Abstract
Aim. The present study empirically investigates and theoretically substantiates the results of the impact of social media on young web-users’ psychological well-being during the forced self-isolation caused by the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 254). Materials and methods. Standardized valid psycho-diagnostic methods, the author’s questionnaire (A. Hudimova, 2021), correlation and factor analyses were used to identify young web users’ patterns of social media involvement during the forced self-isolation. Results. The results show that during the global COVID-19 pandemic, young web users give preference for passive social media use rather than for communication. The obtained results showed an expansion in the time spent via social media by young web users. It was found that the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic is accompanied by the participants’ experience of negative emotions and fears of the unknown (r = .204; p <.01). It is substantiated that increasing immersion of young web users in social media is a kind of strategy to escape from bad thoughts (r = .271; p <.01). Significantly, it is stated that uncontrolled use of social media causes sleep disorders during isolation (r = .444; p <.01). Conclusions. The study proves that young people spend almost all day online due to the obsessive pattern of social media involvement and/or procrastination, which often provokes withdrawal syndrome upon the attempt to distract from them. The lack of controlled time spending on social media during self-isolation provokes an exacerbation of anxiety, apathy, depressed mood, and a sense of isolation from social reality. The obtained results provide evidence that the causal relations of passive social media use provoke an exacerbation of feelings of alienation, disrupt the healthy rhythm of sleep, and psychological state of young web-users during the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
Social media have significantly changed the nature of communication between web users in our time
The results show that extensive social media use during a pandemic leads to a state of distress
The more young people report the stress associated with COVID-19, the more socially dangerous the current situation is (Ellis et al, 2020)
Summary
Social media have significantly changed the nature of communication between web users in our time. The most active users are young people aged 16 to 21 years. Despite the prevalence of virtual communication, the formation and maintenance of friendly relations is the predominant need of young age. The most important socio-psychological characteristics of young people are the degree of activity of their efforts to overcome life’s difficulties and a sense of personal responsibility for their actions, as well as faith in a successful future (Kononenko, et al, 2020). There are such important new formations as a new level of self-awareness and change in selfconcept. These new formations are the desire to understand themselves, their capabilities, and their features.
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