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Does using social media jeopardize well-being?: The importance of separating within- from between-person effects
Stavrova,Olga Denissen,Jaap
Stavrova,Olga
Denissen,Jaap
Abstract
Social networking sites (SNS) are frequently criticized as a driving force behind rising depression rates. Yet empirical studies exploring the associations between SNS use and well-being have been predominantly cross-sectional, while the few existing longitudinal studies provided mixed results. We examined prospective associations between SNS use and multiple indicators of well-being in a nationally representative sample of Dutch adults (N ∼ 10,000), comprising six waves of annual measures of SNS use and well-being. We used an analytic method that estimated prospective effects of SNS use and well-being while also estimating time-invariant between-person associations between these variables. Between individuals, SNS use was associated with lower well-being. However, within individuals, year-to-year changes in SNS use were not prospectively associated with changes in well-being (or vice versa). Overall, our analyses suggest that the conclusions about the causal impact of social media on rising mental health problems in the population might be premature.
Description
Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Date
2021
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Research Projects
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Keywords
ADOLESCENTS, ASSOCIATIONS, BEHAVIORS, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, FACEBOOK USAGE, LONELINESS, MODELS, PACKAGE, TECHNOLOGY, and within-person effects, between, emotions, life satisfaction, loneliness, longitudinal methods, self-esteem, social media, social networking sites
Citation
Stavrova, O & Denissen, J 2021, 'Does using social media jeopardize well-being? The importance of separating within- from between-person effects', Social Psychological and Personality Science, vol. 12, no. 6, pp. 964-973. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620944304