Addictive Social Media Use Research Articles

Acne-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin conditions worldwide among adolescents. Beyond its physical manifestations, acne can leave invisible psychological scars. We aimed to examine the protective and risk factors of acne-related quality of life, and its association with mental health outcomes. The analysis included data collected in 2023 from adolescents enrolled in the SEROCoV-KIDS population-based cohort. By combining the Acne Severity and Acne-Quality of Life (Acne-QoL) scales, three groups were established: Acne-LowAQoL (adolescents with acne and low Acne-related Quality of Life), Acne-HighAQoL, and NoAcne-HighAQoL. We used multinomial and logistic regression to assess the association between health behaviours, these groups, and mental health outcomes. Among 335 adolescents (mean age 16.1 years [SD 1.8], 56% female), 65 (19.4%) reported experiencing acne while maintaining a high Acne-QoL, 26 (7.7%) reported having acne and a low Acne-QoL and 244 (72.9%) reported having nearly no acne. Low engagement in physical activity (aOR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.12-0.77), addictive use of social media (aOR: 3.78, 95%CI: 1.60-8.96), and prolonged screen time (aOR: 2.99, 95%CI: 1.26-7.08) were independently associated with Acne-LowAQoL. Conversely, those from the group Acne-HighAQoL reported higher social support (aOR: 1.95, 95%CI: 1.07-3.54). Adolescents with Acne-LowAQoL showed lower levels of self-esteem, resilience, and increased psychological distress. Among adolescents with acne, physical activity and social support were positively associated with good acne-related quality of life, which translated into better mental health. In contrast, screen time and social media use notably reduced it. Dermatologists should incorporate these considerations into clinical practice to ensure effective patient care.

Social media addiction, personality traits, and disorders: an overview of recent literature.

The rapid proliferation of social media has raised concerns regarding the maladaptive use of these platforms. Individuals exhibiting specific personality traits and disorders may be particularly vulnerable to the adverse outcomes associated with social media addiction. Despite the increasing research attention this topic has received, the relationship between personality traits, personality disorders, and addiction to social media remains fragmented and unclear. Research has primarily investigated the association between Big Five and Dark Triad model personality traits and social media addiction. Findings indicate that while most of the traits within the Big Five model vary in terms of significance, personality disorders and traits within the Dark Triad, which are generally associated with maladaptive thoughts and behaviors, are positively related to addictive social media use. Personality traits and disorders play a vital role in individuals' behavior. Research shows discrepancies in the relationship between certain traits in the Big Five model and social media addiction, warranting further investigation. At the same time, research also underscores the role of social media in potentially exacerbating conditions for those with personality disorders.

The relationship between sense of control, positive mental health, addictive social media use, and psychological burden caused by COVID-19: a longitudinal study

The relationship between sense of control, positive mental health, addictive social media use, and psychological burden caused by COVID-19: a longitudinal study

The “Vicious Circle of addictive Social Media Use and Mental Health” Model

Social media use (SMU) is a significant part of many people's everyday life. Research around the globe describes an increase of addictive SMU tendencies since the COVID-19 outbreak. The present work combines available findings in the “Vicious Circle of addictive Social Media Use and Mental Health” model to explain how social media (SM) activity can contribute to the development of addictive tendencies, which consequences they have for mental health, and how to prevent them. Following the model, the interplay between the risk factors negative experiences caused by daily hassles and by unexpected global and traumatic events, SMU (dimension “quality”), and SM flow can directly contribute to addictive SMU through the “vicious circle”. Time spent on SMU (dimension “quantity”), symptoms of depression and anxiety, and the personality trait narcissism contribute to the circle as moderators. Symptoms of stress, insomnia, and suicide-related outcomes are described as potential consequences of addictive SMU. Based on longitudinal intervention studies, a conscious reduction of SMU time and an increase of physical activity, as well as positive mental health and mindfulness are identified as protective factors that reduce the risk of addictive tendencies. The model contributes to a better understanding of addictive SMU. Implications of the model for future research and praxis, specifically for mental health programs and therapeutic treatment are discussed.

The Relationship between Addictive Use of Short-Video Platforms and Marital Satisfaction in Older Chinese Couples: An Asymmetrical Dyadic Process.

