The use of social media by Australian preadolescents and its links with mental health
- PMID: 32003901
- DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22936
The use of social media by Australian preadolescents and its links with mental health
Abstract
Objectives: Preadolescent social media use is normative and could influence mental health. This study investigated: (a) Differences between preadolescent users and non-users of various social media platforms on mental health, (b) unique links between time spent on those platforms, appearance-based activities on social media, and mental health, and (c) the moderating role of biological sex on those relationships.
Method: Preadolescent youth (N = 528; 50.9% male) completed online surveys.
Results: Users of YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat reported more body image concerns and eating pathology than non-users, but did not differ on depressive symptoms or social anxiety. Appearance investment uniquely predicted depressive symptoms. Appearance comparisons uniquely predicted all aspects of mental health, with some associations stronger for females than males.
Conclusions: Preadolescents could be encouraged to reduce their opportunities to make appearance comparisons and to invest less in their appearance on social media. Preadolescents may benefit from social media intervention programs.
Keywords: body image; mental health; preadolescent; social comparison; social media.
© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Similar articles
-
Parental Control of the Time Preadolescents Spend on Social Media: Links with Preadolescents' Social Media Appearance Comparisons and Mental Health.J Youth Adolesc. 2018 Jul;47(7):1456-1468. doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0870-1. Epub 2018 Jun 5. J Youth Adolesc. 2018. PMID: 29869763
-
An examination of preadolescent girls' social media use and body image: Type of engagement may matter most.Body Image. 2022 Sep;42:145-149. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.05.005. Epub 2022 Jun 14. Body Image. 2022. PMID: 35714421
-
The Contribution of Social Media to Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Disorder Symptoms, and Anabolic Steroid Use Among Sexual Minority Men.Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2018 Mar;21(3):149-156. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2017.0375. Epub 2018 Jan 24. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2018. PMID: 29363993 Free PMC article.
-
#KidsAnxiety and Social Media: A Review.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2018 Apr;27(2):171-182. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.005. Epub 2017 Dec 22. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2018. PMID: 29502744 Review.
-
The Perfect Storm: A Developmental-Sociocultural Framework for the Role of Social Media in Adolescent Girls' Body Image Concerns and Mental Health.Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2022 Dec;25(4):681-701. doi: 10.1007/s10567-022-00404-5. Epub 2022 Jul 16. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2022. PMID: 35841501 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
The Impact of Social Media Use on Sleep and Mental Health in Youth: a Scoping Review.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2024 Mar;26(3):104-119. doi: 10.1007/s11920-024-01481-9. Epub 2024 Feb 8. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2024. PMID: 38329569 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem in elementary school-aged children: the role of media pressure and trust in parent-child relationships.Front Psychol. 2024 Jan 3;14:1228860. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1228860. eCollection 2023. Front Psychol. 2024. PMID: 38235278 Free PMC article.
-
Unravelling the veil of appearance anxiety: exploring social media use among Chinese young people.BMC Psychol. 2024 Jan 2;12(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s40359-023-01495-7. BMC Psychol. 2024. PMID: 38167566 Free PMC article.
-
The beauty and the beast of social media: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the impact of adolescents' social media experiences on their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic.Curr Psychol. 2023 Jan 21:1-17. doi: 10.1007/s12144-023-04271-3. Online ahead of print. Curr Psychol. 2023. PMID: 36713619 Free PMC article.
-
Examining the Prospective Bidirectional Associations between Subjective and Objective Attractiveness and Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms and Life Satisfaction.J Youth Adolesc. 2023 Feb;52(2):370-392. doi: 10.1007/s10964-022-01700-7. Epub 2022 Nov 12. J Youth Adolesc. 2023. PMID: 36370229 Free PMC article.
References
REFERENCES
-
- Adcock, A., Bate, A., & Woodhouse, J. (2016). Effect of social media on the mental health of young people. Retrieved from http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CDP-2016...
-
- Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Kingsbury, M., & Schneider, B. H. (2013). Friendship: An old concept with a new meaning? Computers in Human Behavior, 29(1), 33-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.05.025
-
- Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2018). Teens, social media & technology 2018. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/
-
- Angold, A., Costello, E. J., Messer, S. C., & Pickles, A. (1995). Development of a short questionnaire for use in epidemiological studies of depression in children and adolescents. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 5(4), 237-249.
-
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2016). Household use of information technology, Australia, 2014-15. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/ACC2D18CC958BC7BCA2568A9001393...
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical