effects of social media to students research paper in the philippines

The Social Media Usage and Its Impact on the Filipino Learners' Academic Performance Amidst the Online Education

Usage metrics.

Educational psychology
Educational technology and computing
Other education not elsewhere classified
Secondary education
Sociology of education
Early childhood education
Teacher education and professional development of educators
Higher education
Special education and disability
Primary education
Physical education and development curriculum and pedagogy
Environmental education and extension
Education systems not elsewhere classified
Education assessment and evaluation

CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS article

The effect of social media on the development of students’ affective variables.

$\r\nMiao Chen,*$

1 Science and Technology Department, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China
2 School of Marxism, Hohai University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
3 Government Enterprise Customer Center, China Mobile Group Jiangsu Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China

The use of social media is incomparably on the rise among students, influenced by the globalized forms of communication and the post-pandemic rush to use multiple social media platforms for education in different fields of study. Though social media has created tremendous chances for sharing ideas and emotions, the kind of social support it provides might fail to meet students’ emotional needs, or the alleged positive effects might be short-lasting. In recent years, several studies have been conducted to explore the potential effects of social media on students’ affective traits, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and so on. The present paper reviews the findings of the exemplary published works of research to shed light on the positive and negative potential effects of the massive use of social media on students’ emotional well-being. This review can be insightful for teachers who tend to take the potential psychological effects of social media for granted. They may want to know more about the actual effects of the over-reliance on and the excessive (and actually obsessive) use of social media on students’ developing certain images of self and certain emotions which are not necessarily positive. There will be implications for pre- and in-service teacher training and professional development programs and all those involved in student affairs.

Introduction

Social media has turned into an essential element of individuals’ lives including students in today’s world of communication. Its use is growing significantly more than ever before especially in the post-pandemic era, marked by a great revolution happening to the educational systems. Recent investigations of using social media show that approximately 3 billion individuals worldwide are now communicating via social media ( Iwamoto and Chun, 2020 ). This growing population of social media users is spending more and more time on social network groupings, as facts and figures show that individuals spend 2 h a day, on average, on a variety of social media applications, exchanging pictures and messages, updating status, tweeting, favoring, and commenting on many updated socially shared information ( Abbott, 2017 ).

Researchers have begun to investigate the psychological effects of using social media on students’ lives. Chukwuere and Chukwuere (2017) maintained that social media platforms can be considered the most important source of changing individuals’ mood, because when someone is passively using a social media platform seemingly with no special purpose, s/he can finally feel that his/her mood has changed as a function of the nature of content overviewed. Therefore, positive and negative moods can easily be transferred among the population using social media networks ( Chukwuere and Chukwuere, 2017 ). This may become increasingly important as students are seen to be using social media platforms more than before and social networking is becoming an integral aspect of their lives. As described by Iwamoto and Chun (2020) , when students are affected by social media posts, especially due to the increasing reliance on social media use in life, they may be encouraged to begin comparing themselves to others or develop great unrealistic expectations of themselves or others, which can have several affective consequences.

Considering the increasing influence of social media on education, the present paper aims to focus on the affective variables such as depression, stress, and anxiety, and how social media can possibly increase or decrease these emotions in student life. The exemplary works of research on this topic in recent years will be reviewed here, hoping to shed light on the positive and negative effects of these ever-growing influential platforms on the psychology of students.

Significance of the study

Though social media, as the name suggests, is expected to keep people connected, probably this social connection is only superficial, and not adequately deep and meaningful to help individuals feel emotionally attached to others. The psychological effects of social media on student life need to be studied in more depth to see whether social media really acts as a social support for students and whether students can use social media to cope with negative emotions and develop positive feelings or not. In other words, knowledge of the potential effects of the growing use of social media on students’ emotional well-being can bridge the gap between the alleged promises of social media and what it actually has to offer to students in terms of self-concept, self-respect, social role, and coping strategies (for stress, anxiety, etc.).

Exemplary general literature on psychological effects of social media

Before getting down to the effects of social media on students’ emotional well-being, some exemplary works of research in recent years on the topic among general populations are reviewed. For one, Aalbers et al. (2018) reported that individuals who spent more time passively working with social media suffered from more intense levels of hopelessness, loneliness, depression, and perceived inferiority. For another, Tang et al. (2013) observed that the procedures of sharing information, commenting, showing likes and dislikes, posting messages, and doing other common activities on social media are correlated with higher stress. Similarly, Ley et al. (2014) described that people who spend 2 h, on average, on social media applications will face many tragic news, posts, and stories which can raise the total intensity of their stress. This stress-provoking effect of social media has been also pinpointed by Weng and Menczer (2015) , who contended that social media becomes a main source of stress because people often share all kinds of posts, comments, and stories ranging from politics and economics, to personal and social affairs. According to Iwamoto and Chun (2020) , anxiety and depression are the negative emotions that an individual may develop when some source of stress is present. In other words, when social media sources become stress-inducing, there are high chances that anxiety and depression also develop.

Charoensukmongkol (2018) reckoned that the mental health and well-being of the global population can be at a great risk through the uncontrolled massive use of social media. These researchers also showed that social media sources can exert negative affective impacts on teenagers, as they can induce more envy and social comparison. According to Fleck and Johnson-Migalski (2015) , though social media, at first, plays the role of a stress-coping strategy, when individuals continue to see stressful conditions (probably experienced and shared by others in media), they begin to develop stress through the passage of time. Chukwuere and Chukwuere (2017) maintained that social media platforms continue to be the major source of changing mood among general populations. For example, someone might be passively using a social media sphere, and s/he may finally find him/herself with a changed mood depending on the nature of the content faced. Then, this good or bad mood is easily shared with others in a flash through the social media. Finally, as Alahmar (2016) described, social media exposes people especially the young generation to new exciting activities and events that may attract them and keep them engaged in different media contexts for hours just passing their time. It usually leads to reduced productivity, reduced academic achievement, and addiction to constant media use ( Alahmar, 2016 ).

The number of studies on the potential psychological effects of social media on people in general is higher than those selectively addressed here. For further insights into this issue, some other suggested works of research include Chang (2012) , Sriwilai and Charoensukmongkol (2016) , and Zareen et al. (2016) . Now, we move to the studies that more specifically explored the effects of social media on students’ affective states.

Review of the affective influences of social media on students

Vygotsky’s mediational theory (see Fernyhough, 2008 ) can be regarded as a main theoretical background for the support of social media on learners’ affective states. Based on this theory, social media can play the role of a mediational means between learners and the real environment. Learners’ understanding of this environment can be mediated by the image shaped via social media. This image can be either close to or different from the reality. In the case of the former, learners can develop their self-image and self-esteem. In the case of the latter, learners might develop unrealistic expectations of themselves by comparing themselves to others. As it will be reviewed below among the affective variables increased or decreased in students under the influence of the massive use of social media are anxiety, stress, depression, distress, rumination, and self-esteem. These effects have been explored more among school students in the age range of 13–18 than university students (above 18), but some studies were investigated among college students as well. Exemplary works of research on these affective variables are reviewed here.

