32nd Annual Student Research Conference
Social Media Usage and its Effect on Truman Students' Mental Well-Being
Claire M. Berendzen
Dr. Anton Daughters, Faculty Mentor
Mental health is a pressing concern on Truman’s campus. This research aims to determine if social media impacts students’ mental well-being. A four-part survey was completed by 175 students who answered questions about social media use, mental health, and the impact of social media on their daily life. Responses were combined to create concrete social media and mental health variables. Social media use is positively correlated with mental wellness in general, but is found to negatively impact many indicators of mental illness, including mood (t = 2.874) and sensory sensitivity (t = 2.461). Women experience more negative mental well-being due to social media use than men, but are also more likely to experience happiness from social media. These results indicate that reduced social media use, or an alteration of how social media is used, could benefit Truman students’ mental well-being, particularly for women.
Keywords: social media, mental health, mental well-being, social networking, mood, self-esteem
Topic(s):Sociology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 102-1
Location: BH 114
Time: 8:30