Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Mental Health
Date Submitted: Sep 2, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Sep 2, 2026 - Sep 18, 2026
Date Accepted: Oct 3, 2026
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Social Media Use Motives and Mental Health Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study of UK Students
ABSTRACT
Background:
Social media use is ubiquitous among adolescents, yet its relationship with mental health may depend on why it is used. Understanding the motives underlying social media engagement may provide greater insight into its potential risks and benefits than considering overall use alone.
Objective:
This study aimed to identify latent dimensions of adolescents’ motives for social media use and examine their associations with anxiety, depression, wellbeing, and resilience.
Methods:
Cross-sectional data were drawn from the BrainWaves study (N = 6,820; mean age 16.72 years). Social media motives were assessed using 10 items, with exploratory factor analysis identifying two latent dimensions: avoidant–escapist (boredom, addiction, distraction, procrastination) and social–recreational (socialising, communication, entertainment, observation). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to estimate factor scores, which were examined using linear regression. Structural equation modelling (SEM) estimated associations with mental health outcomes, adjusting for gender and deprivation.
Results:
Linear regression analyses showed that avoidant–escapist motives were associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas social–recreational motives were associated with lower symptoms. No interactions with gender or deprivation were observed. The SEM showed acceptable model fit (CFI=.945, RMSEA=.057, SRMR=.054). Avoidant–escapist motives were associated with higher anxiety (β=.543) and depressive symptoms (β=.629), and lower wellbeing (β=−.610) and resilience (β=−.469). Conversely, social–recreational motives were associated with lower anxiety (β=−.228) and depressive symptoms (β=−.342), and higher wellbeing (β=.362) and resilience (β=.242; all P<.001). These patterns remained consistent after accounting for gender and deprivation.
Conclusions:
Social media use shows different associations with adolescent mental health depending on underlying motives. Focusing on why adolescents engage with social media, rather than overall use alone, may provide a more informative framework for understanding potential risks and benefits. Given the cross-sectional design, causal inferences cannot be made.
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