Abstract
The growing prominence of social media use among teenagers has prompted researchers in psychology and communication science to consider connections between social media activities and youths’ development and well-being. This systematic, narrative review evaluated associations between social media use and the internalizing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness among 12–18-year-olds, based on 68 qualifying empirical studies conducted between 2000 and 2017. For each symptom, analyses assessed the theoretical underpinnings of studies; the strength, direction, and consistency of associations with social media use; and factors mediating or moderating these associations. Investigators often reported positive associations between social media use and internalizing symptoms, but more nuanced studies pointed to individual, contextual, or media-based factors qualifying these direct effects. Future research would benefit from more theory-driven approaches, consistent measurements of key constructs, and a combination of longitudinal and experimental designs to identify causal associations. Integrating concepts from developmental psychology, clinical psychology, and communication science would aid in understanding the seemingly complex relationships between social media use and adolescents’ internalizing symptoms.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Modified from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement flow diagram (Moher et al. 2009)
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akkın Gürbüz, H. G., Demir, T., Gökalp Özcan, B., Kadak, M. T., & Poyraz, B. (2017). Use of social network sites among depressed adolescents. Behaviour & Information Technology, 36(5), 517–523. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2016.1262898.
Allen, J. P., Porter, M. R., McFarland, F. C., Marsh, P., & McElhaney, K. B. (2005). The two faces of adolescents’ success with peers: Adolescent popularity, social adaptation, and deviant behavior. Child Development, 76(3), 747–760. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00875.x.
Allen, K. A., Ryan, T., Gray, D. L., McInerney, D. M., & Waters, L. (2014). Social media use and social connectedness in adolescents: The positives and the potential pitfalls. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 31(1), 18–31. https://doi.org/10.1017/edp.2014.2.
Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2018). Teens, social media & technology 2018. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project. Accessed 3 Jun 2018.
Anderson-Butcher, D., Lasseigne, A., Ball, A., Brzozowski, M., Lehnert, M., & McCormick, B. L. (2010). Adolescent weblog use: Risky or protective? Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 27(1), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-010-0193-x.
Ang, R. P., Chong, W. H., Chye, S., & Huan, V. S. (2012). Loneliness and generalized problematic internet use: Parents’ perceived knowledge of adolescents’ online activities as a moderator. Computers in Human Behavior, 28(4), 1342–1347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.02.019.
Apaolaza, V., Hartmann, P., Medina, E., Barrutia, J. M., & Echebarria, C. (2013). The relationship between socializing on the Spanish online networking site Tuenti and teenagers’ subjective wellbeing: The roles of self-esteem and loneliness. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1282–1289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.01.002.
Appel, M., Holtz, P., Stiglbauer, B., & Batinic, B. (2012). Parents as a resource: Communication quality affects the relationship between adolescents’ internet use and loneliness. Journal of Adolescence, 35(6), 1641–1648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.08.003.
Archibald, F. S., Bartholomew, K., & Marx, R. (1995). Loneliness in early adolescence: A test of the cognitive discrepancy model of loneliness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21(3), 296–301. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167295213010.
Banjanin, N., Banjanin, N., Dimitrijevic, I., & Pantic, I. (2015). Relationship between Internet use and depression: Focus on physiological mood oscillations, social networking and online addictive behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 43, 308–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.013.
Bányai, F., Zsila, G., Király, O., Maraz, A., Elekes, Z., Griffiths, M. D. et al. (2017). Problematic social media use: Results from a large-scale nationally representative adolescent sample. PloS ONE, 12(1), e0169839. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169839.
Barak, A., & Dolev-Cohen, M. (2006). Does activity level in online support groups for distressed adolescents determine emotional relief. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 6(3), 186–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733140600848203.
Beesdo, K., Knappe, S., & Pine, D. S. (2009). Anxiety and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: Developmental issues and implications for DSM-V. Psychiatric Clinics, 32, 483–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2009.06.002.
Berger, C. R., & Calabrese, R. J. (1975). Some explorations in initial interaction and beyond: Towards a development theory of interpersonal communication. Human Communication Research, 1, 99–112.
Berne, S., Frisén, A., & Kling, J. (2014). Appearance-related cyberbullying: A qualitative investigation of characteristics, content, reasons, and effects. Body Image, 11(4), 527–533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.08.006.
Best, P., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. (2014). Online communication, social media and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review. Children and Youth Services Review, 41, 27–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.001.
Bezinović, P., Roviš, D., Rončević, N., & Bilajac, L. (2015). Patterns of internet use and mental health of high school students in Istria County, Croatia: Cross-sectional study. Croatian Medical Journal, 56(3), 297–305. https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2015.56.297.
