Comparación Social negativa: La influencia de la Ansiedad, la Regulación Emocional y el Uso Problemático de Redes Sociales / Negative Social Comparison: The influence of Anxiety, Emotion Regulation and Problematic Social Media Use

Los adolescentes y adultos jóvenes son el grupo demográfico que más utiliza las redes sociales para poder comunicarse con sus iguales. Pese a ser un lugar que conecta a las personas, las redes sociales se han visto invadidas por publicaciones modificadas por filtros que provocan que los propios jóvenes, y en especial, las mujeres, se vean expuestas a ideales de belleza irreales, y que, a su vez, acaben comparándose de forma negativa y ascendente ante estos. Debido a este aumento de la comparación social entre las mujeres, el objetivo de este estudio fue observar si la ansiedad, el uso problemático de redes sociales (PSMU) y la regulación emocional estaban asociados con la comparación ascendente y si había diferencias entre géneros. Una muestra de 176 adolescentes y adultos jóvenes completó una encuesta en línea que incluía el Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, el Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, el Negative Social Media Comparison Scale y la subescala Reparación del Trait Meta-Mood Scale, además de responder a otros datos demográficos y hábitos de uso de redes sociales. Los resultados mostraron que la ansiedad y el uso problemático de redes sociales aumentaban la comparación social negativa, que la regulación emocional la disminuía, y que las mujeres tendían a compararse más que los hombres. Los resultados manifiestan la necesidad de diseñar acciones educativas dirigidas a la población adolescente y joven, especialmente de género femenino, para protegerla ante los usos perjudiciales de las redes sociales.(AU)

Most social media users are adolescents and young adults, and they use them to communicate with their peers. Despite being a place that can bring people together, social media have been invaded by publications modified by filters that can cause young people, and especially women, to be exposed to unreal beauty ideals. In turn, these girls end up comparing themselves negatively or upwardly to them. Due to this social comparison increase among women, the aim of this study was to observe if anxiety, problematic social media use (PSMU) and emotion regulation were associated with upward social comparison, and if there were gender differences. 176 adolescents and young adults took an online survey that included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Negative Social Media Comparison Scale and the Repair subscale from the Trait Meta-Mood Scale, as well as demographic data and habits regarding their social media use. Results showed that anxiety and PSMU increased the negative social comparison while emotion regulation decreased it. In addition, women tended to compare themselves more than men. The results from our study showed the need to design educational actions aimed at adolescents and young adults to protect them from the harmful uses of social media, and especially, aimed at women.(AU)

Problematic social media use and overweight/obesity: explanatory pathway analysis of 124 667 in-school adolescents in 39 high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between adolescent problematic social media use (PSMU) and overweight/obesity and the potential explanatory pathways for this association are unclear. This study (1) examined the relationship between PSMU and overweight/obesity and (2) evaluated potential explanatory pathways for this association. METHODS: The data used in this study came from the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. A sample of 124 667 in-school adolescents from 39 high-income countries was analysed. Sequential logistic regressions were used to estimate the association between PSMU and overweight/obesity. Pathway analysis using a non-parametric bootstrapping technique tested the hypothesized mediating roles. RESULTS: The multivariable logistic regressions indicated that higher problematic social media users were 1.11 times more likely to be overweight/obese compared with those who reported low PSMU (AOR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.05-1.18). Our bootstrapping mediation analyses showed that PSMU indirectly influenced overweight/obesity through breakfast skipping, life satisfaction, family communication, self-rated health, and physical activity, accounting for 19.8% (ß = 0.0068, Boots 95% CI = 0.0056-0.0074), 15.1% (ß = 0.0050, Boots 95% CI = 0.0046-0.0056), 9.2% (ß = 0.0031, Boots 95% CI = 0.0024-0.0038), 7.8% (ß = 0.0024, Boots 95% CI = 0.001-0.004), and 5.2% (ß = 0.0017, Boots 95% CI = 0.0014-0.0023), respectively, of the total effect. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that used nationally representative data from multiple countries in high-income countries to examine the association between PSMU and overweight/obesity and potential explanatory pathways among school-going adolescents. This finding has important implications for public health interventions to reduce overweight/obesity rates among young people.

Validation of the Social Media Disorder Scale using network analysis in a large representative sample of Czech adolescents.

Background: The importance of studying the excessive use of social media in adolescents is increasing and so is the need for in-depth evaluations of the psychometric properties of the measurement tools. This study investigated the properties of the Social Media Disorder Scale (SMDS) in a large representative sample of Czech adolescents. Methods: We analyzed the representative sample of 13,377 Czech adolescents (50.9% boys), 11-16 years old, who participated in the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey (2017-18), using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and network models. Furthermore, we evaluated the measurement invariance and constructed the validity of the SMDS. Results: We found support for a single dominant factor but not for strict unidimensionality. Several residual correlations were identified. The strongest were for: problems-conflicts-deceptions; persistence-escape; and preoccupation-tolerance-withdrawal. Girls, particularly 13- and 15-year-olds, scored higher than boys in the same age group, and 13- and 15-year-olds achieved higher scores than 11-year-olds, although some items were not invariant between the groups. The SMDS was positively related to other online activities, screen time, and falling asleep late, but negatively related to well-being and mental health. Discussion and conclusions: The SMDS showed solid psychometric properties and construct validity. However, small violations of measurement invariance were detected. Furthermore, the network analysis showed important residual relationships between the items.

A mixed-methods study of problematic social media use, attention dysregulation, and social media use motives.

