JMIR Publications

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 showed that avoidant–escapist motives were associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas social–recreational motives were associated with lower symptom levels. No interactions with gender were observed. SEM demonstrated good model fit and showed that avoidant–escapist use was associated with higher anxiety and depression and lower wellbeing and resilience, whereas social–recreational use showed the opposite pattern.

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.