A growing body of research has documented the association between general social network sites use and loneliness, though results have not clarified whether social media increases or decreases loneliness. The relationships between specific social network sites use patterns and loneliness, as well as the mechanisms underlying this association, should be further examined. To address this issue, the current study investigated the mediating roles of social support and self-esteem between active social network sites use and loneliness. A sample of 390 undergraduate students (M age = 19.39, SD = 0.95) anonymously completed the Active Social Network Sites Use Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale, and the Emotional and Social Loneliness Scale in their classrooms. Latent variables structural equation modeling analysis indicated that: (a) active social network sites use was negatively associated with loneliness; (b) social support and self-esteem could significantly mediate the relationship between active social network sites use and loneliness, which contained two mediating paths: the simple mediating effect of social support and the sequential mediating effects of social support and self-esteem. These results coincide with previous research and extend them by examining the effects of how individuals use social media. Our understanding of how social media use helps to reduce the feeling of loneliness, as well as the intervention programs that aim to reduce loneliness, may benefit from these findings.

Background The current research investigated the association between teacher–student relationship (both teacher‐perceived and student‐perceived relationship quality) and students’ prosocial behaviours, as well as the mediating roles of students’ attitudes towards school and perceived academic competence in this association. Sample Four hundred and fifty‐nine Italian primary students (aged 4–9, Mage = 7.05, SDage = 1.37) and 47 teachers (aged 26–60, Mage = 48.35, SDage = 8.13) participated and finished all the questionnaires and scales. Methods Multiple regression analyses and bootstrapping analyses were employed to test the direct and the mediating effects between the teacher/student‐perceived relationship and students’ prosocial behaviours. Results Results indicated that (1) teacher–student relationship was positively associated with students’ prosocial behaviour; and (2) students’ attitudes towards school could significantly mediate the association between teacher/student‐perceived relationship and students’ prosocial behaviours. Conclusions Our understanding of how teacher–student relationship helps to enhance students’ prosocial behaviours, as well as the intervention programmes that aim to enhance students’ prosocial behaviours, may benefit from these findings.

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