Bitescience analysis, in collaboration with the Knowledge Center for Digitization and Wellbeing from the Trimbos Institute, the latest and most relevant research among young people on the impact of social media.
Positive and negative aspects of social media
We can see that there are both positive and negative mortgage between the use of social media and the well-being of young people. Social media offers many opportunities for young people. Such as making connections, deepening relationships, finding support from others and creating their identity. This can contribute to higher self-confidence, a more positive self-image, stronger social skills, less loneliness and more life satisfaction.
But social media use may be associated with anxiety, feelings of depression, and lower life satisfaction. In addition, the stress of always being connected and accessible can cause anxiety and make young people sleep worse.
The impact of social media on the well-being of young people is difficult to determine
It is difficult for researchers to prove that social media is real victory to have the goodness of the youth. A causal relationship it is often not found. But there is one relationship confirmed in some studies. This is about, for example, interaction. Consider, for example, young people who use social media more because of feelings of depression. Their feelings of depression are then reinforced by social media.
What is surprising in the studies is that the connection between social media and the well-being of young people is generally very small. For a large group of young people we don’t even see a connection at all. According to some researchers, this does not change the fact that the social consequences can be great, even if only a small group is adversely affected. For some young people we see a clear relationship between social media and their well-being. Some personal characteristics and how social media is used play a role in this.
Personal characteristics that play a role
The most important personal characteristics that influence the relationship between social media use and well-being are gender, age, the ability to manage your emotions, your personality and exercise.
Gender: girls vs. guys
It seems that girls use social media more often to maintain social relationships than boys. As a result, they get more online support and more meaningful online relationships. But they are also more susceptible to the negative aspects of social media. Especially when it comes to body image satisfaction and cyberbullying. Read more about gender roles.
Age
Younger teenagers (10 to 15 years old) who spend a lot of time on social media appear to be more vulnerable to developing symptoms of depression and anxiety as a result of media use social. This is because they have more limited social and emotional management skills than older young people.
Being able to manage emotions
Young people who can manage their emotions well are less affected by the negative aspects of social media. Young people who are not so good at managing their emotions more often use social media to manage their emotions. For example, they look for distraction on social media when they are feeling bad. It is also more often young people who have feelings of depression.
Personality
Socially confident young people who have a strong offline social network would mostly use social media to communicate with that network. As a result, they experience better offline friendships and more social support. Young people with lower social self-esteem and a less strong offline social network would be more likely to interact with strangers online. This increases the risk of unwanted connections through social media. Read more about the role of personality.
Movement
It seems that young people who are more physically active are less prone to the negative aspects of social media use, such as anxiety and feelings of depression.
How do young people use social media?
The way young people use social media can also affect their mental health and well-being. The main characteristics are: the way they use it, how long they spend on social media and the type of feedback (such as comments or ‘likes’) they receive.
The method of use
Young people who use social media mostly a passive way (for example, by looking at pictures of other users or scrolling through comments or feeds) young people are more likely to compare themselves to others. They also experience jealousy, loneliness, anxiety and feelings of depression more often. Young people who use social media mostly active method people, experiencing a more positive mood, seeing themselves in a more positive way, more satisfied with their lives and receiving more social support from others. Young people who use social media to express their thoughts and feelings and find social support appear to have better overall mental health. They are also more satisfied with their lives. Read more about how social media is used.
What time on social media
Anxiety, feelings of depression and sleep problems seem to be more common among young people who spend a lot of time on social media. According to some studies, that’s more than 2 hours a day. According to other studies, it is more than 4 hours a day. Young people who use social media in a problematic way are also more negatively affected. The relationship between excessive/problematic use of social media and anxiety and depressive feelings is twofold: excessive and problematic use of social media can lead to anxiety and depressive feelings. On the other hand, these feelings can lead to excessive and problematic use of social media. Moderate social media use (less than about twice a day) has been linked in some studies to higher life satisfaction, more perceived social support, better social relationships, and stronger community involvement.
Side note: However, there are also studies that do not find a relationship between time spent on social media and well-being.
Positive, negative or no feedback
Young people who receive positive feedback on social media (such as compliments or kind comments) have higher self-esteem and are more satisfied with their lives. This is especially true when that feedback comes from close friends. Young people who receive negative feedback (eg hate or other rude comments) or are ignored or excluded on social media experience a sense of self-acceptance and lower self-esteem . They feel less comfortable in their own skin. Young people who are ignored or excluded online also feel like they don’t belong.
Features of the content
Positive messages about mental health, such as messages that break the taboo around mental health, can inspire and teach young people something. It can also encourage conversations about mental health and support young people recovering from a disorder. It seems that young people who more often use visual social media, such as Instagram and TikTok, are more concerned about their body image and are more likely to suffer from anxiety and feelings of depression. Seeing the number of ‘likes’, friends and followers can also affect young people’s self-acceptance. That’s because it can be interpreted as a measure of self-esteem and popularity. This means that there will be a risk that young people will compare themselves too much with other people and that they will worry them more. Read more about the content features.
More information
2024-11-11 15:32:00
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