Through the Looking Glass of Social Media. Focus on Self-Presentation and Association with Mental Health and Quality of Life. A Cross-Sectional Survey-Based Study.

Jens Christoffer Skogen,Randi Træland Hella,Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland,Ann Kristin Knudsen,Tormod Bøe

doi:10.3390/ijerph18063319

Abstract

Social media (SOME) use among adolescents has been linked to mental health and well-being. SOME self-presentation has been highlighted as an important factor to better understand the potential links. The aims of this study were to investigate the association between focus on SOME self-presentation and mental health and quality of life among adolescents. We used a cross-sectional survey, with n = 513 (56%; mean age 17.1 years; 58% boys) students from a senior high school in Norway. Associations between focus on SOME self-presentation and symptoms of anxiety and depression and quality of life were investigated using blobbograms, standardized mean difference (SMD), and gender-specific linear regression models. A high focus on SOME self-presentation was associated with more mental health problems and reduced quality of life. The strength of the associations with symptoms of depression (0.75SMD) and anxiety (0.71SMD) was large, while it was medium-large for quality of life (−0.58SMD). The association was similar across gender in relation to symptoms of anxiety. For symptoms of depression and quality of life, the association was stronger for girls compared to boys. Our findings yield preliminary evidence of a potential relationship between focus on SOME self-presentation and mental health.

Highlights

Introduction iationsAdolescence is an important period in life characterized by increased independence from parents and an expanded social life dominated by one’s peers [1]
Social media use among adolescents has been linked to mental health and well-being [5], and some studies indicate that social media use is associated with more mental health problems and decreased well-being
We report an association between focus on self-presentation on social media and poor mental health and lower quality of life, we cannot assert the direction of the association

Summary

Introduction

Adolescence is an important period in life characterized by increased independence from parents and an expanded social life dominated by one’s peers [1]. It is a period with increased emotional upheaval [2], and many mental health problems commonly emerge during adolescence [1]. Today’s adolescents grow up in the age of social media use and online communication. Social media can be defined as “highly interactive platforms via which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content” [4]. Studies have found that more time spent on social

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