Through the Looking Glass of Social Media. Focus on Self-Presentation and Association with Mental Health and Quality of Life. A Cross-Sectional Survey-Based Study

Jens Christoffer Skogen, Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland, Tormod Bøe, Randi Træland Hella and Ann Kristin Knudsen
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Jens Christoffer Skogen: Department of Health Promotion, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 5015 Bergen, Norway
Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland: Department of Health Promotion, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 5015 Bergen, Norway
Tormod Bøe: Department of Psychosocial Science, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Randi Træland Hella: Department of Work, Social Services and Housing, Bergen Municipality, 5020 Bergen, Norway
Ann Kristin Knudsen: Department of Health Promotion, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 5015 Bergen, Norway

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: Social media (SOME) use among adolescents has been linked to mental health and well-being. SOME self-presentation has been highlighted as an important factor to better understand the potential links. The aims of this study were to investigate the association between focus on SOME self-presentation and mental health and quality of life among adolescents. We used a cross-sectional survey, with n = 513 (56%; mean age 17.1 years; 58% boys) students from a senior high school in Norway. Associations between focus on SOME self-presentation and symptoms of anxiety and depression and quality of life were investigated using blobbograms, standardized mean difference (SMD), and gender-specific linear regression models. A high focus on SOME self-presentation was associated with more mental health problems and reduced quality of life. The strength of the associations with symptoms of depression (0.75SMD) and anxiety (0.71SMD) was large, while it was medium-large for quality of life (?0.58SMD). The association was similar across gender in relation to symptoms of anxiety. For symptoms of depression and quality of life, the association was stronger for girls compared to boys. Our findings yield preliminary evidence of a potential relationship between focus on SOME self-presentation and mental health.

Keywords: social media use; self-presentation; mental health; well-being; anxiety; depression; adolescence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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