Location

University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia

Document Type

Poster

Description

The purpose of this study is to examine whether higher levels of social media use are associated with higher levels of psychological distress, including symptoms of depression and anxiety, and perceived stress. We hypothesize that social media use will be positively correlated with psychological difficulties. The sample includes 522 undergraduates from two liberal arts institutions from the Southeast US. Participants were administered an online survey in the fall of 2020. A second wave of data will be collected during the last week of February 2021. Measures include the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Perceived Stress Scale, Adapted Social Media Use Integration Scale, and The Center for Epidemiologic Depression Scale. Once Wave 2 data are collected, we will run a series of regressions to investigate the link between social media use and psychological adjustment across two waves. These findings could be vital in understanding college students’ well-being amidst their use of and exposure to social media.

Comments

Department: Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Karen Kochel

Included in

Psychology Commons

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Associations Between College Students' Social Media Use and Psychological Adjustment During COVID-19

University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia

The purpose of this study is to examine whether higher levels of social media use are associated with higher levels of psychological distress, including symptoms of depression and anxiety, and perceived stress. We hypothesize that social media use will be positively correlated with psychological difficulties. The sample includes 522 undergraduates from two liberal arts institutions from the Southeast US. Participants were administered an online survey in the fall of 2020. A second wave of data will be collected during the last week of February 2021. Measures include the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Perceived Stress Scale, Adapted Social Media Use Integration Scale, and The Center for Epidemiologic Depression Scale. Once Wave 2 data are collected, we will run a series of regressions to investigate the link between social media use and psychological adjustment across two waves. These findings could be vital in understanding college students’ well-being amidst their use of and exposure to social media.