In a cross-sectional study, O’Dea and Campbell (2011) explored the impact of online interactions of social networks on the psychological distress of adolescent students. These researchers found a negative correlation between the time spent on social networking and mental distress. Dumitrache et al. (2012) explored the relations between depression and the identity associated with the use of the popular social media, the Facebook. This study showed significant associations between depression and the number of identity-related information pieces shared on this social network. Neira and Barber (2014) explored the relationship between students’ social media use and depressed mood at teenage. No significant correlation was found between these two variables. In the same year, Tsitsika et al. (2014) explored the associations between excessive use of social media and internalizing emotions. These researchers found a positive correlation between more than 2-h a day use of social media and anxiety and depression.

Hanprathet et al. (2015) reported a statistically significant positive correlation between addiction to Facebook and depression among about a thousand high school students in wealthy populations of Thailand and warned against this psychological threat. Sampasa-Kanyinga and Lewis (2015) examined the relationship between social media use and psychological distress. These researchers found that the use of social media for more than 2 h a day was correlated with a higher intensity of psychological distress. Banjanin et al. (2015) tested the relationship between too much use of social networking and depression, yet found no statistically significant correlation between these two variables. Frison and Eggermont (2016) examined the relationships between different forms of Facebook use, perceived social support of social media, and male and female students’ depressed mood. These researchers found a positive association between the passive use of the Facebook and depression and also between the active use of the social media and depression. Furthermore, the perceived social support of the social media was found to mediate this association. Besides, gender was found as the other factor to mediate this relationship.

Vernon et al. (2017) explored change in negative investment in social networking in relation to change in depression and externalizing behavior. These researchers found that increased investment in social media predicted higher depression in adolescent students, which was a function of the effect of higher levels of disrupted sleep. Barry et al. (2017) explored the associations between the use of social media by adolescents and their psychosocial adjustment. Social media activity showed to be positively and moderately associated with depression and anxiety. Another investigation was focused on secondary school students in China conducted by Li et al. (2017) . The findings showed a mediating role of insomnia on the significant correlation between depression and addiction to social media. In the same year, Yan et al. (2017) aimed to explore the time spent on social networks and its correlation with anxiety among middle school students. They found a significant positive correlation between more than 2-h use of social networks and the intensity of anxiety.

Also in China, Wang et al. (2018) showed that addiction to social networking sites was correlated positively with depression, and this correlation was mediated by rumination. These researchers also found that this mediating effect was moderated by self-esteem. It means that the effect of addiction on depression was compounded by low self-esteem through rumination. In another work of research, Drouin et al. (2018) showed that though social media is expected to act as a form of social support for the majority of university students, it can adversely affect students’ mental well-being, especially for those who already have high levels of anxiety and depression. In their research, the social media resources were found to be stress-inducing for half of the participants, all university students. The higher education population was also studied by Iwamoto and Chun (2020) . These researchers investigated the emotional effects of social media in higher education and found that the socially supportive role of social media was overshadowed in the long run in university students’ lives and, instead, fed into their perceived depression, anxiety, and stress.

Keles et al. (2020) provided a systematic review of the effect of social media on young and teenage students’ depression, psychological distress, and anxiety. They found that depression acted as the most frequent affective variable measured. The most salient risk factors of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression based on the systematic review were activities such as repeated checking for messages, personal investment, the time spent on social media, and problematic or addictive use. Similarly, Mathewson (2020) investigated the effect of using social media on college students’ mental health. The participants stated the experience of anxiety, depression, and suicidality (thoughts of suicide or attempts to suicide). The findings showed that the types and frequency of using social media and the students’ perceived mental health were significantly correlated with each other.

The body of research on the effect of social media on students’ affective and emotional states has led to mixed results. The existing literature shows that there are some positive and some negative affective impacts. Yet, it seems that the latter is pre-dominant. Mathewson (2020) attributed these divergent positive and negative effects to the different theoretical frameworks adopted in different studies and also the different contexts (different countries with whole different educational systems). According to Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions ( Fredrickson, 2001 ), the mental repertoires of learners can be built and broadened by how they feel. For instance, some external stimuli might provoke negative emotions such as anxiety and depression in learners. Having experienced these negative emotions, students might repeatedly check their messages on social media or get addicted to them. As a result, their cognitive repertoire and mental capacity might become limited and they might lose their concentration during their learning process. On the other hand, it should be noted that by feeling positive, learners might take full advantage of the affordances of the social media and; thus, be able to follow their learning goals strategically. This point should be highlighted that the link between the use of social media and affective states is bi-directional. Therefore, strategic use of social media or its addictive use by students can direct them toward either positive experiences like enjoyment or negative ones such as anxiety and depression. Also, these mixed positive and negative effects are similar to the findings of several other relevant studies on general populations’ psychological and emotional health. A number of studies (with general research populations not necessarily students) showed that social networks have facilitated the way of staying in touch with family and friends living far away as well as an increased social support ( Zhang, 2017 ). Given the positive and negative emotional effects of social media, social media can either scaffold the emotional repertoire of students, which can develop positive emotions in learners, or induce negative provokers in them, based on which learners might feel negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. However, admittedly, social media has also generated a domain that encourages the act of comparing lives, and striving for approval; therefore, it establishes and internalizes unrealistic perceptions ( Virden et al., 2014 ; Radovic et al., 2017 ).

It should be mentioned that the susceptibility of affective variables to social media should be interpreted from a dynamic lens. This means that the ecology of the social media can make changes in the emotional experiences of learners. More specifically, students’ affective variables might self-organize into different states under the influence of social media. As for the positive correlation found in many studies between the use of social media and such negative effects as anxiety, depression, and stress, it can be hypothesized that this correlation is induced by the continuous comparison the individual makes and the perception that others are doing better than him/her influenced by the posts that appear on social media. Using social media can play a major role in university students’ psychological well-being than expected. Though most of these studies were correlational, and correlation is not the same as causation, as the studies show that the number of participants experiencing these negative emotions under the influence of social media is significantly high, more extensive research is highly suggested to explore causal effects ( Mathewson, 2020 ).

As the review of exemplary studies showed, some believed that social media increased comparisons that students made between themselves and others. This finding ratifies the relevance of the Interpretation Comparison Model ( Stapel and Koomen, 2000 ; Stapel, 2007 ) and Festinger’s (1954) Social Comparison Theory. Concerning the negative effects of social media on students’ psychology, it can be argued that individuals may fail to understand that the content presented in social media is usually changed to only represent the attractive aspects of people’s lives, showing an unrealistic image of things. We can add that this argument also supports the relevance of the Social Comparison Theory and the Interpretation Comparison Model ( Stapel and Koomen, 2000 ; Stapel, 2007 ), because social media sets standards that students think they should compare themselves with. A constant observation of how other students or peers are showing their instances of achievement leads to higher self-evaluation ( Stapel and Koomen, 2000 ). It is conjectured that the ubiquitous role of social media in student life establishes unrealistic expectations and promotes continuous comparison as also pinpointed in the Interpretation Comparison Model ( Stapel and Koomen, 2000 ; Stapel, 2007 ).

Implications of the study

The use of social media is ever increasing among students, both at school and university, which is partly because of the promises of technological advances in communication services and partly because of the increased use of social networks for educational purposes in recent years after the pandemic. This consistent use of social media is not expected to leave students’ psychological, affective and emotional states untouched. Thus, it is necessary to know how the growing usage of social networks is associated with students’ affective health on different aspects. Therefore, we found it useful to summarize the research findings in recent years in this respect. If those somehow in charge of student affairs in educational settings are aware of the potential positive or negative effects of social media usage on students, they can better understand the complexities of students’ needs and are better capable of meeting them.

