Summary
This research letter describes the increasing trend of almost-constant social media use among California adolescents and the association with serious psychological distress, focusing on the influence of familial and experiential factors.
Respondents were asked to report on typical daily use of social media. Family connection was measured through a series of questions, including how often the adolescent felt they were able to talk to family about their feelings, how often they felt family stood by them during difficult times, how often they felt safe and protected by the adult at home, and how often they had at least two nonparent adults taking a genuine interest in them. Adolescents responding “little to never” to any of these questions were assigned to a group characterized by little to no family connection. Adolescents responding having had at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) were assigned “yes” to the ACEs variable. Researchers used 2019–2021 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data.
Findings: Almost-constant social media use for the youngest teens (aged 12-14 years) increased significantly between 2019 and 2021, whereas this increase was not noted for older teens (aged 15-17 years). Among male adolescents, almost-constant social media use increased significantly between 2019 and 2021 for both age groups. By 2021, there were no longer significant differences in almost-constant social media use according to age group.
The rates of almost-constant social media use were the highest for teens living in poverty, those who have experienced ACEs, those who reported little to no family connection, and those who reported serious psychological distress.
The researchers examine the association between social media use and psychological distress controlling for ACEs and the adolescent-reported level of family connection, both of which are significantly associated with psychological distress. Even when controlling for these and other demographic variables, almost-constant social media use remained significantly associated with psychological distress.
This research is consistent with prior research that finds increasing trends in use of social media among the youngest teens and potential adverse mental health impacts from high or almost-constant social media use.