Frontoparietal functional connectivity moderates the link between time spent on social media and subsequent negative affect in daily life

Abstract

Evidence on the harms and benefits of social media use is mixed, in part because the effects of social media on well-being depend on a variety of individual difference moderators. Here, we explored potential neural moderators of the link between time spent on social media and subsequent negative affect. We specifically focused on the strength of correlation among brain regions within the frontoparietal system, previously associated with the top-down cognitive control of attention and emotion. Participants (N = 54) underwent a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Participants then completed 28 days of ecological momentary assessment and answered questions about social media use and negative affect, twice a day. Participants who spent more than their typical amount of time on social media since the previous time point reported feeling more negative at the present moment. This within-person temporal association between social media use and negative affect was mainly driven by individuals with lower resting state functional connectivity within the frontoparietal system. By contrast, time spent on social media did not predict subsequent affect for individuals with higher frontoparietal functional connectivity. Our results highlight the moderating role of individual functional neural connectivity in the relationship between social media and affect.

Mindful attention to alcohol can reduce cravings in the moment and consumption in daily life

“…This study uses data from a broader project (the Social Health Impact of Network Effects study) that examined how interactions between mind, brain, and community give rise to health and well-being (Cosme et al, 2022; https://osf.io/gkahy). Other publications using these data but focusing on different research questions include: Jovanova et al (2023), Zhou et al (2022), (Kang et al, 2022(Kang et al, , 2023. In this study, we report how we determined our sample size, all data exclusions, all manipulations, and the measures relevant to this study (all measures are described in Cosme et al, 2022).…”