Investigating problematic social media and game use in a nationally representative sample of adolescents and younger adults

Research on addictive media use has often concentrated on only one specific form of problematic usage behaviour, making it impossible to systematically examine how different types of disordered use are related to each other and whether they have similar or different correlational characteristics. The present study focused on the co-occurrence of problematic social media use and problematic digital game use. Both constructs were measured with adapted versions of an established screening instrument that was based on the DSM-5 criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder. Among a nationally representative sample of 1929 German Internet users (age: 14–39), we detected 1.9% disordered gamers and 2.6% disordered social media users. Co-occurrence rates and correlations between both types of problematic use were high. Future studies should investigate whether these connections are rather an expression of mutual direct interactions between both constructs or rather a reflection of shared antecedents. Using SEM, we moreover confirmed that both forms of problematic use were more pronounced among males and were also associated with lower levels of psychosocial well-being, especially depression and anxiety. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine whether problematic media use is rather the cause or consequence of psychosocial health impairments.