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Social Media Use and Depressive Symptoms—A Longitudinal Study from Early to Late Adolescence

Author

Listed:
  • Kati Puukko

    (Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Lauri Hietajärvi

    (Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Erika Maksniemi

    (Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Kimmo Alho

    (Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Katariina Salmela-Aro

    (Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland)

Abstract

An increasing number of studies have addressed how adolescents’ social media use is associated with depressive symptoms. However, few studies have examined whether these links occur longitudinally across adolescence when examined at the individual level of development. This study investigated the within-person effects between active social media use and depressive symptoms using a five-wave longitudinal dataset gathered from 2891 Finnish adolescents (42.7% male, age range 13–19 years). Sensitivity analysis was conducted, adjusting for gender and family financial status. The results indicate that depressive symptoms predicted small increases in active social media use during both early and late adolescence, whereas no evidence of the reverse relationship was found. Yet, the associations were very small, statistically weak, and somewhat inconsistent over time. The results provide support for the growing notion that the previously reported direct links between social media use and depressive symptoms might be exaggerated. Based on these findings, we suggest that the impact of social media on adolescents’ well-being should be approached through methodological assumptions that focus on individual-level development.

Suggested Citation

  • Kati Puukko & Lauri Hietajärvi & Erika Maksniemi & Kimmo Alho & Katariina Salmela-Aro, 2020. "Social Media Use and Depressive Symptoms—A Longitudinal Study from Early to Late Adolescence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:16:p:5921-:d:399258
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jean M. Twenge & Jonathan Haidt & Thomas E. Joiner & W. Keith Campbell, 2020. "Underestimating digital media harm," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(4), pages 346-348, April.
    2. Best, Paul & Manktelow, Roger & Taylor, Brian, 2014. "Online communication, social media and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 27-36.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wen Xiao & Jiaxin Peng & Suqun Liao, 2022. "Exploring the Associations between Social Media Addiction and Depression: Attentional Bias as a Mediator and Socio-Emotional Competence as a Moderator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-14, October.
    2. Huang Gu & Panpan Zhang & Jingyi Li, 2024. "The effect of self-esteem on depressive symptoms among adolescents: the mediating roles of hope and anxiety," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-6, December.
    3. Claire van Duin & Andreas Heinz & Helmut Willems, 2021. "Predictors of Problematic Social Media Use in a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents in Luxembourg," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-15, November.

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