Social Media Use and Adolescent Mental Health: Findings From the UK Millennium Cohort Study
Kelly Y, Zilanawala A, Booker C, Sacker A
EClinicalMedicine · 301 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Grants
- Economic and Social Research Council (ES/R008930/1); Economic and Social Research Council (ES/L009153/1); Economic and Social Research Council (ES/R008930/1); Economic and Social Research Council (ES/L009153/1)
Based on 1 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2018-12-01 · EClinicalMedicine · vol. 6 · pp. 59–68
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Cited
- 759 citations · more than 100% of similar papers · 118.4× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 35 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY-NC-ND
- Research areas
- Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Mental Health via Writing · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Keywords
- social media use, adolescent mental health, depressive symptoms, online harassment, sleep, self-esteem, body image, body dissatisfaction, sex differences, Millennium Cohort Study
4 authors
From GB
- Yvonne J. Kelly · correspondingUniversity College London
- Afshin ZilanawalaUniversity College London
- Cara L. BookerUniversity of Essex; Institute for Social and Economic Research
- Amanda SackerUniversity College London
Abstract
Background
Evidence suggests social media use is associated with mental health in young people but underlying processes are not well understood. This paper i) assesses whether social media use is associated with adolescents' depressive symptoms, and ii) investigates multiple potential explanatory pathways via online harassment, sleep, self-esteem and body image.
Methods
We used population based data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study on 10,904 14 year olds. Multivariate regression and path models were used to examine associations between social media use and depressive symptoms.
Findings
The magnitude of association between social media use and depressive symptoms was larger for girls than for boys. Compared with 1-3 h of daily use: 3 to < 5 h 26% increase in scores vs 21%; ≥ 5 h 50% vs 35% for girls and boys respectively. Greater social media use related to online harassment, poor sleep, low self-esteem and poor body image; in turn these related to higher depressive symptom scores. Multiple potential intervening pathways were apparent, for example: greater hours social media use related to body weight dissatisfaction (≥ 5 h 31% more likely to be dissatisfied), which in turn linked to depressive symptom scores directly (body dissatisfaction 15% higher depressive symptom scores) and indirectly via self-esteem.
Interpretation
Our findings highlight the potential pitfalls of lengthy social media use for young people's mental health. Findings are highly relevant for the development of guidelines for the safe use of social media and calls on industry to more tightly regulate hours of social media use.
Funding
Economic and Social Research Council.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY-NC-ND).
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