How does using social media relate to feeling lonely, and why do some adolescents seem to be more affected than others? A new study by Rebecca Godard, Amber van der Wal, and Ine Beyens sheds light on these questions using intensive, real‑time data from teenagers’ daily lives.
What the study did
The researchers analyzed experience sampling data from 387 adolescents. By repeatedly tracking both social media use and feelings of loneliness, the study could examine not just whether the two are related, but also what psychological processes might explain that link, and how these processes differ between adolescents and within the same adolescent over time.
Mediation effects that differ between and within users
A novel contribution of this study is methodological as well as substantive. It is the first study to demonstrate that the mediation effects linking social media use to well‑being and ill‑being can vary both between users and within individual users over time. This means that not all adolescents are affected by social media in the same way. For some, social comparison or low social capital may strongly link social media use to loneliness; for others, these mechanisms may be weaker or different. Even within the same adolescent, these processes can change from moment to moment. On some days or in some situations, social media use might be more strongly tied to social comparison and loneliness than on others.
Recognizing this variability is crucial for moving beyond simple “good vs. bad” narratives about social media and instead understanding when, how, and for whom social media use is most problematic.
Links
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