Biolcati, R., & Cani, D. (2015). Feeling alone among friends: Adolescence, social networks and loneliness. Webology, 12(2), 1.
Birkeland, M. S., Breivik, K., & Wold, B. (2014). Peer acceptance protects global self-esteem from negative effects of low closeness to parents during adolescence and early adulthood. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(1), 70–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9929-1.
Błachnio, A., Przepiorka, A., Bałakier, E., & Boruch, W. (2016). Who discloses the most on Facebook? Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 664–667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.10.007.
Blomfield Neira, C. J., & Barber, B. L. (2014). Social networking site use: Linked to adolescents’ social self-concept, self-esteem, and depressed mood. Australian Journal of Psychology, 66(1), 56–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.tb00307.x.
Bonetti, L., Campbell, M. A., & Gilmore, L. (2010). The relationship of loneliness and social anxiety with children’s and adolescents’ online communication. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(3), 279–285. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2009.0215.
Boyd, D. (2007). Why youth (heart) social network sites: The role of networked publics in teenage social life. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), Youth, identity, and digital media (pp. 119–142). Cambridge: MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.1162/dmal.9780262524834.119.
Boyd, D. (2014). It’s complicated: The social lives of networked teens. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Boyd, D, & Ellison, N. (2008). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, 210–230. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x.
Brown, B. B., & Larson, J. (2009). Peer relationships in adolescence. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (3rd edn, pp. 74–103). New York: Wiley.
Brunborg, G. S., Andreas, J. B., & Kvaavik, E. (2017). Social media use and episodic heavy drinking among adolescents. Psychological Reports, 120(3), 475–490. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294117697090.
Carew, C., Kutcher, S., Wei, Y., & McLuckie, A. (2014). Using digital and social media metrics to develop mental health approaches for youth. Adolescent Psychiatry, 4(2), 116–121. https://doi.org/10.2174/221067660402140709122825.
Cavazos-Rehg, P. A., Krauss, M. J., Sowles, S. J., Connolly, S., Rosas, C., Bharadwaj, M. et al. (2016). An analysis of depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation content on Tumblr. Crisis. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000409.
Costello, E. J., Angold, A., Burns, B. J., Stangl, D. K., Tweed, D. L., Erkanli, A., & Worthman, C. M. (1996). The great smoky mountains study of youth: Goals, design, methods, and the prevalence of DSM-III-R disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 1129–1136.
Coté, J. E. (2009). Identity formation and self development in adolescence. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (3rd edn, pp. 266–304). New York: Wiley.
Courtois, C., All, A., & Vanwynsberghe, H. (2012). Social network profiles as information sources for adolescents’ offline relations. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(6), 290–296. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2011.0557.
Davis, K. (2012). Friendship 2.0: Adolescents’ experiences of belonging and self-disclosure online. Journal of Adolescence, 35, 1527–1536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.02.013.
Dumitrache, S. D., Mitrofan, L., & Petrov, Z. (2012). Self-image and depressive tendencies among adolescent Facebook users. Revista de Psihologie, 58(4), 285–295.
de Jong Gierveld, J., Van Tilburg, T., & Dykstra, P. (2016). Loneliness and social isolation. In A. Vangelisti & D. Perlman (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of personal relationships (pp. 485–500). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ehrenreich, S. E., & Underwood, M. K. (2016). Adolescents’ internalizing symptoms as predictors of the content of their Facebook communication and responses received from peers. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 2(3), 227–237. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000077.
Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and society. New York: Norton.
Floros, G., & Siomos, K. (2013). The relationship between optimal parenting, Internet addiction and motives for social networking in adolescence. Psychiatry Research, 209(3), 529–534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2013.01.010.
Flynn, M., & Rudolph, K. D. (2011). Stress generation and adolescent depression: Contribution of interpersonal stress responses. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39, 1187–1198. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-011-9527-1.
Frison, E., & Eggermont, S. (2015a). The impact of daily stress on adolescents’ depressed mood: The role of social support seeking through Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 44, 315–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.070.
Frison, E., & Eggermont, S. (2015b). Toward an integrated and differential approach to the relationships between loneliness, different types of Facebook use, and adolescents’ depressed mood. Communication Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650215617506.
Frison, E., & Eggermont, S. (2016). Exploring the relationships between different types of Facebook use, perceived online social support, and adolescents’ depressed mood. Social Science Computer Review, 34(2), 153–171. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439314567449.
Frison, E., Subrahmanyam, K., & Eggermont, S. (2016). The short-term longitudinal and reciprocal relations between peer victimization on Facebook and adolescents’ well-being. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(9), 1755–1771. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0436-z.
