Reasons for Adolescents' Social Media Use

Abstract

Previous research has documented a relation between social media use and adolescent well-being. However, little is known about whether this connection is based on the reasons why adolescents use social media. Adolescent uses of social media, along with how such factors correlate with parent-reported mental health concerns and adolescent-reported self-perception, were assessed in 202 parent-adolescent dyads (with adolescents ranging in age from 14-17). Higher reported social media engagement (i.e., higher number of accounts, greater frequency of checking) were associated with parent-reported mental health concerns, as well as adolescent-reported loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), narcissism, and lower self-esteem. However, these relations were most applicable to using social media to cope with stress or to express emotions. These findings are further discussed in terms of ways in which social media use may be adaptive or maladaptive for youth.