Digital life and mental health among adolescents and young Adults: Social media use in context

Social media plays an increasingly central role in young people's everyday lives and has been identified both as a potential source of psychological distress and as a space for social connection and belonging. Research on the relationship between social media use and mental health has yielded mixed results. One key reason is that many studies have relied on overly general measures, such as time spent on social media, without considering the content, context, or individual differences in usage. Recent research has therefore emphasized the need for more nuanced approaches. This PhD project explores how different aspects of social media use relate to stress and mental health among adolescents and young adults.

Affiliation

About the research project

The project is part of the interdisciplinary research collaboration LifeOnSoMe and is based on both quantitative and qualitative data from young people, with the aim of capturing their diverse experiences with social media. A central element of the project is the development of a school-based intervention designed to promote awareness and reflection around social media use and to support healthier digital habits. The final version of the intervention consists of themed lessons and classroom discussions implemented in upper secondary schools. The development and evaluation of the program were conducted in collaboration with municipal and regional partners, and in close dialogue with both students and school staff.

In addition to LifeOnSoMe, the PhD project uses data from the national Student Health and Well-being Survey (SHoT), which provides broader insights into social media use among higher education students.

The PhD project consists of three studies:

  1. A quantitative analysis of data from SHoT 2022 (N = 47,163), examining associations between different aspects of social media use—including motivations, experiences, and perceptions—and mental health and life satisfaction among university and college students.
     
  2. A cross-sectional and one-year follow-up study of upper secondary school students (LifeOnSoMe 2020 and 2021, N = 3,568 and N = 432), focusing on aspects of social media use underlying the perception of social media as a stressor, including fear of missing out (FOMO), negative social comparison, and perceived dependency.
     
  3. A presentation of the school-based intervention and findings from a pilot evaluation conducted at two project schools (330 students and 30 teachers), including both quantitative and qualitative data, with emphasis on participants’ perceptions of relevance, usefulness, and engagement, as well as suggestions for improvement.

People

PhD Candidate

Amanda Iselin Olesen Andersen PhD Candidate

Supervisors

Tormod Bøe Main supervisor

Jens Christoffer Skogen Co-supervisor

Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland Co-supervisor

Turi Reiten Finserås Co-supervisor