Grace, E., Raghavendra, P., Newman, L., Wood, D., & Connell, T. (2014). Learning to use the Internet and online social media: What is the effectiveness of home-based intervention for youth with complex communication needs? Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 30(2), 141–157. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265659013518565.
Grant, B. F., Hasin, D. S., Blanco, C., Stinson, F. S., Chou, S. P., Goldstein, R. B., et al. (2005). The epidemiology of social anxiety disorder in the United States: Results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 66(11), 1351–1361. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.v66n1102.
Gross, E. F. (2004). Adolescent Internet use: What we expect, what teens report. Applied Developmental Psychology, 25, 633–649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2004.09.005.
Gross, E. F., Juvonen, J., & Gable, S. L. (2002). Internet use and well-being in adolescence. Journal of Social Issues, 58(1), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-4560.00249.
Hankin, B. L. (2006). Adolescent depression: Description, causes, and interventions. Epilepsy & Behavior, 8(1), 102–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2005.10.012.
Hanprathet, N., Manwong, M., Khumsri, J., Yingyeun, R., & Phanasathit, M. (2015). Facebook addiction and its relationship with mental health among Thai high school students. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, 98(3), S81–S90.
Hecht, D. B., Inderbitzen, H. M., & Bukowski, A. L. (1998). The relationship between peer status and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 153–160.
Huang, H., & Leung, L. (2012). Gratification opportunities, self-esteem, and loneliness in determining usage preference of BBS and blogs among teenagers in China. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 20(3), 141–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/15456870.2012.692233.
Jacobs, R. H., Reinecke, M. A., Gollan, J. K., & Kane, P. (2008). Empirical evidence of cognitive vulnerability for depression among children and adolescents: A cognitive science and developmental perspective. Clinical Psychology Review, 28(5), 759–782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2007.10.006.
Kırcaburun, K. (2016). Self-esteem, daily Internet use and social media addiction as predictors of depression among Turkish adolescents. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(24), 64–72.
Kisilevich, S., Ang, C. S., & Last, M. (2012). Large-scale analysis of self-disclosure patterns among online social networks users: A Russian context. Knowledge and Information Systems, 32(3), 609–628. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10115-011-0443-z.
Kowalski, R. M., & Fedina, C. (2011). Cyber bullying in ADHD and Asperger Syndrome populations. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(3), 1201–1208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2011.01.007.
La Greca, A. M., Prinstein, M. J., & Fetter, M. (2001). Adolescent peer crowd affiliation: Linkages with health-risk behaviors and close friendships. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 26, 131–143. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/26.3.131.
Laghi, F., Schneider, B. H., Vitoroulis, I., Coplan, R. J., Baiocco, R., Amichai-Hamburger, Y. et al. (2013). Knowing when not to use the Internet: Shyness and adolescents’ on-line and off-line interactions with friends. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(1), 51–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.07.015.
Landoll, R. R., La Greca, A. M., Lai, B. S., Chan, S. F., & Herge, W. M. (2015). Cyber victimization by peers: Prospective associations with adolescent social anxiety and depressive symptoms. Journal of Adolescence, 42, 77–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.04.002.
Landoll, R. R., Greca, A. M., & Lai, B. S. (2013). Aversive peer experiences on social networking sites: Development of the Social Networking-Peer Experiences Questionnaire (SN-PEQ). Journal of Research on Adolescence, 23(4), 695–705. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12022.
Lasgaard, M., Goossens, L., Bramsen, R. H., Trillingsgaard, T., & Elklit, A. (2011). Different sources of loneliness are associated with different forms of psychopathology in adolescence. Journal of Research in Personality, 45(2), 233–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2010.12.005.
Lee, E. W., Ho, S. S., & Lwin, M. O. (2017). Extending the social cognitive model—Examining the external and personal antecedents of social network sites use among Singaporean adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior, 67, 240–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.10.030.
Lemola, S., Perkinson-Gloor, N., Brand, S., Dewald-Kaufmann, J. F., & Grob, A. (2015). Adolescents’ electronic media use at night, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms in the smartphone age. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44(2), 405–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0176-x.
Leung, L. (2011). Loneliness, social support, and preference for online social interaction: The mediating effects of identity experimentation online among children and adolescents. Chinese Journal of Communication, 4(4), 381–399. https://doi.org/10.1080/17544750.2011.616285.
Levesque, R. J. (2011). Loneliness. In Encyclopedia of adolescence (pp. 1624–1626). New York: Springer.
Liu, C., Ang, R. P., & Lwin, M. O. (2013). Cognitive, personality, and social factors associated with adolescents’ online personal information disclosure. Journal of Adolescence, 36(4), 629–638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2013.03.016.
Mikami, A. Y., Szwedo, D. E., Allen, J. P., Evans, M. A., & Hare, A. L. (2010). Adolescent peer relationships and behavior problems predict young adults’ communication on social networking websites. Developmental Psychology, 46(1), 46–56. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017420.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G., for the PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. BMJ, 339, b2535. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2535.
Morin-Major, J. K., Marin, M. F., Durand, N., Wan, N., Juster, R. P., & Lupien, S. J. (2016). Facebook behaviors associated with diurnal cortisol in adolescents: Is befriending stressful? Psychoneuroendocrinology, 63, 238–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.10.005.
Nesi, J., Miller, A. B., & Prinstein, M. J. (2017). Adolescents’ depressive symptoms and subsequent technology-based interpersonal behaviors: A multi-wave study. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 51, 12–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2017.02.002.
Nesi, J., & Prinstein, M. J. (2015). Using social media for social comparison and feedback-seeking: Gender and popularity moderate associations with depressive symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 43(8), 1427–1438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-0020-0.
Neto, R., Golz, N., & Polega, M. (2015). Social media use, loneliness, and academic achievement: A correlational study with urban high school students. Journal of Research in Education, 25(2), 28–37.
Newburger, E. C. (2001). Home computers and Internet use in the United States, August 2000. US Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, US Census Bureau.
Oberst, U., Wegmann, E., Stodt, B., Brand, M., & Chamarro, A. (2017). Negative consequences from heavy social networking in adolescents: The mediating role of fear of missing out. Journal of Adolescence, 55, 51–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.12.008.
Ophir, Y., Asterhan, C. S. C., & Schwarz, B. B. (2017). Unfolding the notes from the walls: Adolescents’ depression manifestations on Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 72, 96–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.02.013.
Pantic, I., Damjanovic, A., Todorovic, J., Topalovic, D., Bojovic-Jovic, D., Ristic, S., & Pantic, S. (2012). Association between online social networking and depression in high school students: Behavioral physiology viewpoint. Psychiatria Danubina, 24(1), 90–93.
Perrin, A., & Duggan, M. (2015). Americans’ internet access: 2000–2015. Pew Research Center, 26(6), 1–12.
Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2006). Research note: Individual differences in perceptions of Internet communication. European Journal of Communication, 21(2), 213–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323105064046.
Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2013). The effects of Internet communication on adolescents’ psychosocial development. In E. Scharrer (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of media effects volume 5: media effects/media psychology (pp. 678–697). Hoboken: Blackwell.
Pierce, T. (2009). Social anxiety and technology: Face-to-face communication versus technological communication among teens. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(6), 1367–1372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2009.06.003.
Popay, J., Roberts, H., Sowden, A., Petticrew, M., Arai, L., Rodgers, M. et al. (2006). Guidence on the conduct of narrative synthesis in systematic reviews. A Product from the ESRC Methods Programme Version, 1, b92. https://doi.org/10.13140/2.1.1018.4643.
Prezza, M., Pacilli, M. G., & Dinelli, S. (2004). Loneliness and new technologies in a group of Roman adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior, 20(5), 691–709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2003.10.008.
Radovic, A., Gmelin, T., Stein, B. D., & Miller, E. (2017). Depressed adolescents’ positive and negative use of social media. Journal of Adolescence, 55, 5–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.12.002.
Rotenberg, K. J., & Hymel, S. (Eds.). (1999). Loneliness in childhood and adolescence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Ferguson, M. L. (1978). Developing a measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42(3), 290–294. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4203_11.
Sampasa-Kanyinga, H., & Hamilton, H. A. (2015). Social networking sites and mental health problems in adolescents: The mediating role of cyberbullying victimization. European Psychiatry, 30(8), 1021–1027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2015.09.011.
Sampasa-Kanyinga, H., & Lewis, R. F. (2015). Frequent use of social networking sites is associated with poor psychological functioning among children and adolescents. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(7), 380–385. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2015.0055.
Schlenker, B. R., & Leary, M. R. (1982). Social anxiety and self-presentation: a conceptualization and model. Psychological Bulletin, 92(3), 641–669. https://doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.92.3.641.
Seepersad, S. (2004). Coping with loneliness: Adolescent online and offline behavior. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(1), 35–39.
Selfhout, M. H., Branje, S. J., Delsing, M., ter Bogt, T. F., & Meeus, W. H. (2009). Different types of Internet use, depression, and social anxiety: The role of perceived friendship quality. Journal of Adolescence, 32(4), 819–833. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2011.613875.
