Social Media Use and Adolescents Mental Health
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Destani Lewis
Benchmark - Research Proposal
Summary
2631 Words
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Social Media Use and Adolescents Mental Health
With increasing technological advancement social media and internet use are becoming
ubiquitous especially among adolescents. Social media provides interactive platforms where
Potentially missing comma: 2023 2023,
Social Media Use and Adolescents Mental Health
Destani Lewis
PSY-550
Professor Weaver
June 14, 2023
adolescents can share ideas and interact with more people and create new friends. Social media
provides valuable opportunities for socialization and sharing of information among adolescents.
Even though social media provides valuable opportunities for social interactions and information
exchange, it also creates avenues of loneliness among adolescent users. Other than loneliness,
social media use in adolescents has been linked to mental health problems such as depression,
stress, anxiety, addiction, and interference with sleep patterns. Sleep disruptions due to social
media addiction and long hours of usage cause disruptions in neurological development in
adolescents. Stigma and bullying that stem from social media use among adolescents is linked to
the risk of suicide and poor emotional functioning (Reid Chassiakos et al. 2016). These
conditions form the basis of studying the influence of social media use on mental health in the
adolescent population.
Research Question
Is there a connection between social media use and adolescents’ mental health?
Hypothesis: To establish the link between social media use in adolescents and their mental
health.
Purpose Statement
Adolescents belong to the category of individuals who are still undergoing the growth
process. Issues affecting their mental health are therefore considered critical public health
matters. Social media use and its effects on mental health therefore form a crucial area of study.
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Literature Review Section
Adolescents form the majority of users of social media all over the world. However,
concerns of social media use and adolescents’ mental health continue to dominate discussions on
public health issues. Despite the benefits that adolescents get from social media use such as ease
of connectivity, ease of access to lots of information and educational resources, ease of
information exchange, and ability to meet new friends; the negative effects linked to social
media use cannot be ignored. Possible negative effects associated with social media and
adolescents’ mental health include depression, anxiety, stress, stigma, and cyberbullying (Riehm
et al., 2019). In their cohort study of 6595 adolescents selected from all over the United States of
America, Riehm et al. (2019) assert that more time spent by adolescents on social media was
associated with increased risk of mental health problems. The results of the study indicated that
more time spent on social media was linked to increased chances of reporting externalizing and
internalizing problems. However, the study used past mental health problems and history of drug
and substance use as mediating factors. The study concluded that adolescents who used social
media for more than 3 hours everyday were at the risk of developing internalizing factors related
to mental problems (Riehm et al., 2019).
While Riehm et al. (2019) conducted a longitudinal cohort study to establish the
connection between social media use in adolescents; and internalizing and externalizing factors
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in the mental health of adolescents, Singh et al. (2020) used an observational cross-sectional study to link long hours of social media usage to mental health problems. The cross-sectional
study relied on a sample of 200 students who were selected from public schools. A 12-point
survey questionnaire was administered to the participants. 85 of the 200 selected adolescents
were males while 115 were females. Singh et al. (2020) in their study categorized adolescents
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into groups of users of social media and non-users of social media. The results of the study
indicated that the inventory score for depression in users was 11.47, while the inventory score for
depression among non-users was 6.70. The inventory score for general health in users was 7.63
while that of non-users was 7.05. The adolescents who participated in the study were users of
various social media platforms. 82% were WhatsApp users, 40.45% were Instagram users,
26.9% were Snapchat users, 39.8% were Facebook users, while 17.1% were YouTube users. The
conclusion for the study was that a majority of adolescents who used social media for long hours
were at risk of developing mental health problems (Singh et al., 2020).
Plackett et al. (2023) utilized a longitudinal observation in their study. Plackett et al.
(2023) assert that whereas numerous cross-sectional studies point to the existence of a
connection between social media use symptoms of anxiety and depression in young individuals,
no longitudinal studies that utilize mediation analysis and representative data have been
conducted to show this causal linkage between these symptoms and social media. Whereas
Rutter et al. (2021) used physical activity as a mediating factor in their study, Plackett et al.