Problematic social media use (PSMU) refers to excessive uncontrolled use of social media which impacts upon daily functioning (Blackwell et al., 2017). Self-regulation is central to the development and experience of PSMU, and conceptually interrelates with individual usage motivations (Reinecke et al., 2022). While there is a growing body of research on social media use motivations, how usage motivations and self-regulation combined influence PSMU is not well understood. There are also persistent questions around the effectiveness of addiction-based measures of PSMU. The quantitative component of this nested mixed-methods study (N = 607) employed hierarchical regression and structural equation modelling, principally identifying that impulsive social media usage mediates the pathway between perceived executive/attentional functioning and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS, Andreassen et al., 2012, 2016), a popular tool used to measure PSMU. In contrast, social-engagement motivations had a negative influence on the BSMAS. The qualitative component, comprising interview/open-ended questionnaire, explored individual experiences self-regulating social media use. Participants (N = 24) were recruited from the survey study, based on meeting screening criteria for executive dysfunction (Adult Self-Report ADHD Scale, Kessler et al., 2005), with sub-groups defined by top and bottom quartile BSMAS scores (evenly grouped). Thematic analysis found that most individuals with attention dysregulation, regardless of their BSMAS category, perceive self-regulation of social media use as highly challenging and effortful, describing broadly problematic relationship with social media. They also described rich combination of motivations and context of using social media, and strategies for managing use. This research questions the effectiveness of the BSMAS as a measure of general PSMU (lacking a formed self-regulation component), especially in individuals with attentional dysregulation. Future research investigating self-regulation strategies and focusing on characteristics of positive social media use is needed.

Problematic Smartphone Use and Problematic Social Media Use: The Predictive Role of Self-Construal and the Mediating Effect of Fear Missing Out.

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) and problematic social media use (PSMU) are two interrelated constructs which have received significant research attention over the past decade. The present study investigated the relationship between self-construal (distinguished as independent and interdependent), PSU and PSMU with Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) as a mediating variable. The sample comprised 405 Italian students who completed standardized psychometric scales assessing the variables of the study. Bivariate correlations analysis showed that FoMO and independent self-construal was significantly and negatively associated. On the contrary, interdependent self-construal was significantly and positively associated with FoMO, PSU, and PSMU. Mediation analysis showed that FoMO mediated the relationship between self-construal and both PSMU and PSU, but at different levels. The results demonstrated that FoMO full mediated the relationships between interdependent self and PSU, whereas only partial mediation was found between interdependent self and PSMU. Therefore, taking these personality characteristics into account may help reduce dysfunctional behaviour associated with problematic technology use and promote psychological well-being among students. However, it is recommended that further studies replicate the proposed model by including other psychological constructs.

Predictors of Problematic Social Media Use in a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents in Luxembourg.

Social media use has increased substantially over the past decades, especially among adolescents. A proportion of adolescents develop a pattern of problematic social media use (PSMU). Predictors of PSMU are insufficiently understood and researched. This study aims to investigate predictors of PSMU in a nationally representative sample of adolescents in Luxembourg. Data from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Luxembourg were used, in which 8687 students aged 11-18 years old participated. The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. A range of sociodemographic, social support, well-being and media use predictors were added to the model in four blocks. The predictors in the final model explained 22.3% of the variance in PSMU. The block of sociodemographic predictors explained the lowest proportion of variance in PSMU compared with the other blocks. Age negatively predicted PSMU. Of the predictors related to social support, cyberbullying perpetration was the strongest predictor of PSMU. Perceived stress and psychosomatic complaints positively predicted PSMU. The intensity of electronic media communication and preference for online social interaction were stronger predictors of PSMU than the other predictors in the model. The results indicate that prevention efforts need to consider the diverse range of predictors related to PSMU.

The association between problematic internet use, psychological distress, and sleep problems during COVID-19.

The implementation of mandatory stay-at-home and isolation policies during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in people relying more on smartphone use to obtain the latest developments regarding the pandemic, interact with people, and for entertainment. Unfortunately, as people spend more time participating in Internet activities, they are more likely to encounter problematic internet use (PIU) issues. The main purpose of this study was to examine the association between two kinds of PIU [problematic smartphone use (PSU) and problematic social media use (PSMU)], psychological distress, and sleep problems. In addition, the moderating effect of sleep problems was examined. A total of 11014 school teachers completed the online survey. The participants were divided into two (high and low sleep problem) groups, according to the severity of their sleep problems, for comparison. The research conducted a comparison between the degree of PIU and psychological distress, and then provided correction for the two groups separately. The results indicated that the high sleep problem group exhibited significantly greater psychological distress [mean (SD) = 12.94 (11.29)] than the low sleep problem group [(mean (SD) = 3.42 (6.57)]. Both PSU and PSMU were positively correlated with psychological distress in the two groups. The moderating effect of sleep problems was supported and PSMU was more harmful to psychological distress in the high sleep problem group, while the effect of PSU on psychological distress was not significantly different between the two groups.

Fear of Missing Out as a Predictor of Problematic Social Media Use and Phubbing Behavior among Flemish Adolescents.

Fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) refers to feelings of anxiety that arise from the realization that you may be missing out on rewarding experiences that others are having. FOMO can be identified as an intra-personal trait that drives people to stay up to date of what other people are doing, among others on social media platforms. Drawing from the findings of a large-scale survey study among 2663 Flemish teenagers, this study explores the relationships between FOMO, social media use, problematic social media use (PSMU) and phubbing behavior. In line with our expectations, FOMO was a positive predictor of both how frequently teenagers use several social media platforms and of how many platforms they actively use. FOMO was a stronger predictor of the use of social media platforms that are more private (e.g., Facebook, Snapchat) than platforms that are more public in nature (e.g., Twitter, Youtube). FOMO predicted phubbing behavior both directly and indirectly via its relationship with PSMU. These findings support extant research that points towards FOMO as a factor explaining teenagers' social media use.