Sharabi, A., & Margalit, M. (2011a). Virtual friendships and social distress among adolescents with and without learning disabilities: The subtyping approach. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 26(3), 379–394. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2011.595173.
Sharabi, A., & Margalit, M. (2011b). The mediating role of internet connection, virtual friends, and mood in predicting loneliness among students with and without learning disabilities in different educational environments. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(3), 215–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219409357080.
Sisman, B., Yoruk, S., & Eleren, A. (2013). Social anxiety and usage of online technological communication tools among adolescents. Journal of Economic and Social Studies, 3(2), 329–349. https://doi.org/10.14706/JECOSS11327.
Song, J., Song, T. M., Seo, D. C., & Jin, J. H. (2016). Data mining of web-based documents on social networking sites that included suicide-related words among Korean adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 59(6), 668–673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.07.025.
Song, H., Zmyslinski-Seelig, A., Kim, J., Drent, A., Victor, A., Omori, K., et al. (2014). Does Facebook make you lonely?: A meta analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 36, 446–452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.04.011.
Steiger, A. E., Allemand, M., Robins, R. W., & Fend, H. A. (2014). Low and decreasing self-esteem during adolescence predict adult depression two decades later. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(2), 325–338. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035133.
Subrahmanyam, K., & Lin, G. (2007). Adolescents on the Net: Internet use and well-being. Adolescence, 42(168).
Szwedo, D. E., Mikami, A. Y., & Allen, J. P. (2011). Qualities of peer relations on social networking websites: Predictions from negative mother-teen interactions. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(3), 595–607. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00692.x.
Teppers, E., Luyckx, K., Klimstra, T. A., & Goossens, L. (2014). Loneliness and Facebook motives in adolescence: A longitudinal inquiry into directionality of effect. Journal of Adolescence, 37(5), 691–699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2013.11.003.
Toma, C. L. (2016). Taking the good with the bad: Effects of Facebook self-presentation on emotional well-being. In L. Reinecke & M.-B. Oliver (Eds.), Handbook of Media Use and Well-Being (pp. 170–182). New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Toma, C. L., & Choi, M. (2016). Mobile media matters: Media use and relationship satisfaction among geographically close dating couples. In: Proceedings of the 19th ACM conference on computer-supported cooperative work & social computing (pp. 394–404). ACM.
Tram, J. M., & Cole, D. A. (2000). Self-perceived competence and the relation between life events and depressive symptoms in adolescence: Mediator or moderator? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(4), 753–760. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.109.4.753.
Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2007). Internet communication and its relation to well-being: Identifying some underlying mechanisms. Media Psychology, 9(1), 43–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213260709336802.
Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2009). Social consequences of the Internet for adolescents: A decade of research. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2009.01595.x.
Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2011). Online communication among adolescents: An integrated model of its attraction, opportunities, and risks. Journal of Adolescent Health, 48(2), 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.08.020.
van Rooij, A. J., Ferguson, C. J., van De Mheen, D., & Schoenmakers, T. M. (2017). Time to abandon Internet addiction? Predicting problematic Internet, game, and social media use from psychological well-being and application use. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 14(1), 113–121.
Victor, C. R., & Yang, K. (2012). The prevalence of loneliness among adults: A case study of the United Kingdom. The Journal of Psychology, 146, 85–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2011.613875.
Walther, J. B. (1996). Computer-mediated communication: Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyperpersonal interaction. Communication Research, 23, 3–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/009365096023001001.
Walther, J. B. (2007). Selective self-presentation in computer-mediated communication: Hyperpersonal dimensions of technology, language, and cognition. Computers in Human Behavior, 23, 2538–2557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2006.05.002.
Woods, H. C., & Scott, H. (2016). #Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Journal of Adolescence, 51, 41–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.05.008.
Yum, Y. O., & Hara, K. (2005). Computer-mediated relationship development: A cross-cultural comparison. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(1), 133–152. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.tb00307.x.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Acton Feng, Lillie Levin, Brianna Pemble, and Kimberly Vue for their help with the literature search.
Funding
Preparation of this manuscript was supported by funds for the Interdisciplinary Training Program in Youth Development, Social Media, and Assessment from the Graduate School, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
IS, CO, and GY searched databases for relevant articles, recorded their findings, and were responsible for writing the manuscript. YC was responsible for writing the manuscript. CT, BB, AB, and MM conceived the study, helped draft the manuscript, and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors report no conflict of interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sarmiento, I.G., Olson, C., Yeo, G. et al. How Does Social Media Use Relate to Adolescents’ Internalizing Symptoms? Conclusions from a Systematic Narrative Review. Adolescent Res Rev 5, 381–404 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-018-0095-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-018-0095-2