(2023) utilized social connectedness and self-esteem as the mediating factors. Their study
included a sample of 3,228 children aged between 10 to 15 years who were observed for a period
of ten years between 2009 to 2019. The mental health problems were measured in terms of
difficulties and strengths using a questionnaire for children aged between 14 to 15 years. The
number of hours spent on social media was determined based on a 5-point scale that ranged from
0 to 7 hours or more for children aged 12-13 years. Self-esteem and social connections were also
measured. The results of the study indicated that there was no significant linear trend that could
tie more hours spent on social media with poor mental health. The study also established that
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self-esteem was not a significant mediator. The researchers therefore concluded that there is little
evidence that could link hours spent on social media and mental health problems in adolescents.
Unlike Plackett et al. (2023) who utilized longitudinal observation in their study,
Dempsey et al. (2022) used an experimental investigation to determine how adolescents respond
to supportive and stigmatizing social media posts. The experiment tested how the participants
responded to both personal and perceived stigma. The experiment utilized a case vignette of an
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adolescent who manifested signs of depression. The results of the study indicated that a majority
of the adolescent and young adult participants were willing to support the vignette character who
experienced depression. Unlike most studies that connect social media and the cause of
depression and stigma, Dempsey et al. (2022) showed there was less stigma towards individuals
who were identified to be suffering from mental health problems. Young adults and adolescents
who were exposed to stigmatizing comments were willing to offer support to individuals who
were stigmatized.
In an attempt to establish the connection between social media use and mental health
problems in adolescents, Rutter et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional analysis for the purpose
of establishing this connection. The study explored the linkage between social media use and
problems such as anxiety and depression by using physical activity as the mediating factor. 4,592
adolescent parents’ dyads participated in a survey that took about 39 minutes. The survey
entailed the completion of a questionnaire that was administered through the web. The study
assessed various elements of social media use that included physical and psychological factors.
The results of the study indicated that social media use was linked to symptoms of loneliness,
anxiety, and depression. The mediating factor which was physical activity was associated with a
decline in anxiety and depression. Rutter et al. (2021) in their sample that represented the
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national population of adolescents revealed more consumption of social media was associated
with more symptoms of anxiety, loneliness, and depression. However, increased participation in
physical activity was linked with less anxiety and depression symptoms.
Methodology Section
A methodological approach in a study states the strategy and the rationale of the research
process. This particular study seeks to establish the link between social media use in adolescents
and mental health. The study will rely on a quantitative approach because a hypothesis guiding
the research process was already established prior to the study process. A quantitative study as
postulated by Yegidis et al. (2018) tests an already existing hypothesis. Another reason that
justifies the use of quantitative approach in this study is that it seeks to establish a causal and
effect relationship. Yegidis et al. (2018) assert that a quantitative study should establish a causal
relationship between variable understudies.
Participants
The study will focus on adolescents aged between 12-17 years who actively use social
media. Adolescents will be the targeted research participants for the study. The selected age
group form the majority of social media users across the United States of America. Reid
Chassiakos et al. (2016) in their article assert that adolescents as young as 12 years are more
addicted to social media use compared to the adult population. This therefore justifies the focus
on adolescents aged between 12 to 17 years. A total of 350 participants will be selected to form
the sample required for the study.
Study Materials
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A sample of 350 adolescents were selected to participate in the study after obtaining the
consent and permission of their parents. The participants were aged between 12-17 years of age.
A printed questionnaire and survey materials were used to collect information from the
participants. A DSM 5 tool was used to assess whether the participants had cases of depression.
Procedure and Design
After selecting the 350 participants that formed the samples, the consent and permission
of their parents was sought prior to their participation since they were adolescents. Their consent
and permission to participate in the study were equally sought. Questionnaires with questions
that tested the history of social media usage, hours of social media usage, experiences of
bullying, experiences of stigma, addiction, experiences of sleep disruptions, and mental health
problems experienced due to social media usage. A DSM 5 tool was used to assess the presence
of depression among participants who indicated that they experienced mental health problems.
Results Section
180 participants, equivalent to 51% were males while 170 participants, equivalent to 49%
were females thus making a total of 350 participants. All the selected participants answered the
questionnaire questions willingly. 80 Participants endorsed a long history of social media usage.
They indicated that they had used social media for more than 10 years in their lives. They also
indicated that they experienced disrupted sleep. 200 participants, equivalent to 57% indicated
that they were addicted to social media use. 150 of the participants who endorsed social media
addiction indicated that they had once experienced social media bullying. 120 participants of the
total sample indicated that they used social media for more than 3 hours every day. 80 of these
categories endorsed addiction as their main problem. The participants who endorsed addiction
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also indicated that they sometimes experienced stress and anxiety. 60 participants in both male
and female categories indicated that they have experienced symptoms of depression after using
social media and being exposed to cyber bullying. The DSM 5 criteria for depression was used to
assess the participants who endorsed depression. The assessment mediated for other factors that
could be linked to depression such as substance and alcohol use and lack of physical activity. 40
of the 60 who endorsed depression were determined to be suffering from depression that could
be linked to the effects of social media usage. However, depression was not only tied to hours or
history of usage, but also to exposure to negative messages and inappropriate content on social
media.
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Discussion Section
History of social media usage was linked to the occurrence of health mental problems
such as anxiety, depression, and stress. The participants who endorsed that they had used social
media for more than 10 years endorsed social media action. They also linked addiction to
interruptions of sleep. Reid Chassiakos et al. (2016) in their study asserts that social media
addiction in adolescents is tied to disruptions of sleep thus exposing adolescents to other mental
health problems such as stress and anxiety. The study therefore links social media addiction and
disruption of sleep. Disrupted sleep has also been linked to interference with neurological
development of the brain in adolescents. Participants who endorsed using social media for more
than 3 hours everyday also endorsed social media addiction. Additionally, social media use for at
least 3 hours or more also increased chances of experiencing cyberbullying among participants.
The results indicate that longer hours spent on social media increased chances of addiction and
exposure to cyberbullying. With regards to depression, 40 of the participants who indicated that
they suffered depression went through the DSM 5 tool. Other causes of depression were
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mediated during the test. The results of the study show that depression due to social media usage
not only stems from the time spent or history of usage, but also from other variables such as
nature of messaging the participants interacted with, cyberbullying, and exposure to
inappropriate social media content.
Ethical Concerns
The research adhered to ethical requirements that guide researchers when conducting a
study. The study upheld the APA ethical standards and principles when interacting with research
participants. Informed consent and confidentiality of the participants were safeguarded during
the study. APA Ethical standard 8.02 requires psychologists to obtain the consent of the
participants before they can participate in a study. The ethical standards also require researchers
to ensure confidentiality when using the information obtained from the participants and when
communicating the results of the study (APA, 2017). While the researcher adhered to all ethical
requirements, some participants shared certain types of messages or content that they believed
linked were to mental health problems during social media use.
Limitations of the Study and Suggestions for Further Research
In as much the study used measurable variables that included frequency of social media
usage, and number of years of social media usage, the results of the study could not be
generalized to other adolescents in the United States because it only focused on a sample of 350
adolescent participants. The study also focused on adolescents who used social media platforms
such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. The study did not focus
on a specific platform thus limiting its generalizability to adolescents who focus on specific
platforms. Future studies could focus on specific social media platforms and investigate the
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effects linked with the usages of such platforms. For instance, the effects of TikTok usage could
vary from the effects of Facebook or Twitter usage. The current study looked at both mental
health issues that are linked to social media use in adolescents without focusing on a particular
mental health problem or benefit. Future research could identify a specific problem such as
depression, stress, or anxiety to focus on.
Figures and Tables
The above figure shows the demographic composition of the research participants.
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The above chart shows how the participants were distributed along the variables of the study.
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References
APA. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. (PDF). Retrieved from
https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/ethics-code-2017.pdf
Dempsey, B., Looney, K., McNamara, R., Michalek, S., & Hennessy, E. (2022). An
experimental investigation of adolescent and young adult responses to stigmatizing and
supportive social media posts in response to a depressed peer. Computers in Human
Behavior, 131, 107229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107229
Plackett, R., Sheringham, J., & Dykxhoorn, J. (2023). The Longitudinal Impact of Social Media
Use on UK Adolescents' Mental Health: Longitudinal Observational Study. Journal of
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Reid Chassiakos, Y. L., Radesky, J., Christakis, D., Moreno, M. A., Cross, C., Hill, D., ... &
Swanson, W. S. (2016). Children and adolescents and digital media. Pediatrics, 138(5).
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Mojtabai, R. (2019). Associations between time spent using social media and
internalizing and externalizing problems among US youth. JAMA psychiatry, 76(12),
1266-1273. Retrieved from
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2749480
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Singh, A., Kumar, H., Kumari, S., & Scholar, R. (2020). Impact of social media on adolescents
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Retrieved from
escent%27s_Mental_Health
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343205479_Impact_of_Social_Media_on_Adol
Yegidis, B. L., Weinbach, R. W., & Myers, L. L. (2018). Research methods for social
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