Computer-mediated communication (CMC), and specifically social media, may affect the mental health (MH) and well-being of its users, for better or worse. Research on this topic has accumulated rapi...

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Computer-Mediated Communication, Social Media, and Mental Health: A Conceptual and Empirical Meta-Review:

Social Media and Well-Being: Pitfalls, Progress, and Next Steps

Because of the rise of social networking sites (SNSs), social comparisons take place at an unprecedented rate and scale. There is a growing concern that these online social comparisons negatively impact people's subjective well-being (SWB). In this paper, we review research on (a) the antecedents of social comparisons on SNSs, (b) the consequences of social comparisons on SNSs for SWB and, (c) social comparison as a mechanism explaining (mediator) or affecting (moderator) the relationship between SNSs and SWB. The occurrence of social comparisons on SNSs depends on who uses the SNS and on how the SNS is being used with passive use in particular resulting in increased levels of social comparison. Moreover, social comparison on SNSs may occasionally result in an increase in SWB but typically negative effects are found as people tend to engage in contrasting upward social comparisons. Finally, several studies show that social comparison is a key mechanism explaining the relationship between use of SNSs and SWB and that users with a tendency to engage in social comparison are especially likely to be negatively impacted by SNSs. The dynamic, cyclical processes that result from this pattern of findings are discussed.

Social comparison on social networking sites

With an advancement of digital technology, excessive screen time has become a grave concern. This has pushed researchers and practitioners to focus on digital well-being. Screen time during COVID-19 has further increased as a result of public health measures enforced by governments to curb the pandemic. With the global societies under lockdown, the only medium to stay socio- emotionally connected was the digital one. A lack of comprehensive empirical overviews on screen time in COVID-19 era in the present literature prompted us to conduct this review. The present review attempts to understand the virtual social connectedness, excessive use of digital technology, its consequences and suggest strategies to maintain healthy use of digital technology. Results reveal that screen time has increased drastically during COVID-19. Though there are mixed consequences of prolonged screen time use and blurred understanding between healthy and unhealthy social connectedness over digital media, the suggestions for negative implications on (physical and) mental health warrant a strict need for inculcating healthy digital habits, especially knowing that digital technology is here to stay and grow with time.

/pdf/social-connectedness-excessive-screen-time-during-covid-19-2ixyiujc0q.pdf

Social Connectedness, Excessive Screen Time During COVID-19 and Mental Health: A Review of Current Evidence

Literature reviews on how social media use affects adolescent mental health have accumulated at an unprecedented rate of late. Yet, a higher-level integration of the evidence is still lacking. We fill this gap with an up-to-date umbrella review, a review of reviews published between 2019 and mid-2021. Our search yielded 25 reviews: seven meta-analyses, nine systematic, and nine narrative reviews. Results showed that most reviews interpreted the associations between social media use and mental health as ‘weak’ or ‘inconsistent,’ whereas a few qualified the same associations as ‘substantial’ and ‘deleterious.’ We summarize the gaps identified in the reviews, provide an explanation for their diverging interpretations, and suggest several avenues for future research.

Social media use and its impact on adolescent mental health: An umbrella review of the evidence.

The puzzle of whether digital media are improving or harming psychological well-being has been plaguing researchers and the public for decades. Derived from media richness theory, this study proposed that phone calls and texting improve well-being, while use of social network sites (SNSs), instant messaging (IM), and online gaming may displace other social contacts and, thereby, impair well-being. To test this hypothesis, a meta-analysis of 124 studies was conducted. The results showed that phone calls and texting were positively correlated with well-being, whereas online gaming was negatively associated with well-being. Furthermore, the relationship between digital media use and well-being was also contingent upon the way the technology was used. A series of meta-analyses of different types of SNS use and well-being was used to elucidate this point: interaction, self-presentation, and entertainment on SNSs were associated with better well-being, whereas consuming SNSs’ content was associated with poorer well-being.

Digital Communication Media Use and Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis

Current scholarship knows little about what forms of social support are the major benefits of Social Network Sites (SNSs) use To solve this problem, this study examined the association of SNSs use and social support by meta-analyzing 73 effects from 31 studies We also examined several important moderators such as age, gender, and culture The findings revealed that generic SNS use may be helpful for informational and emotional support, but not for tangible and esteem support Further moderation analysis demonstrated that SNSs are better set up for online social support, but it also provides offline support benefits The analyses also showed differences between users who engage in active SNS activities and those who passive consume online content Moreover, Asians were found to receive more social support via SNS presentation than Europeans and Americans Older and female students were found to be able to acquire more social support from SNS use

Baijing Hu

Papers

Digital Communication Media Use and Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis

A meta-analysis of Social Network Site use and social support

Expression of Concern: Digital Communication Media Use and Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis