Social Media–Driven Routes to Positive Mental Health Among Youth: Qualitative Enquiry and Concept Mapping Study

Abstract

Background Social media influence almost every aspect of our lives by facilitating instant many-to-many communication and self-expression. Recent research suggests strong negative and positive impacts of social media exposure on youth mental health; however, there has been more emphasis on harmful relationships. Objective Given the limited research on the benefits of social media for mental health, this qualitative study explored the lived experiences of youth to understand how social media use can contribute to positive mental health among youth. Methods Using an interpretivist epistemological approach, 25 semistructured interviews and 11 focus group discussions were conducted with male and female youth of different ethnicities (aged 15 to 24 years) residing in Singapore, who were recruited through purposive sampling from the community. We conducted inductive thematic analysis and concept mapping to address the research aims. Results We found that youth engaged in a wide range of activities on social media from connecting with family and friends to participating in global movements, and these served as avenues for building positive mental health. Based on participants’ narratives, our analysis suggested that positive mental health among youth could be influenced by 3 features of social media consumption (connection with friends and their global community, engagement with social media content, and the value of social media as an outlet for expression). Through these, pathways leading to the following 5 positive mental health components were identified: (1) positive relationships and social capital, (2) self-concept, (3) coping, (4) happiness, and (5) other relevant aspects of mental health (for example, positivity and personal growth). Conclusions The study results highlight the integral role of social media in the lives of today’s youth and indicate that they can offer opportunities for positive influence, personal expression, and social support, thus contributing to positive mental health among youth. The findings of our research can be applied to optimize engagement with youth through social media and enhance the digital modes of mental health promotion.

Mental Health Practitioners’ and Young People’s Experiences of Talking About Social Media During Mental Health Consultations: Qualitative Focus Group and Interview Study

“…The findings indicate that practitioners are potentially in a good position to provide this space and help young people identify the harms and positive aspects of their use of social media. As identified in the literature, there are also considerable benefits for young people in using social media if they feel confident in discussing their experiences and are able to ask how to access useful and constructive support as well as how to interact safely with others on the web [ 17 , 18 , 25 ].…”

“…However, as the Royal College of Psychiatry report on young people's mental health and technology use also highlights, although it is essential for social media companies to address the issue of web-based risk, it is also important to support young people in engaging more safely with the web-based world and in a way that has a positive impact on their well-being [14]. Often unrecognized is the role social media plays in supporting young people's mental health by providing information, a sense of community, and emotional support [15][16][17][18][19]. However, the types of social media use are heterogeneous and can depend on whether the young person is an active or passive participant on social media; for example, findings suggest that passively looking at posts and images has a more problematic impact on mental health than active engagement [20].…”

A qualitative study on negative experiences of social media use and harm reduction strategies among youths in a multi-ethnic Asian society

“…Results from the present study indicate that social media can influence youths’ lives today. While social media can enhance learning, connection and communication [ 62 ], the salience of its negative effects on users’ mental well-being drives the need to actively monitor these harms and explore effective ways to steer users away from them. The current results offer a preliminary portrait of the salient negative effects of social media use in a multi-ethnic Asian youth population.…”

A study on the impact and buffer path of the internet use gap on population health: Latent category analysis and mediating effect analysis

“…At present, the research on the impact of the Internet on health has mostly focused on the use of smartphones and social media ( 23 ). The research methods are mostly qualitative surveys such as statistical regression ( 24 ) and focus interviews ( 25 ), and the key groups of concerning are special groups such as adolescents ( 26 ) and the elderly ( 24 ). Thus, quantitative research results for developing countries are relatively scarce.…”