings for teachers, counselors, and university managers are discussed, along with a consideration of future research directions.