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Windows of developmental sensitivity to social media

Author

Listed:
  • Amy Orben

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Andrew K. Przybylski

    (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford)

  • Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

    (University of Cambridge
    Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London)

  • Rogier A. Kievit

    (University of Cambridge
    Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center)

Abstract

The relationship between social media use and life satisfaction changes across adolescent development. Our analyses of two UK datasets comprising 84,011 participants (10–80 years old) find that the cross-sectional relationship between self-reported estimates of social media use and life satisfaction ratings is most negative in younger adolescents. Furthermore, sex differences in this relationship are only present during this time. Longitudinal analyses of 17,409 participants (10–21 years old) suggest distinct developmental windows of sensitivity to social media in adolescence, when higher estimated social media use predicts a decrease in life satisfaction ratings one year later (and vice-versa: lower estimated social media use predicts an increase in life satisfaction ratings). These windows occur at different ages for males (14–15 and 19 years old) and females (11–13 and 19 years old). Decreases in life satisfaction ratings also predicted subsequent increases in estimated social media use, however, these were not associated with age or sex.

Suggested Citation

  • Amy Orben & Andrew K. Przybylski & Sarah-Jayne Blakemore & Rogier A. Kievit, 2022. "Windows of developmental sensitivity to social media," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-29296-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29296-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eveline A. Crone & Elly A. Konijn, 2018. "Media use and brain development during adolescence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Lynn, Peter, 2009. "Sample design for Understanding Society," Understanding Society Working Paper Series 2009-01, Understanding Society at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    3. Amy Orben & Andrew K. Przybylski, 2019. "The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(2), pages 173-182, February.
    4. Rosseel, Yves, 2012. "lavaan: An R Package for Structural Equation Modeling," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 48(i02).
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    1. Cabeza Martínez, Begoña & D'Hombres, Beatrice & Kovacic, Matija, 2025. "Social media use, loneliness and emotional distress among young people in Europe," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1551, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Begoña Cabeza Martínez & Béatrice d’Hombres & Matija Kovacic, 2025. "Social media use, loneliness and emotional distress among young people in Europe," Working Papers 2025: 01, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    3. Sanchez, Giselle & Jenkins, Janis H., 2024. "Social media & subjectivity: Adolescent lived experiences with social media in a Southern California middle school," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    4. Matija Kovacic & Cristina Elisa Orso, 2024. "Adverse childhood experiences and social media use in adulthood. Evidence from a novel EU survey," Working Papers 2024: 17, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    5. Kovacic, Matija & Orso, Cristina Elisa, 2024. "Adverse childhood experiences and social media use in adulthood. Evidence from a novel EU survey," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1531, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    6. Ana Suárez Álvarez & María R. Vicente, 2023. "Going “beyond the GDP” in the digital economy: exploring the relationship between internet use and well-being in Spain," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Hiroyuki Egami & Md. Shafiur Rahman & Tsuyoshi Yamamoto & Chihiro Egami & Takahisa Wakabayashi, 2024. "Causal effect of video gaming on mental well-being in Japan 2020–2022," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 8(10), pages 1943-1956, October.

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