Psychological counseling programs can be initiated at schools or universities to check upon the latest state of students’ mental and emotional health influenced by the pervasive use of social media. The counselors can be made aware of the potential adverse effects of social networking and can adapt the content of their inquiries accordingly. Knowledge of the potential reasons for student anxiety, depression, and stress can help school or university counselors to find individualized coping strategies when they diagnose any symptom of distress in students influenced by an excessive use of social networking.

Admittedly, it is neither possible to discard the use of social media in today’s academic life, nor to keep students’ use of social networks fully controlled. Certainly, the educational space in today’s world cannot do without the social media, which has turned into an integral part of everybody’s life. Yet, probably students need to be instructed on how to take advantage of the media and to be the least affected negatively by its occasional superficial and unrepresentative content. Compensatory programs might be needed at schools or universities to encourage students to avoid making unrealistic and impartial comparisons of themselves and the flamboyant images of others displayed on social media. Students can be taught to develop self-appreciation and self-care while continuing to use the media to their benefit.

The teachers’ role as well as the curriculum developers’ role are becoming more important than ever, as they can significantly help to moderate the adverse effects of the pervasive social media use on students’ mental and emotional health. The kind of groupings formed for instructional purposes, for example, in social media can be done with greater care by teachers to make sure that the members of the groups are homogeneous and the tasks and activities shared in the groups are quite relevant and realistic. The teachers cannot always be in a full control of students’ use of social media, and the other fact is that students do not always and only use social media for educational purposes. They spend more time on social media for communicating with friends or strangers or possibly they just passively receive the content produced out of any educational scope just for entertainment. This uncontrolled and unrealistic content may give them a false image of life events and can threaten their mental and emotional health. Thus, teachers can try to make students aware of the potential hazards of investing too much of their time on following pages or people that publish false and misleading information about their personal or social identities. As students, logically expected, spend more time with their teachers than counselors, they may be better and more receptive to the advice given by the former than the latter.

Teachers may not be in full control of their students’ use of social media, but they have always played an active role in motivating or demotivating students to take particular measures in their academic lives. If teachers are informed of the recent research findings about the potential effects of massively using social media on students, they may find ways to reduce students’ distraction or confusion in class due to the excessive or over-reliant use of these networks. Educators may more often be mesmerized by the promises of technology-, computer- and mobile-assisted learning. They may tend to encourage the use of social media hoping to benefit students’ social and interpersonal skills, self-confidence, stress-managing and the like. Yet, they may be unaware of the potential adverse effects on students’ emotional well-being and, thus, may find the review of the recent relevant research findings insightful. Also, teachers can mediate between learners and social media to manipulate the time learners spend on social media. Research has mainly indicated that students’ emotional experiences are mainly dependent on teachers’ pedagogical approach. They should refrain learners from excessive use of, or overreliance on, social media. Raising learners’ awareness of this fact that individuals should develop their own path of development for learning, and not build their development based on unrealistic comparison of their competences with those of others, can help them consider positive values for their activities on social media and, thus, experience positive emotions.

At higher education, students’ needs are more life-like. For example, their employment-seeking spirits might lead them to create accounts in many social networks, hoping for a better future. However, membership in many of these networks may end in the mere waste of the time that could otherwise be spent on actual on-campus cooperative projects. Universities can provide more on-campus resources both for research and work experience purposes from which the students can benefit more than the cyberspace that can be tricky on many occasions. Two main theories underlying some negative emotions like boredom and anxiety are over-stimulation and under-stimulation. Thus, what learners feel out of their involvement in social media might be directed toward negative emotions due to the stimulating environment of social media. This stimulating environment makes learners rely too much, and spend too much time, on social media or use them obsessively. As a result, they might feel anxious or depressed. Given the ubiquity of social media, these negative emotions can be replaced with positive emotions if learners become aware of the psychological effects of social media. Regarding the affordances of social media for learners, they can take advantage of the potential affordances of these media such as improving their literacy, broadening their communication skills, or enhancing their distance learning opportunities.

A review of the research findings on the relationship between social media and students’ affective traits revealed both positive and negative findings. Yet, the instances of the latter were more salient and the negative psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and stress have been far from negligible. These findings were discussed in relation to some more relevant theories such as the social comparison theory, which predicted that most of the potential issues with the young generation’s excessive use of social media were induced by the unfair comparisons they made between their own lives and the unrealistic portrayal of others’ on social media. Teachers, education policymakers, curriculum developers, and all those in charge of the student affairs at schools and universities should be made aware of the psychological effects of the pervasive use of social media on students, and the potential threats.

It should be reminded that the alleged socially supportive and communicative promises of the prevalent use of social networking in student life might not be fully realized in practice. Students may lose self-appreciation and gratitude when they compare their current state of life with the snapshots of others’ or peers’. A depressed or stressed-out mood can follow. Students at schools or universities need to learn self-worth to resist the adverse effects of the superficial support they receive from social media. Along this way, they should be assisted by the family and those in charge at schools or universities, most importantly the teachers. As already suggested, counseling programs might help with raising students’ awareness of the potential psychological threats of social media to their health. Considering the ubiquity of social media in everybody’ life including student life worldwide, it seems that more coping and compensatory strategies should be contrived to moderate the adverse psychological effects of the pervasive use of social media on students. Also, the affective influences of social media should not be generalized but they need to be interpreted from an ecological or contextual perspective. This means that learners might have different emotions at different times or different contexts while being involved in social media. More specifically, given the stative approach to learners’ emotions, what learners emotionally experience in their application of social media can be bound to their intra-personal and interpersonal experiences. This means that the same learner at different time points might go through different emotions Also, learners’ emotional states as a result of their engagement in social media cannot be necessarily generalized to all learners in a class.

As the majority of studies on the psychological effects of social media on student life have been conducted on school students than in higher education, it seems it is too soon to make any conclusive remark on this population exclusively. Probably, in future, further studies of the psychological complexities of students at higher education and a better knowledge of their needs can pave the way for making more insightful conclusions about the effects of social media on their affective states.

Suggestions for further research

The majority of studies on the potential effects of social media usage on students’ psychological well-being are either quantitative or qualitative in type, each with many limitations. Presumably, mixed approaches in near future can better provide a comprehensive assessment of these potential associations. Moreover, most studies on this topic have been cross-sectional in type. There is a significant dearth of longitudinal investigation on the effect of social media on developing positive or negative emotions in students. This seems to be essential as different affective factors such as anxiety, stress, self-esteem, and the like have a developmental nature. Traditional research methods with single-shot designs for data collection fail to capture the nuances of changes in these affective variables. It can be expected that more longitudinal studies in future can show how the continuous use of social media can affect the fluctuations of any of these affective variables during the different academic courses students pass at school or university.

As already raised in some works of research reviewed, the different patterns of impacts of social media on student life depend largely on the educational context. Thus, the same research designs with the same academic grade students and even the same age groups can lead to different findings concerning the effects of social media on student psychology in different countries. In other words, the potential positive and negative effects of popular social media like Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, etc., on students’ affective conditions can differ across different educational settings in different host countries. Thus, significantly more research is needed in different contexts and cultures to compare the results.

There is also a need for further research on the higher education students and how their affective conditions are positively and negatively affected by the prevalent use of social media. University students’ psychological needs might be different from other academic grades and, thus, the patterns of changes that the overall use of social networking can create in their emotions can be also different. Their main reasons for using social media might be different from school students as well, which need to be investigated more thoroughly. The sorts of interventions needed to moderate the potential negative effects of social networking on them can be different too, all requiring a new line of research in education domain.

Finally, there are hopes that considering the ever-increasing popularity of social networking in education, the potential psychological effects of social media on teachers be explored as well. Though teacher psychology has only recently been considered for research, the literature has provided profound insights into teachers developing stress, motivation, self-esteem, and many other emotions. In today’s world driven by global communications in the cyberspace, teachers like everyone else are affecting and being affected by social networking. The comparison theory can hold true for teachers too. Thus, similar threats (of social media) to self-esteem and self-worth can be there for teachers too besides students, which are worth investigating qualitatively and quantitatively.

Probably a new line of research can be initiated to explore the co-development of teacher and learner psychological traits under the influence of social media use in longitudinal studies. These will certainly entail sophisticated research methods to be capable of unraveling the nuances of variation in these traits and their mutual effects, for example, stress, motivation, and self-esteem. If these are incorporated within mixed-approach works of research, more comprehensive and better insightful findings can be expected to emerge. Correlational studies need to be followed by causal studies in educational settings. As many conditions of the educational settings do not allow for having control groups or randomization, probably, experimental studies do not help with this. Innovative research methods, case studies or else, can be used to further explore the causal relations among the different features of social media use and the development of different affective variables in teachers or learners. Examples of such innovative research methods can be process tracing, qualitative comparative analysis, and longitudinal latent factor modeling (for a more comprehensive view, see Hiver and Al-Hoorie, 2019 ).

Author contributions

Both authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.

This study was sponsored by Wuxi Philosophy and Social Sciences bidding project—“Special Project for Safeguarding the Rights and Interests of Workers in the New Form of Employment” (Grant No. WXSK22-GH-13). This study was sponsored by the Key Project of Party Building and Ideological and Political Education Research of Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications—“Research on the Guidance and Countermeasures of Network Public Opinion in Colleges and Universities in the Modern Times” (Grant No. XC 2021002).

Conflict of interest

Author XX was employed by China Mobile Group Jiangsu Co., Ltd.

The remaining author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Aalbers, G., McNally, R. J., Heeren, A., de Wit, S., and Fried, E. I. (2018). Social media and depression symptoms: A network perspective. J. Exp. Psychol. Gen. 148, 1454–1462. doi: 10.1037/xge0000528

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Abbott, J. (2017). Introduction: Assessing the social and political impact of the internet and new social media in Asia. J. Contemp. Asia 43, 579–590. doi: 10.1080/00472336.2013.785698

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Alahmar, A. T. (2016). The impact of social media on the academic performance of second year medical students at College of Medicine, University of Babylon, Iraq. J. Med. Allied Sci. 6, 77–83. doi: 10.5455/jmas.236927

Banjanin, N., Banjanin, N., Dimitrijevic, I., and Pantic, I. (2015). Relationship between internet use and depression: Focus on physiological mood oscillations, social networking and online addictive behavior. Comp. Hum. Behav. 43, 308–312. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.013

Barry, C. T., Sidoti, C. L., Briggs, S. M., Reiter, S. R., and Lindsey, R. A. (2017). Adolescent social media use and mental health from adolescent and parent perspectives. J. Adolesc. 61, 1–11. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.08.005

Chang, Y. (2012). The relationship between maladaptive perfectionism with burnout: Testing mediating effect of emotion-focused coping. Pers. Individ. Differ. 53, 635–639. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2012.05.002

Charoensukmongkol, P. (2018). The impact of social media on social comparison and envy in teenagers: The moderating role of the parent comparing children and in-group competition among friends. J. Child Fam. Stud. 27, 69–79. doi: 10.1007/s10826-017-0872-8

Chukwuere, J. E., and Chukwuere, P. C. (2017). The impact of social media on social lifestyle: A case study of university female students. Gender Behav. 15, 9966–9981.

Google Scholar

Drouin, M., Reining, L., Flanagan, M., Carpenter, M., and Toscos, T. (2018). College students in distress: Can social media be a source of social support? Coll. Stud. J. 52, 494–504.

Dumitrache, S. D., Mitrofan, L., and Petrov, Z. (2012). Self-image and depressive tendencies among adolescent Facebook users. Rev. Psihol. 58, 285–295.

PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar

Fernyhough, C. (2008). Getting Vygotskian about theory of mind: Mediation, dialogue, and the development of social understanding. Dev. Rev. 28, 225–262. doi: 10.1016/j.dr.2007.03.001

Festinger, L. (1954). A Theory of social comparison processes. Hum. Relat. 7, 117–140. doi: 10.1177/001872675400700202

Fleck, J., and Johnson-Migalski, L. (2015). The impact of social media on personal and professional lives: An Adlerian perspective. J. Individ. Psychol. 71, 135–142. doi: 10.1353/jip.2015.0013

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Am. Psychol. 56, 218–226. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218

Frison, E., and Eggermont, S. (2016). Exploring the relationships between different types of Facebook use, perceived online social support, and adolescents’ depressed mood. Soc. Sci. Compu. Rev. 34, 153–171. doi: 10.1177/0894439314567449

Hanprathet, N., Manwong, M., Khumsri, J., Yingyeun, R., and Phanasathit, M. (2015). Facebook addiction and its relationship with mental health among Thai high school students. J. Med. Assoc. Thailand 98, S81–S90.

Hiver, P., and Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2019). Research Methods for Complexity Theory in Applied Linguistics. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. doi: 10.21832/HIVER5747

Iwamoto, D., and Chun, H. (2020). The emotional impact of social media in higher education. Int. J. High. Educ. 9, 239–247. doi: 10.5430/ijhe.v9n2p239

Keles, B., McCrae, N., and Grealish, A. (2020). A systematic review: The influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. Int. J. Adolesc. Youth 25, 79–93. doi: 10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851

Ley, B., Ogonowski, C., Hess, J., Reichling, T., Wan, L., and Wulf, V. (2014). Impacts of new technologies on media usage and social behavior in domestic environments. Behav. Inform. Technol. 33, 815–828. doi: 10.1080/0144929X.2013.832383

Li, J.-B., Lau, J. T. F., Mo, P. K. H., Su, X.-F., Tang, J., Qin, Z.-G., et al. (2017). Insomnia partially mediated the association between problematic Internet use and depression among secondary school students in China. J. Behav. Addict. 6, 554–563. doi: 10.1556/2006.6.2017.085

Mathewson, M. (2020). The impact of social media usage on students’ mental health. J. Stud. Affairs 29, 146–160.

Neira, B. C. J., and Barber, B. L. (2014). Social networking site use: Linked to adolescents’ social self-concept, self-esteem, and depressed mood. Aus. J. Psychol. 66, 56–64. doi: 10.1111/ajpy.12034

O’Dea, B., and Campbell, A. (2011). Online social networking amongst teens: Friend or foe? Ann. Rev. CyberTher. Telemed. 9, 108–112.

Radovic, A., Gmelin, T., Stein, B. D., and Miller, E. (2017). Depressed adolescents positive and negative use of social media. J. Adolesc. 55, 5–15. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.12.002

Sampasa-Kanyinga, H., and Lewis, R. F. (2015). Frequent use of social networking sites is associated with poor psychological functioning among children and adolescents. Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Network. 18, 380–385. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2015.0055

Sriwilai, K., and Charoensukmongkol, P. (2016). Face it, don’t Facebook it: Impacts of social media addiction on mindfulness, coping strategies and the consequence on emotional exhaustion. Stress Health 32, 427–434. doi: 10.1002/smi.2637

Stapel, D. A. (2007). “In the mind of the beholder: The interpretation comparison model of accessibility effects,” in Assimilation and Contrast in Social Psychology , eds D. A. Stapel and J. Suls (London: Psychology Press), 143–164.

Stapel, D. A., and Koomen, W. (2000). Distinctiveness of others, mutability of selves: Their impact on self-evaluations. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 79, 1068–1087. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.79.6.1068

Tang, F., Wang, X., and Norman, C. S. (2013). An investigation of the impact of media capabilities and extraversion on social presence and user satisfaction. Behav. Inform. Technol. 32, 1060–1073. doi: 10.1080/0144929X.2013.830335

Tsitsika, A. K., Tzavela, E. C., Janikian, M., Ólafsson, K., Iordache, A., Schoenmakers, T. M., et al. (2014). Online social networking in adolescence: Patterns of use in six European countries and links with psychosocial functioning. J. Adolesc. Health 55, 141–147. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.11.010

Vernon, L., Modecki, K. L., and Barber, B. L. (2017). Tracking effects of problematic social networking on adolescent psychopathology: The mediating role of sleep disruptions. J. Clin. Child Adolesc. Psychol. 46, 269–283. doi: 10.1080/15374416.2016.1188702

Virden, A., Trujillo, A., and Predeger, E. (2014). Young adult females’ perceptions of high-risk social media behaviors: A focus-group approach. J. Commun. Health Nurs. 31, 133–144. doi: 10.1080/07370016.2014.926677

Wang, P., Wang, X., Wu, Y., Xie, X., Wang, X., Zhao, F., et al. (2018). Social networking sites addiction and adolescent depression: A moderated mediation model of rumination and self-esteem. Pers. Individ. Differ. 127, 162–167. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.02.008

Weng, L., and Menczer, F. (2015). Topicality and impact in social media: Diverse messages, focused messengers. PLoS One 10:e0118410. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118410

Yan, H., Zhang, R., Oniffrey, T. M., Chen, G., Wang, Y., Wu, Y., et al. (2017). Associations among screen time and unhealthy behaviors, academic performance, and well-being in Chinese adolescents. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 14:596. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14060596

Zareen, N., Karim, N., and Khan, U. A. (2016). Psycho-emotional impact of social media emojis. ISRA Med. J. 8, 257–262.

Zhang, R. (2017). The stress-buffering effect of self-disclosure on Facebook: An examination of stressful life events, social support, and mental health among college students. Comp. Hum. Behav. 75, 527–537. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.05.043

Keywords : affective variables, education, emotions, social media, post-pandemic, emotional needs

Citation: Chen M and Xiao X (2022) The effect of social media on the development of students’ affective variables. Front. Psychol. 13:1010766. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1010766

Received: 03 August 2022; Accepted: 25 August 2022; Published: 15 September 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Chen and Xiao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Miao Chen, [email protected] ; Xin Xiao, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

We're Hiring!
Help Center

Implications to Social Interaction: An inquiry about the effects of social media to STEM students in a Philippine University

Related Papers

clive bonnici

Comments from 'Tim Davies' founder of onlineyouthwork.com It includes an in-depth literature review looking at theories of CMC - Computer Mediated Communication, and outlines a method for exploring online working. If you're interested in the findings for practice, then after reading the introduction, head direct for Chapter 4 (pg. 48) to follow Clive's in-depth exploration of how online chat fits into youth work practice, and to read through case studies the impact of using online chat in interactions with young people. Clive's recommendations are particularly strong - highlighting the need for youth workers to overcome fear and reluctance to engage online, and the need to see online and offline as part of the same - an integrated reality for young people. As the closing section puts it: "The way forward of Youth Workers after analyzing the data collected in this research is very clear. The service of the Youth Worker should be available to young people online as well as offline. Youth information centers and organization should cater their services not only offline but also in an online manner."

Petra Kochanová

Paul Kirschner

Abstract Social presence—the degree to which 'the other'in a communication appears to be a 'real'person—has captured the attention of those dealing with learning in groups through computer-supported collaborative learning environments. The concept is important because it affects participation and social interaction, both necessary for effective collaboration and knowledge construction.

Oğuzhan Atabek

A cross-cultural explanatory sequential mixed method design was utilized to investigate the implementability of social networking services for educational purposes. It was aimed to shed light on the nature of relationship between the use of social networking services and pre-service teachers’ personality, motivation to use Facebook, motives to use Facebook, and attitude towards using Facebook. In addition to that, it was aimed to understand the perceived usefulness and feasibility of Social networking services as educational tools and the feelings of the future teachers about the “appropriateness” of Facebook as an educational implementation. In the quantitative phase of the research, which was carried out in both Turkey and then the United States of America, a correlational study was utilized. For scaling motives, motivation, personality, Facebook use, and attitude towards using Facebook, five questionnaires which were developed and used in English were translated into Turkish. Multiple linear, ordinal logistic, and binomial logistic regression analyses were conducted for quantitative data analysis. In the qualitative phase, Turkish pre-service teachers were interviewed and a constant comparative analysis was conducted on the transcripts. It was found that personality is not a major predictor of Facebook use. Pre-service teachers have a positive perception of the use of Facebook for educational purposes in both countries. However, there have been many differences between the two countries’ pre-service teachers in terms of Facebook use and motives. It was demonstrated that pre-service teachers associate Facebook mostly with relationship, communication, and learning and they see Facebook as educationally implementable.

Katie Davis

Friendships are central to adolescents’ lives, shaping their psychological and social development in important ways. For the past decade, new digital media technologies, such as the Internet and mobile telephony, have played an integral role in adolescent friendship formation and maintenance. In this paper, I draw on data from an empirical study of 20 female adolescent bloggers to explore the role of new digital media in adolescent friendships. By placing the girls’ blogging in a developmental context, I describe how new modes of communication satisfy typical developmental needs of adolescence. In the process, I identify the distinct connections that friends make through blogging and consider how these connections might be redefining traditional forms of friendship.

Time Barrow

Rocky Mountain Communication Review

Justin Hodgson

Scholarship on new media and new emerging technologies tends to focus on production, on productive possibilities, predominantly viewing new media through the lens of productive arts. While this is not without value, I find myself asking, why do we limit new media to this productive paradigm? As if production, in our current corporate-model university (Readings, 1996) is the (only) point of new media, or, more generally, the (only) point of graduate education in/on new media. Even with the plethora of technologies available, we still tend to be drawn in by those for productive purposes. What about those that help, or could help, facilitate and/or improve learning? Rather than examine how technologies can impact or change our learning experiences (i.e., our seminar experiences), most conversations and research efforts, for faculty and graduate students alike, remain primarily focused on what we can make with new media. But our learning experiences are crucial, and if we seek to produce new media scholars then perhaps it is time to rethink the old media learning experience offered (and expected) of graduate students in graduate seminars. As Nathan Shedroff (2001) has told us, “The form of the experience is what gives it meaning since this is what people experience directly” (p. 60). This paper, then, is an attempt to relate my (and a few classmates’) experiences using new media as an integrated component to augment (and improve) our learning experiences in graduate seminars. As such, it will introduce our approaches to utilizing Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro (referred to hereafter as Adobe Connect2) as part of our seminar practices. The intent is to show how Adobe Connect, and technologies like it–or of it, as in components of it–can open paths to different kinds of seminar experiences, moving us out of the 19th century graduate student tradition and into one more fitting of 21st century new media scholarship. Read more at https://www.humis.utah.edu/humis/docs/organization_951_1251746183.pdf

Rocky mountain communication review

Leahlyn De Juan

Pavica Sheldon

Volume 6 Number 1 August 2009 ume 6 Number 1 August 2009 prior Internet gratifications studies (Flaherty, Pearce & Rubin, 1998; Papacharissi & Rubin, 2000; Flanagin & Metzger, 2001). All items, however, were edited for duplication and reworded so that they fit the purposes of this study. In the questionnaire, respondents were asked how often they use Facebook for a specific, previously defined gratification item.

Ann Carillo

Negative Effects of Social Media in Academic Performance of Grade 12 ABM Students in Bestlink College of the Philippines S.Y. 2018-2019

Pamela Ann Almojuela
Sherylyn Antiquiera
Carmela Reyes
Catherine Soro
Mica Pancubila
Rocelyn P. Catibag

This generation is called "Social Media Dependent". Technology nowadays is really helpful to easily access everything we need most especially in communicating. Most people want to be connected in a group that is very close to them but because of the distance barrier, they are not able to see each other personally. One of the big help of social media is they feel like they are not far from each other. Using video chatting, voice recording, sending pictures and group chatting, they can accessibly connect to their loved ones in just one click. Social Media applications will never be out of the trend for this is known as the bridge of communication, interaction, and self-expression. Today, students hooked with the social media jeopardize their learning and loss of memory to remember the lessons in school. Spending more time in social media than reviewing the topics that a student has learned at school may cause them to inculcate bad habits and poor grades, leading them to feel inadequate to reach their goals to have a better career in the future. The researchers used the descriptive research design that describes the current problem of the ABM students in terms of the effects of social media on the academic performance of students. According to gender, female respondents got 66% percent with the highest rank compared to male respondents with 34%. Based on the effects of social media on the academic performance of the students, some of the respondents answered that social media have negative effects on their academic performance. The outcomes are evident. The results presented in this research indicate that the use of social media can affect the academic performance of the students. If the students overuse social media, it will give them bad effects based on proven studies. Based on the study of New Reader's Digest, new research suggests that heavy social media use might be correlated to lower self-control, which marketing experts believe could lead to higher spending. "Ultimately, the way you counteract this is by raising your self-awareness," Columbia University Professor Keith Wilcox told TODAY. "It's not about don't spend time on Facebook, but just be aware of what it might be doing to you".

effects of social media to students research paper in the philippines

How to Cite

Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Domingo M. Acbang, Diane Rose Cardaño, Jayson B. Delequiña, Reshie Atabay, Daniel Rome T. Goloran, Rocelyn P. Catibag, Effects of Financial Shortage to the Academic Performance of Grade 12 ABM students in Bestlink College of the Philippines SY 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019
Prince Gabat, Leira B. Hepertor, Angelica Louise Sibua, April Abagat, Joralie Q. Dolauta, Rocelyn P. Catibag, The Effect of Drinking Liquor to the Academic Performance As Perceived By Grade 12 Students of Bestlink College of the Philippines S.Y. 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019
Cazzy Keiko C. Cabral, Regine A. Hebres, Aileen Mary E. Papa, Maria Regina A. Santos, Angelica V. Tendero, Rocelyn P. Catibag, The Importance of Saving Money among Grade 12 ABM Students of Bestlink College of the Philippines SY 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019
Rose Anne Arenas, Hannah Joy Ariola, Grace Shella Malinao, Morella T. Nova, April Jane Salonoy, Rocelyn P. Catibag, The Advantages and Disadvantages of Wattpad Application in the Time Management of Selected Grade 12 Students of BCP SY 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019
Argie Luardo, Mary Joyce Ann Bitoy, Jeysabel Bayani, Banjo Cabigayan, Joven Pasig, Joshua Evangelista, Rocelyn P. Catibag, The Benefits of Time Management on Academic Performance of Grade 12 ABM Students in BCP SY 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019
Jurito G. Cabacang, Aljay Valenzuela, Sarah Jane Robregado, Florante Gordora, Kristelle Sablayan, Rocelyn P. Catibag, The Effects of Verbal Bullying in Grade 12 ABM Students in Bestlink College of the Philippines School Year 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019
Annalyn Joy Tabiola, Manilyn Sierra, Chris Darylle Nabung, Lance Miña, Mae Ann Rubia, Rocelyn P. Catibag, Causes of Addiction to Mobile Games and its Effect to the Academic Performance of Grade 12 ABM Students of Bestlink College of the Philippines S.Y. 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019
Raniele Harold D. Calina, Julie Rose C. Yahot, Ace Nicole L. Osias, Roseman T. Orpina, Angelica Bito-On, Rocelyn P. Catibag, Effectiveness of Computer Literacy among Grade 12 Accountancy, Business and Management Students of Bestlink College of the Philippines Academic Year 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019
Mark Jayson Bloron, Karen Joyce O. Montero, Jasmine Nicole Tejero, Jayvie Untalan, Rimer Mercado, Rocelyn P. Catibag, The Effects of Absenteeism to the Academic Performance of the Selected Grade 12 ABM Students of Bestlink College of the Philippines SY 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019
Angelyn Carreon, Algie Jhon C. Fuentes, Mariel Grafilo, Roxette Ann A. Nova, Edzel Velasco, Rocelyn P. Catibag, The Factors of Academic Failure As Perceived By Grade 12 ABM Students in BCP S.Y. 2018-2019 , Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2019): Ascendens Asia Singapore – Bestlink College of the Philippines Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts, Vol.1, No.1, March 2019

Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Fazida karim.

1 Psychology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

2 Business & Management, University Sultan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu, MYS

Azeezat A Oyewande

3 Family Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

4 Family Medicine, Lagos State Health Service Commission/Alimosho General Hospital, Lagos, NGA

Lamis F Abdalla

5 Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Reem Chaudhry Ehsanullah

Safeera khan.

Social media are responsible for aggravating mental health problems. This systematic study summarizes the effects of social network usage on mental health. Fifty papers were shortlisted from google scholar databases, and after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were chosen and all papers were evaluated for quality. Eight papers were cross-sectional studies, three were longitudinal studies, two were qualitative studies, and others were systematic reviews. Findings were classified into two outcomes of mental health: anxiety and depression. Social media activity such as time spent to have a positive effect on the mental health domain. However, due to the cross-sectional design and methodological limitations of sampling, there are considerable differences. The structure of social media influences on mental health needs to be further analyzed through qualitative research and vertical cohort studies.

Introduction and background

Human beings are social creatures that require the companionship of others to make progress in life. Thus, being socially connected with other people can relieve stress, anxiety, and sadness, but lack of social connection can pose serious risks to mental health [ 1 ].

Social media

Social media has recently become part of people's daily activities; many of them spend hours each day on Messenger, Instagram, Facebook, and other popular social media. Thus, many researchers and scholars study the impact of social media and applications on various aspects of people’s lives [ 2 ]. Moreover, the number of social media users worldwide in 2019 is 3.484 billion, up 9% year-on-year [ 3 - 5 ]. A statistic in Figure 1 shows the gender distribution of social media audiences worldwide as of January 2020, sorted by platform. It was found that only 38% of Twitter users were male but 61% were using Snapchat. In contrast, females were more likely to use LinkedIn and Facebook. There is no denying that social media has now become an important part of many people's lives. Social media has many positive and enjoyable benefits, but it can also lead to mental health problems. Previous research found that age did not have an effect but gender did; females were much more likely to experience mental health than males [ 6 , 7 ].

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is cureus-0012-00000008627-i01.jpg

Impact on mental health

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which people understand their abilities, solve everyday life problems, work well, and make a significant contribution to the lives of their communities [ 8 ]. There is debated presently going on regarding the benefits and negative impacts of social media on mental health [ 9 , 10 ]. Social networking is a crucial element in protecting our mental health. Both the quantity and quality of social relationships affect mental health, health behavior, physical health, and mortality risk [ 9 ]. The Displaced Behavior Theory may help explain why social media shows a connection with mental health. According to the theory, people who spend more time in sedentary behaviors such as social media use have less time for face-to-face social interaction, both of which have been proven to be protective against mental disorders [ 11 , 12 ]. On the other hand, social theories found how social media use affects mental health by influencing how people view, maintain, and interact with their social network [ 13 ]. A number of studies have been conducted on the impacts of social media, and it has been indicated that the prolonged use of social media platforms such as Facebook may be related to negative signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress [ 10 - 15 ]. Furthermore, social media can create a lot of pressure to create the stereotype that others want to see and also being as popular as others.

The need for a systematic review

Systematic studies can quantitatively and qualitatively identify, aggregate, and evaluate all accessible data to generate a warm and accurate response to the research questions involved [ 4 ]. In addition, many existing systematic studies related to mental health studies have been conducted worldwide. However, only a limited number of studies are integrated with social media and conducted in the context of social science because the available literature heavily focused on medical science [ 6 ]. Because social media is a relatively new phenomenon, the potential links between their use and mental health have not been widely investigated.

This paper attempt to systematically review all the relevant literature with the aim of filling the gap by examining social media impact on mental health, which is sedentary behavior, which, if in excess, raises the risk of health problems [ 7 , 9 , 12 ]. This study is important because it provides information on the extent of the focus of peer review literature, which can assist the researchers in delivering a prospect with the aim of understanding the future attention related to climate change strategies that require scholarly attention. This study is very useful because it provides information on the extent to which peer review literature can assist researchers in presenting prospects with a view to understanding future concerns related to mental health strategies that require scientific attention. The development of the current systematic review is based on the main research question: how does social media affect mental health?

Research strategy

The research was conducted to identify studies analyzing the role of social media on mental health. Google Scholar was used as our main database to find the relevant articles. Keywords that were used for the search were: (1) “social media”, (2) “mental health”, (3) “social media” AND “mental health”, (4) “social networking” AND “mental health”, and (5) “social networking” OR “social media” AND “mental health” (Table 1 ).

Out of the results in Table 1 , a total of 50 articles relevant to the research question were selected. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, duplicate papers were removed, and, finally, a total of 28 articles were selected for review (Figure 2 ).

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is cureus-0012-00000008627-i02.jpg

PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Peer-reviewed, full-text research papers from the past five years were included in the review. All selected articles were in English language and any non-peer-reviewed and duplicate papers were excluded from finally selected articles.

Of the 16 selected research papers, there were a research focus on adults, gender, and preadolescents [ 10 - 19 ]. In the design, there were qualitative and quantitative studies [ 15 , 16 ]. There were three systematic reviews and one thematic analysis that explored the better or worse of using social media among adolescents [ 20 - 23 ]. In addition, eight were cross-sectional studies and only three were longitudinal studies [ 24 - 29 ].The meta-analyses included studies published beyond the last five years in this population. Table 2 presents a selection of studies from the review.

IGU, internet gaming disorder; PSMU, problematic social media use

This study has attempted to systematically analyze the existing literature on the effect of social media use on mental health. Although the results of the study were not completely consistent, this review found a general association between social media use and mental health issues. Although there is positive evidence for a link between social media and mental health, the opposite has been reported.

For example, a previous study found no relationship between the amount of time spent on social media and depression or between social media-related activities, such as the number of online friends and the number of “selfies”, and depression [ 29 ]. Similarly, Neira and Barber found that while higher investment in social media (e.g. active social media use) predicted adolescents’ depressive symptoms, no relationship was found between the frequency of social media use and depressed mood [ 28 ].

In the 16 studies, anxiety and depression were the most commonly measured outcome. The prominent risk factors for anxiety and depression emerging from this study comprised time spent, activity, and addiction to social media. In today's world, anxiety is one of the basic mental health problems. People liked and commented on their uploaded photos and videos. In today's age, everyone is immune to the social media context. Some teens experience anxiety from social media related to fear of loss, which causes teens to try to respond and check all their friends' messages and messages on a regular basis.

On the contrary, depression is one of the unintended significances of unnecessary use of social media. In detail, depression is limited not only to Facebooks but also to other social networking sites, which causes psychological problems. A new study found that individuals who are involved in social media, games, texts, mobile phones, etc. are more likely to experience depression.

The previous study found a 70% increase in self-reported depressive symptoms among the group using social media. The other social media influence that causes depression is sexual fun [ 12 ]. The intimacy fun happens when social media promotes putting on a facade that highlights the fun and excitement but does not tell us much about where we are struggling in our daily lives at a deeper level [ 28 ]. Another study revealed that depression and time spent on Facebook by adolescents are positively correlated [ 22 ]. More importantly, symptoms of major depression have been found among the individuals who spent most of their time in online activities and performing image management on social networking sites [ 14 ].

Another study assessed gender differences in associations between social media use and mental health. Females were found to be more addicted to social media as compared with males [ 26 ]. Passive activity in social media use such as reading posts is more strongly associated with depression than doing active use like making posts [ 23 ]. Other important findings of this review suggest that other factors such as interpersonal trust and family functioning may have a greater influence on the symptoms of depression than the frequency of social media use [ 28 , 29 ].

Limitation and suggestion

The limitations and suggestions were identified by the evidence involved in the study and review process. Previously, 7 of the 16 studies were cross-sectional and slightly failed to determine the causal relationship between the variables of interest. Given the evidence from cross-sectional studies, it is not possible to conclude that the use of social networks causes mental health problems. Only three longitudinal studies examined the causal relationship between social media and mental health, which is hard to examine if the mental health problem appeared more pronounced in those who use social media more compared with those who use it less or do not use at all [ 19 , 20 , 24 ]. Next, despite the fact that the proposed relationship between social media and mental health is complex, a few studies investigated mediating factors that may contribute or exacerbate this relationship. Further investigations are required to clarify the underlying factors that help examine why social media has a negative impact on some peoples’ mental health, whereas it has no or positive effect on others’ mental health.

