PURPOSE: Social media use has increased rapidly during the past decade, raising concerns about adolescents who display problematic social media use (PSMU), as indicated by addiction-like symptoms (e.g., preoccupation, tolerance). We aimed to assess the extent to which an individual resource (health literacy), and social resources (friend support and family support), moderated the association between a range of individual characteristics (gender, age, family affluence, and depressive feelings) and PSMU; also the association between PSMU and health outcomes (self-rated health, life satisfaction, and sleep difficulties), both cross-nationally and nationally. METHODS: Our sample included 22,226 adolescents from six European countries. We used data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children cross-sectional survey (2017/2018). Random-effects models and moderator analyses were applied. RESULTS: Six moderations were found, with the resources moderating the association between individual characteristics and PSMU. One moderation emerged cross-nationally, namely that a higher level of family support was associated with a lower likelihood of PSMU, especially among adolescents who did not have frequent depressive feelings. In addition, five national moderations were identified. For example, a higher level of health literacy was associated with a lower likelihood of PSMU among Finnish girls. The resources were also found to moderate the association between PSMU and health outcomes, with two moderations emerging cross-nationally. For instance, a higher level of family support was related to higher self-rated health, especially among problematic users. In addition, nine national moderations were identified; these included a higher level of health literacy being associated with having less sleep difficulties, especially among problematic users in Germany. DISCUSSION: In adolescence, health literacy, family support, and friend support have the potential to moderate the association between individual characteristics and PSMU, and between PSMU and health outcomes, cross-nationally and nationally. We recommend the use of universal and targeted interventions to promote individual and social resources to counteract PSMU.
- MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- návykové chování * MeSH
- poruchy iniciace a udržování spánku * MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- sociální média * MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- pozorovací studie MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
OBJECTIVE: Over the past decade, concurrent with increasing social media use (SMU), there has been a shift toward poorer sleep among adolescents in many countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the cross-national associations between adolescent SMU and sleep patterns, by comparing 4 different categories of SMU (nonactive, active, intense, and problematic use). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Data were from 86,542 adolescents in 18 European and North American countries that participated in the 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-aged study. MEASUREMENTS: Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to examine cross-national associations between 4 SMU categories and adolescent sleep duration, bedtime and social jetlag derived from self-reported data. RESULTS: For all countries combined, nonactive SMU was associated with longer sleep, earlier bedtimes, and less social jetlag, compared to active SMU, although the differences were minor. By comparison, intense and problematic SMU were associated with less sleep and later bedtimes on both school and nonschool days, and greater social jetlag, compared to active SMU. While findings were relatively consistent between countries, some differences were observed, suggesting that the national and cultural context may be important in interpreting results. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that both intense and problematic SMU are associated with poorer sleep patterns in adolescents across most countries. Further research is needed to identify effective policies, programs, and messaging to promote the healthy use of social media and prevent potential negative impacts on adolescent sleep.
