The interest in studying the relationship between social media and mental health has surged in recent years. This is unsurprising, given the pervasive role social media plays in our daily lives, designed to capture as much of our time as possible. Adolescents and young adults, in particular, spend significant amounts of time on these platforms. While some researchers have raised concerns about potential negative impacts on mental health, others highlight positive aspects, such as social support and community building. However, the answers are not straightforward, as they depend on various factors including research design, measurement choices, and the nature of social media interactions.
The current editorial provides an overview of 25 studies exploring the diverse relationships between social media use and mental health, indicative of the growing interest in advancing this research field. These studies offer valuable insights and lessons learned, which are crucial for future research directions.
Global Perspectives and Research Challenges
The studies included in this collection were conducted across various countries, including China, India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Canada, the USA, and Spain, with a majority (16) conducted in China. This concentration of research in China is intriguing, especially considering the country’s strict internet regulations and the different social media platforms used there compared to Western countries. This raises questions about governmental or academic funding priorities and societal concerns about technology’s impact on youth in China.
Despite the global interest, only three studies involved participants from multiple countries, highlighting the need for more cross-cultural research. Such studies could provide valuable comparisons, considering the different types of social media used across contexts. Additionally, the timing of data collection is crucial in social media research, as platform features and societal norms can shift rapidly, potentially altering study outcomes. Researchers are urged to clarify data collection timelines to enhance study context understanding.
Target Populations and Research Design
The studies predominantly focused on young people, with three studies involving adolescents (up to 18 years) and 16 studies involving young adults (18-30 years), mainly university students. The remaining studies included adults aged 18 and older. This focus reflects the higher social media usage among younger demographics and their potential vulnerability to its psychological impacts. However, as social media usage grows among older adults, future research should explore its effects on this demographic, particularly regarding loneliness and social support.
Sample sizes varied significantly, from 44 to 336,000 participants. Larger surveys and registry-based studies typically had larger samples, while experiments had smaller ones. Most studies employed cross-sectional designs, which are relatively weak in establishing causal relationships. However, seven studies used longitudinal designs, with three being experimental, offering a clearer understanding of how social media use and mental health factors relate over time. Researchers are encouraged to exploit natural policy changes, such as Australia’s upcoming Online Safety Amendment, to study their effects on youth mental health.
Key Findings and Theoretical Frameworks
The studies examined a wide range of outcomes, including mental health symptoms, self-esteem, quality of life, mobile phone addiction, and sleep patterns. Researchers treated mental health factors as either outcomes predicted by social media use or vice versa. This diversity in research approaches reflects the field’s current state and underscores the need for alignment with existing research to facilitate comparisons and progress.
Many studies were grounded in theoretical frameworks such as Uses and Gratifications Theory, the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, and Social Cognitive Theory. These frameworks guide research and streamline hypothesis generation and testing, making the collection a valuable reference for future studies.
Study Results: Cross-Sectional, Longitudinal, and Experimental Analyses
Cross-sectional analyses revealed that higher problematic social media use was linked to increased depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, and loneliness. Mediation analyses showed that social comparison and cognitive overload played a role in these associations. Longitudinal studies found that increases in problematic social media use correlated with rising depressive symptoms and loneliness, while self-esteem inversely predicted problematic use. Experimental studies highlighted that individuals with depression were more likely to share negative emotional content, with self-referential processing mediating this behavior.
Conclusions and Future Directions
The findings suggest that the relationship between social media use and mental health is complex, with factors like cyberbullying and social comparison mediating these effects. While time spent on social media is relevant, the events occurring on these platforms and individual vulnerabilities are crucial to understanding mental health variations.
Moreover, the collection provides evidence for the reverse pathway: how pre-existing mental health states influence online behavior. Individuals with depression or low self-esteem are more inclined to share negative content, impacting their social media use. These insights suggest that mental health issues can affect not only social media usage but also the content shared.
Given the predominance of cross-sectional studies, more longitudinal research examining associations over time is warranted. Understanding sharing patterns and content in relation to mental health and contextual factors offers promising research avenues.
As guest advisors for this article collection, we thank all authors for their contributions. This collection brings new insights into how mental health is shaped and shapes behaviors in the digital age. It serves as a valuable reference for researchers exploring new questions and methodologies. While the collection focuses on negative aspects of social media use, it’s essential to acknowledge the multifaceted nature of social media and its impacts in our collective research efforts.