Increasing evidence indicates that the addictive use of social media can have a detrimental effect on marital satisfaction, due mainly to the decrease in time and focus given to one's spouse. However, the impact of social media use among older couples remains under-investigated, and the research that does exist relies on individual-level data that do not allow the exploration of the dynamics between the dyadic partners. Therefore, the present study focused on older adults' use of short-video platforms, as these have been shown to be particularly addictive for older adults. A sample of 264 older couples was gathered (meanage = 68.02, SD = 8.68), and both spouses completed surveys reporting addictive use of short-video platforms, negative emotions, and marital satisfaction. Using an actor-partner interdependence model, we found an asymmetrical dyadic process in that the addictive use of short-video platforms by the wives was not only related to their own negative emotions, but also those of their spouse, as well as to decreased marital satisfaction. Meanwhile, addictive use by the husbands seemed to relate only to their own increased negative emotions, as well as to decreased marital satisfaction. Together, the findings from this study reveal dyadic dynamics with delineated pathways through which the addictive use of short-video platforms can damage older couples' interactive processes and marital satisfaction.

The Relationship between Addictive Use of Social Media and Psychiatric Disorders: The Mediating Role of Emotion Dysregulation

The Internet and social media are configured as significant strategies for interpersonal communication, entertainment, and recognition of the individual's area of expertise. However, the facilities that the media provide lead to dependence on the use of networks, which motivates the expression of emotional changes as well as psychiatric disorders in those who are addicted to the media. With this reality, the purpose of the current Literature Review is to present the impacts that the non-moderate use of social networks causes on the physical and psychological health of the subject as an individual and social being. Thus, an active search was conducted in the PubMed and Science Direct databases to find the best and most reliable scientific evidence regarding the relationship between the addictive use of social media and psychiatric disorders with mediation in emotional dysregulation, concomitant to its link to mental health, self-mutilation, sleep deprivation, and altered self-perception.

Social Media Addiction Predicts Compromised Mental Health as well as Perceived and Objective Social Isolation in Denmark: A Longitudinal Analysis of a Nationwide Survey Linked to Register Data

AbstractSocial media addiction has previously been linked to compromised mental health and social isolation; however, most studies are cross-sectional or based on convenience samples. The objective of the current study was to assess the extent to which social media addiction predicts compromised mental health and social isolation (including bi-directionality) in a large prospective sample of Danish adults. Data stem from a nationwide longitudinal Danish survey of 1958 adults (aged 16+) conducted in 2020 and 2021. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) was used. Validated scales were used to assess depression, mental wellbeing, and loneliness. A total of 2.3% screened positive for social media addiction. As compared to no symptoms, social media addiction was associated with an elevated risk for depression (OR = 2.71; 95% CI 1.08, 6.83) and negatively with mental wellbeing (coef = −1.29; 95% CI −2.41, −0.16). Similarly, social media addiction was associated with an elevated risk of loneliness (OR = 4.40; 95% CI 1.20, 16.19), and negatively with social network size (coef = −0.46; 95% CI −0.86, −0.06). There is a need for preventive actions against addictive social media use, as this poses significant risk to mental health and social functioning in the working age population.

The “Bubbles”-Study: Validation of ultra-short scales for the assessment of addictive so-cial media use and grandiose narcissism

Intensive engagement in social media use (SMU) can result in the development of addictive tendencies and a decrease of mental health. Enhanced levels of the personality trait narcissism foster addictive SMU. An early identification of persons at risk for the addictive tendencies can contribute to the protection of their mental health. Very brief valid screening instruments implemented in general mental health programs and in therapeutic settings are supportive tools in this regard. In two studies on representative German population samples, we developed and validated four ultra-short scales – the “bubbles” – that consist of only one item per construct/subscale based on the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS; Andreassen, Pallesen, & Griffiths, 2017) and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI-13; Gentile et al., 2013) for the assessment of addictive SMU (one bubble) and narcissism (one bubble per subscale). The results of Study 1 (N = 700) and Study 2 (N = 770) showed that the bubbles are valid instruments that fit the original instruments on the factor level; the bubbles largely replicated their association pattern with demographic variables, social media-related, personality-related and mental health-related variables. Their shortness prevents fatigue, motivation decrease, and participants’ dropout. Due to their time- and cost-efficiency, the bubbles can be used as brief screening tools in research (e.g., large-scale studies, longitudinal studies) and in praxis (e.g., mental health programs). Future research should validate the bubbles cross-nationally, in children and adolescents, and in clinical contexts.

Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy on Social Media Addiction, Appearance-Related Consciousness, and Social Physique Anxiety among Young Adults

Across the world, social media usage has become a very common leisure activity; however, its excessive use may lead to its misuse or social media addiction. This abuse of social media in turn may affect one's self-efficacy; giving birth to several issues such as increased appearance-related consciousness and social physique anxiety. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the direct and indirect relationship of social media addiction with appearance-related consciousness and social physique anxiety through self-efficacy as a mediator among young adults. A convenient sample of 200 young adults fulfilling the criteria of social media addiction was selected from different universities in Islamabad, Pakistan. To assess the study variables, Berger Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Appearance-Related Social Media Consciousness (ASMC) scale, Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS), and Generalized Self Efficacy Scale (GSE) were used. The study concluded significant relationships between the study variables. Social media addiction was significantly and positively found to be related to both appearance-related consciousness and social physique anxiety. Moreover, Self-efficacy was negatively related to appearance-related consciousness and social physique anxiety. In addition, mediation analysis found that self-efficacy is not a significant mediator between social media addiction, appearance-related consciousness, and social physique anxiety. The findings of this study highlighted how addictive use of social media can increase serious issues among today's youth. Awareness programs regarding social media use should be conducted to mitigate such concerns.

Problematic Social Media Use and Lifestyle Behaviors in Adolescents: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.

The use of social media by adolescents has increased considerably in the past decade. With this increase in social media use in our daily lives, there has been a rapidly expanding awareness of the potential unhealthy lifestyle-related health effects arising from excessive, maladaptive, or addictive social media use. This study aims to assess the association between adolescents' social media use and health-related behaviors. We used a cross-sectional research approach and analyzed data from 96,919 adolescents at high schools throughout the Netherlands. A structured 43-item questionnaire was used to gather data on sociodemographics, dietary and lifestyle factors, and the degree of social media use based on the Compulsive Internet Use Scale. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between problematic social media use (PSMU) and lifestyle behaviors while adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Of the 96,919 included adolescents, 7.4% (n=7022) were identified as at risk for PSMU. Furthermore, logistic regression results showed that adolescents who are at risk for PSMU were more likely to report alcohol consumption and smoking while simultaneously having significantly lower levels of health-promoting behavior such as healthy eating habits (eating fruits, vegetables, and breakfast regularly) and physical activity. This study confirms that adolescents at risk of PSMU were more likely to exhibit an unhealthy lifestyle. Being at risk for PSMU was a determinant of soft drug use, alcohol consumption, smoking, poor eating habits, and lower physical activity independent of the additional adjusted covariates including demographic variables and remaining lifestyle variables. Future research is needed to confirm this observation in an experimental setting.

Less social media use – more satisfied, work-engaged and mentally healthy employees: an experimental intervention study

ABSTRACTIntensive Social Media Use (SMU) can negatively impact employees’ work performance and mental health. The present experimental study investigated how a reduction of daily SMU time influences employees from different professional sectors in Germany. The experimental group (N = 84; age: M = 29.38, SD = 5.84) reduced its non-work-related SMU by 30 min daily for seven days; the control group (N = 82; age: M = 30.06, SD = 8.39) used Social Media (SM) as usual. Work-related variables and mental health-related variables were assessed via online surveys at three measurement time points (baseline; post-intervention; one-week follow-up). The intervention significantly reduced the experience of work overload, stress symptoms, fear of missing out and addictive SMU. Work satisfaction, work engagement and positive mental health increased significantly. The present findings reveal that less time spent on SMU leads to increased work motivation and higher levels of mental health. Employers and employees should take the present findings into account. Business coaching programmes, mental health promotion programmes and clinical interventions could benefit from the integration of a controlled reduction of SMU time.

From fear of missing out (FoMO) to addictive social media use: The role of social media flow and mindfulness

The phenomenon fear of missing out (FoMO) has become very popular since the advent of social media (SM). High levels of FoMO can contribute to addictive tendencies of social media use (SMU). The present study investigated SM flow and mindfulness as factors that could explain this relationship. Data of 905 participants from Germany (age: M = 25.91, SD = 7.09) were assessed via online surveys in winter 2022/2023. The present results revealed a positive relationship between FoMO and addictive SMU. Both were positively linked to SM flow. Their association with mindfulness was negative. In a moderated mediation analysis, the relationship between FoMO and addictive SMU was mediated by SM flow. Specifically, the higher FoMO, the higher SM flow; and the higher SM flow, the higher addictive SMU. Mindfulness moderated the association between SM flow and addictive SMU. Specifically, the higher mindfulness, the weaker the link between both variables. Thus, persons with a high level of mindfulness could experience SM flow without the development of addictive use tendencies. The protective effect of mindfulness could be especially important for young persons who tend to high FoMO. Mindfulness training is discussed as a potential step that could reduce addictive SMU.

Addictive Social Media Use and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents

Abstract: Theoretical Background: The use of social media has become an integral part of the lives of young people. Negative effects on mental health have been reported previously; however, it remained unclear whether the amount of time spent with social media use per se or its usage patterns lead to possible impairments. Addictive use is characterized by compulsive usage patterns in contrast to a flexible use. Objective: The present work investigated the associations between the amount of time spent with social media, the usage pattern (i. e., addictive use vs. flexible use), and the occurrence of depressive symptoms. Method: Cross-sectional data based on the self-reports of 513 high-school students aged 11 – 19 ( M = 12.91, SD = 1.02) from 39 classes (18 schools) in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, are presented. Hierarchically linear models accounted for the nested structure and were applied to investigate the predictive significance of time spent with social media and addictive use of social media on depressive symptoms. Results: Addictive use of social media could be identified as a significant predictor of depressive symptoms and explained 17 % of variance in depressive symptoms in the present model. Time spent with social media use did not explain a significant share of variance in depressive symptoms, after controlling for addictive social media use. Discussion and Conclusion: These findings highlight that it is not the time spent on social media per se, but the addictive usage patterns that explain a significant share of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Although a reciprocal or circular association between both disorders can be assumed, addictive usage patterns of social media may represent a potential risk to adolescents’ mental health. To prevent negative consequences of social media use, interventions should focus on the particular functionality of social media use.

The association between depression and addictive social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of sense of control.

COVID-19 precipitated a plethora of mental health difficulties, particularly for those with pre-existing mental health concerns such as depression or addictive tendencies. For some, the distress that emanated from the experience of the pandemic prompted excessive engagement in the safety of online interactions on social media. The present study examined whether variation in individuals' sense of control explained the association between depression and addictive social media use. A sample of 1322 participants from two Middle Eastern nations provided data collected during the peak of the pandemic from February to May 2021. A combination of convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit and collect data from college-aged students enrolled at two universities in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, respectively. This study adopted a cross-sectional design in which participants completed a self-administered survey that consisted of measures that assessed depressive affect, sense of control, and addictive social media use. Depression was significantly and positively associated with addictive SMU. Sense of control was negatively related to both depression and SMU and significantly mediated the association between these two variables (β = .62, SE = .03, 95%CI .56, .68). This study identified a potential protective variable that could be targeted by psychological treatment to ameliorate the potential onset of addictive SMU in individuals with depressive symptoms under conditions of immense psychological distress such as a worldwide pandemic.

Associations between social media addiction, psychological distress, and food addiction among Taiwanese university students

BackgroundWorldwide, 60% of people use social media. Excessive and/or addictive use of social media termed “problematic social media use”, has been reported to negatively influence psychological and physiological health. Therefore, we proposed an illustrated model to investigate the associations between social media addiction, psychological distress and food addiction among Taiwanese university students.MethodsA total of 598 participants (mean age = 22.8 years) completed an online survey comprising the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) assessing social media addiction, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) assessing psychological distress, and the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS 2.0) assessing food addiction.ResultsStructural equation modeling showed the significant associations between BSMAS and DASS-21 (standardized coefficient [β] = 0.45; p < 0.01) and between DASS-21 and YFAS 2.0 (β = 0.43; p < 0.01). In addition, mediation effect with 100 bootstrapping samples showed the indirect effect of DASS-21 in the association between BSMAS and YFAS 2.0ConclusionsThe present study details the relationships between social media addiction and psychological distress as well as food addiction. The results suggest the need for interventions aimed at reducing these negative outcomes. Coping strategies for improving self-control or reducing weight-related stigma, such as food consumption monitoring or mindfulness, could be adopted for at-risk individuals to address these problems.

Vulnerable narcissism, fear of missing out (FoMO) and addictive social media use: A gender comparison from Germany

Persons with enhanced levels of the personality trait vulnerable narcissism tend to dysfunctional strategies such as excessive social media use (SMU) to cope with negative emotions. The present study investigated the relationship between vulnerable narcissism, fear of missing out (FoMO) and addictive SMU in male and female persons. Data of 745 social media users from Germany (men: N = 365, women: N = 380) were collected by online surveys. The present findings revealed higher levels of vulnerable narcissism, FoMO and addictive SMU in male participants than in female participants. In both gender-specific groups, vulnerable narcissism, FoMO and addictive SMU were positively associated. Moreover, FoMO mediated the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and addictive SMU. Thus, especially (male) persons with high levels of vulnerable narcissism could be at risk for the addictive tendencies when they experience FoMO. Potential ways how to protect this group against the negative effects of the online activity are discussed.

