The Association Between Social Media Use and Mental Well-Being Among Vietnamese Adolescents

Abstract

Adolescence is a developmental stage that experiences an interaction among several factors including biological, psychological, and social sides that contribute to the overall well-being. In a technological advanced era, the emerge of social media takes up enormous attention of social concern that the use of social media is potentially associated with reduced interaction and isolation. However, in Asian context, little is known about the effect of social media on adolescent psychological well-being. According to social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954) and social cognitive theory (Bandura), people are driven to evaluate themselves with others and may find motivation to improve or feel dissatisfied, which was not justified in a virtual environment. This study explores the possible relationship between the social media patterns and adolescence well-being. Adolescence’s well-being is measured by The Stirling Children's Wellbeing Scale (SCWBS) for emotional symptoms and psychological well-being and open data reflect personal perception on the topic.