Social media behaviors and symptoms of anxiety and depression. A four-wave cohort study from age 10-16 years.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Concerns have been raised that social media use causes mental health problems in adolescents, but findings are mixed, and effects are typically small. The present inquiry is the first to measure diagnostically-defined symptoms of depression and anxiety, examining whether changes in social media behavior predict changes in levels of symptoms from age 10 to 16, and vice versa. We differentiate between activity related to one's own vs. others' social media content or pages (i.e., self-oriented: posting updates, photos vs other-oriented: liking, commenting).

Methods

A birth-cohort of Norwegian children was interviewed about their social media at ages 10, 12, 14 and 16 years (n = 810). Symptoms of depression, social anxiety and generalized anxiety were captured

SUBMITTER: Steinsbekk S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11521397 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature