Abstract
This study examines the extent to which online media activities are associated with psychological well-being of adolescents. Data come from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS), a government-funded multiyear research project. Based on Wave 4 (2007) and Wave 5 (2008) of KYPS, the most recent data available, hierarchical linear models are estimated to probe the psychological effects of time spent online. While holding constant a host of time-lagged control variables at individual (student) and contextual (school) levels, the analysis shows that online social networking is adversely associated with the psychological status of Korean students, measured in terms of self-reported mental problems and suicidal thought. The bulk of previous research on the pros and cons of online social media use is based on cross-sectional data, thereby precluding causal inference. Using longitudinal data, the current research offers more conclusive evidence on the direction of causation.
Highlights
Despite a plethora of studies, specific consequences of media use and exposure to media contents remain empirically contested (Pantic, 2014; Strasburger, Jordan, & Donnerstein, 2010)
While holding constant a host of time-lagged control variables at individual and contextual levels, the analysis shows that online social networking is adversely associated with the psychological status of Korean students, measured in terms of self-reported mental problems and suicidal thought
The purpose of this study is to contribute to extant scholarship by exploring the associations between Internet-based social media and psychological WB of adolescents based on a Korean probability sample
Summary
Despite a plethora of studies, specific consequences of media use and exposure to media contents remain empirically contested (Pantic, 2014; Strasburger, Jordan, & Donnerstein, 2010). A recent systematic review of the association between online communication and adolescent psychological well-being (WB) points to ‘a wealth of contradictory evidence suggesting both harmful and beneficial aspects’ of Internet-based social media (Best, Manktelow, & Taylor, 2014). According to a comprehensive survey (‘Internet & American Life Project’) conducted by the Pew Research Center (2010), 93% of all American teens (ages 12 through 17) go online regularly and 73% of them actively use SNS. They spend more time using online media than any other age group, and are the first cohort ever to be linked with Internet-based communication as an integral part of their upbringing (Best et al, 2014). Given the substantial and growing prevalence of wireless communication technologies and social media sites in the lives of young people today, understanding the mental health consequences of online social networking is of critical importance
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