Conclusions

Social media is a new study that is rapidly growing and gaining popularity. Thus, there are many unexplored and unexpected constructive answers associated with it. Lately, studies have found that using social media platforms can have a detrimental effect on the psychological health of its users. However, the extent to which the use of social media impacts the public is yet to be determined. This systematic review has found that social media envy can affect the level of anxiety and depression in individuals. In addition, other potential causes of anxiety and depression have been identified, which require further exploration.

The importance of such findings is to facilitate further research on social media and mental health. In addition, the information obtained from this study can be helpful not only to medical professionals but also to social science research. The findings of this study suggest that potential causal factors from social media can be considered when cooperating with patients who have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Also, if the results from this study were used to explore more relationships with another construct, this could potentially enhance the findings to reduce anxiety and depression rates and prevent suicide rates from occurring.

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

IMAGES

EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON A STUDENT’S LIFE
(PDF) Social Networking and Academic Performance among Filipino Students
Assessing the Effects of Social Media on Academic Performance of Female
(PDF) Social Media Addiction and Depression Among Filipino Senior High
(DOC) SOCIAL MEDIA AND NETWORKING: ITS BENEFITS AND RISKS TO THE
(PDF) Impact of social media on academic: A quantitative study

VIDEO

Asking FOREIGN DLSU students what it's like to study in the Philippines 🇵🇭
Opposing Views Episode 33
Most related for all social media students !
Tridax plant based herbal Ointment
How is social media destroying our youth
Classmint.com

COMMENTS

The Social Media Usage and Its Impact on the Filipino Learners
With the shift from face-to-face classes to online learning, social media became more accessible and open to young learners in the Philippines, resulting in students spending a significant amount ...
Effects of Social Media on Academic Performance of High School Students
The students were using social media daily for 1-5 hours. The only variable that affected the extent of utilization of social media was the respondents' gender. With 0.87, females were two times more exposed to social media rather than males. The study concludes that females are more exposed to social media rather than males.
(PDF) Social Media Usage and The Academic Performance of Filipino
This study aims to determine the impact of social media on students' academic performance in terms of their grade point average (GPA). This study specifically aimed: (1) to determine the percentage of students using social media in terms of doing research work, doing assignments or projects, and studying, (2) to find out the time students spend on social media, (3) to find out the academic ...
PDF Effects of Social Media to Academic Performance
respondents according to year level, age, sex, most visited social media, medium used, frequency of using social media, means of accessing the social media and the general weighted average. Part II contains the items about the effects of social media use to academic performance. The questionnaire was also validated by experts. Procedure
PDF Effects of Social Media to Communication Students' Cognitive and Social
Abstract - The social media has a great help to student's education. It is used by the students to interact with each other and is one of the most used communication tools of today. This study focused on the effects of social media to communication students of one academic institution in the Philippines in terms of cognitive and social skills.
PDF The Social Media Usage and Its Impact on the Filipino Learners
100 The Social Media Usage and Academic Performance of Filipino Learners Jhoselle Tus et al. the use of social media and students' academic performance. However, Koranteng, Wiafe, and Kuada (2018 ...
PDF The Relationship of Social Media with the Academic Performance of
The researchers limited the study on the effects of Social Media to the respondents in relation to School Work and Evaluation through Students' Profile Students' Social Media Usage Students' Academic measured by their Average Prelim and Midterm Grades Survey instrument survey questionnaire, of the:
The Social Media Usage and Its Impact on the Filipino Learners
Social media use has become prevalent and nearly inevitable, changing the way students interact, connect, and socialize; it has become an integral part of their social and cultural fabric. As a result, students spend a significant amount of time on social media. Thus, this study investigates the impact of social media usage on students' academic performance amidst the new normal of education ...
Frontiers
In recent years, several studies have been conducted to explore the potential effects of social media on students' affective traits, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and so on. The present paper reviews the findings of the exemplary published works of research to shed light on the positive and negative potential effects of the massive use ...
The Effects Of Social Media Networking On Student Academic ...
The Effects of Social Media Networking on Student Academic Performances: An Investigatory Study Nilda O. Babaran Isabela State University, Echague Campus, Philippines Email:[email protected] ABSTRACT The media constantly reminds us that we are in the "selfie" generation and should capitalize on it.
Purpose, Positive and Negative Effects of Using Social Media ...
The objective of the study is to determine the purpose and perceived effects of using social media. Descriptive design was used in this study. The researcher randomly selected 150 respondents (75 male and 75 female) from grade 9 and 122 respondents (61 male and 61 female ) from grade 10 students in Dona Juana Chioco National High School in ...
(DOC) Implications to Social Interaction: An inquiry about the effects
Conducting this research can help the students address and recognize several effects issues that the social media implicated on their social interaction. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Sitaram Asur and Bernardo A. Huberman (2010) explains in their study the possibility of the usage of the contents of social media to predict real-world outcomes.
Effects of Social Media on Academic Performance and Behavior of GAS
Social media is the most popular platform for social networking of today's generation. As social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, online gaming, etc., continue to grow, it becomes a part of every person's daily life, especially college students. The dependency of students on social media has reached such a level that every student cannot think about the direction of their ...
Effect of social media use on learning, social interactions, and sleep
Social media also has an impact on student mental health; which refers to their emotional, psychological, and social well-being. University students spend a lot of their time on social media both during the day and at night, and it can be contended that such technologies play an important role in their daily lives. However, despite their ...
PDF Cyberbullying Practices and Experiences of the Filipino College
social media especially among college students. Social media tools however have become an easy tool for others to harm other, among which, is cyberbullying. The study determined the practices, experiences, and responses of the college students' social media users on cyberbullying. The descriptive method of research was employed with a total
Effects of Social Media on Academic Performance of High School Students
The students were using the social media daily for 1-5 hours. ... (2021) in their paper titled effects of social media on academic performance of high school students under pandemic (COVID-19 ...
Empathy, cyberbullying, and cybervictimization among Filipino
INTRODUCTION. Cyberbullying is more harmful than other types of violence because a negative post or comment can reach a limit-less number of social media (SM) users, thereby increasing the opportunity of prolonged exposure and permanency [1,2].Furthermore, younger generations currently tend to embrace the use of SM [].A term related to "cyberbullying" is "cybervictimization', which ...
Negative Effects of Social Media in Academic Performance of Grade 12
The outcomes are evident. The results presented in this research indicate that the use of social media can affect the academic performance of the students. If the students overuse social media, it will give them bad effects based on proven studies. Based on the study of New Reader's Digest, new research suggests that heavy social media use ...
Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic
Abstract. Social media are responsible for aggravating mental health problems. This systematic study summarizes the effects of social network usage on mental health. Fifty papers were shortlisted from google scholar databases, and after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were chosen and all papers were ...
Understanding the Influence of Cyberbullying Among High School Students
This research sought to explore the effects of cyberbullying on high school students attending public schools in the Philippines. Given the widespread use of digital communication platforms and ...
Potential risks of content, features, and functions: The science of how
Hypersensitivity to social feedback. Brain development starting at ages 10-13 (i.e., the outset of puberty) until approximately the mid-twenties is linked with hypersensitivity to social feedback/stimuli. iv In other words, youth become especially invested in behaviors that will help them get personalized feedback, praise, or attention from peers.. AI-recommended content has the potential to ...
(PDF) An Exploratory Study of Criminology Students ...
Hence, the objective of this study is to determine the perception of the Philippine College of Science and Technology's criminology students to relative deprivation using social media sites.