The influence of job search stress on college students' addictive social media use: Seeking of social support and perceived social support as serial mediators and sense of coherence as a moderator.

Resulting from an enlarged number of graduating college students and shrinkage of work opportunities, stress in relation to job search and employment is becoming an increasingly noticeable issue in China. Previous psychiatry research has suggested that social support can be conducive to reducing stress from multiple sources, while the effectiveness hinges on whether it is actually recognized and perceived by the recipients. The prevalence of social media has greatly facilitated the communication and exchange of social support information. However, they can also lead to overuse and addiction problems. This study aims to investigate how job search stress affects graduating college students' social media addiction severity using a serial mediation model and test the potential moderation effect of sense of coherence. Based on a sample of graduating college students (n = 144), our findings point out a significant pathway for the impacts of stress sequentially through seeking of social support and perceived social support. Furthermore, job search stress seems to have pronounced effects on the psychological need for social support only at low- and mid-levels of sense of coherence.

Mechanisms accounting for gendered differences in mental health status among young Canadians: A novel quantitative analysis

Adolescent girls consistently report worse mental health than boys. This study used reports from a 2018 national health promotion survey (n = 11,373) to quantitatively explore why such gender-based differences exist among young Canadians.Using mediation analyses and contemporary social theory, we explored mechanisms that may explain differences in mental health between adolescents who identify as boys versus girls. The potential mediators tested were social supports within family and friends, engagement in addictive social media use, and overt risk-taking. Analyses were performed with the full sample and in specific high-risk groups, such as adolescents who report lower family affluence.Higher levels of addictive social media use and lower perceived levels of family support among girls mediated a significant proportion of the difference between boys and girls for each of the three mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, frequent health complaints, and diagnosis of mental illness). Observed mediation effects were similar in high-risk subgroups; however, among those with low affluence, effects of family support were somewhat more pronounced.Study findings point to deeper, root causes of gender-based mental health inequalities that emerge during childhood. Interventions designed to reduce girls' addictive social media use or increase their perceived family support, to be more in line with their male peers, could help to reduce differences in mental health between boys and girls. Contemporary focus on social media use and social supports among girls, especially those with low affluence, warrant study as the basis for public health and clinical interventions.

Positive mental health mediates the association between insomnia symptoms and addictive social media use in Germany and Poland

About one third of the worldwide adult population exhibits symptoms of insomnia. Some people tend to dysfunctional strategies to cope with the negative symptoms such as excessive social media use (SMU) that can result in the development of addictive tendencies. The present cross-national study investigated whether positive mental health (PMH) could contribute to the reduction of the negative effect of insomnia symptoms on addictive SMU. Data from Germany (N = 579) and Poland (N = 1.237) on insomnia symptoms, PMH and addictive SMU were collected via online surveys. In both countries, we found the same result pattern. Insomnia symptoms were significantly positively associated with addictive SMU, and both variables were significantly negatively linked to PMH. Moreover, PMH mediated the relationship between insomnia symptoms and addictive SMU. Thus, the present findings reveal that promotion of PMH could reduce the effect of insomnia symptoms on addictive online activity. Potential ways how PMH could provide the protective effect and how PMH could be enhanced are discussed.

Resilience and (Dis)empowerment: Use of Social Media Among Female Mainland Low-Skilled Workers in Macao During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The role of social media in a resilient process is associated with the co-constitution of structural forces and users' agency. During COVID-19, how women-particularly low-skilled labor migrants-used social media for empowerment is underexplored. By taking a socio-techno approach, this study qualitatively examines mobile phone-based social media usage among female mainland low-skilled workers in Macao when coping with the pandemic. The enabling yet constraining role of social media has been identified through semi-structured interviews. Social media use is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, social media is appropriated to relieve stress and anxiety, open access to updated COVID-19 related information, and manage contagious risks; on the other hand, it reinforces existing constraints and thus hinders resilience, due to female migrant workers' high risk of addictive social media use and limited information literacy. Moving beyond the Information and Communication Technology empowerment, a more inclusive approach is recommended in the long term to cope with the risks and uncertainties posed by the pandemic.