The Protective Role of Social-Oriented Digital Media Use in Children’s and Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Covid-19 measures have reduced children’s and adolescents’ life satisfaction (LS), a key indicator of well-being. However, we have limited evidence of the longitudinal associations between changes in LS and different types of digital media use throughout the pandemic. Using data collected in Ticino, Italian-speaking Switzerland from 764 children and adolescents (Mage = 12.51, SDage = 4.00, 52% females) over five months starting from September 2020, the current study investigated temporal variations in LS, and how process-oriented versus social-oriented digital media use predicted LS, controlling for socio-demographic variables. Results of the quadratic latent growth curve model showed a steeper decrease in LS at the beginning of the second wave of the pandemic in Autumn 2020. Process-oriented digital media use predicted lower starting levels (i.e., the intercept) of LS, whereas social-oriented digital media use acted as a protective factor against the initial decrement of LS (i.e., linear slope) and positively influenced the rate of change of LS (i.e., the quadratic slope), pointing towards a faster return to baseline levels. Females, adolescents, participants with low subjective socio-economic status, and non-Swiss participants reported lower levels of LS. Results suggest that when in-person social contacts are compromised, social-oriented use of digital technologies should be promoted in young people to obtain and maintain social contacts that are crucial for LS and their well-being. LS may be conceived as a predisposing condition to accumulate, preserve, and restore mental and social well-being, which, in turn, allow individuals to contribute to their community and society at large.

Analysis of the Influence of Sleep Patterns, Emotional Stability, and Quality of Social Relationships on Mental Health of College Students in West Java

“…Cultural stigma surrounding mental health, for instance, may impact help-seeking behaviors. Additionally, collectivist cultural norms prevalent in Indonesia may influence the importance of social relationships in shaping mental health outcomes [16], [20], [21].…”

Pengaruh Penggunaan Media Sosial dan Interaksi Fisik terhadap Kualitas Hidup dan Kesejahteraan Psikologis Remaja di Sekolah Menengah Pertama di Jakarta

“…12, Desember 2023: pp. 1139-11501141 tua (Marciano, Albanese, Viswanath, & Camerini, 2023), (Desmet et al, 2021). Namun, ada juga bukti bahwa konten media prososial dapat memiliki efek positif pada perkembangan perilaku prososial pada anak-anak dan remaja.…”

Young Scholar Action Special Issue

“…lockdowns, social distancing measures, vaccinations) are likely causes of the increase in the prevalence and impact of stress, depression, and anxiety amongst different populations, suggesting a need to understand how communication technologies can be used as substitutes for real-life social contacts. The article of Marciano and colleagues (Marciano et al, 2023) uses data from 764 children and adolescents in Switzerland collected between early Fall 2020 and early 2021 to investigate this issue. Based on their results, these authors conclude that -when real-life social contacts are compromised Young Scholar Action de Bruijn & Vandebosch…”

“…Secondly, the three papers in this special issue rely on research methods that were "Coronaproof", that is reaching out to diverse samples of respondents and gathering data (at one or several moments in time) via online tools. That is, they use either a longitudinal online survey (Marciano et al, 2023), an electronic diary study (Vanherle et al, 2023), or semi-structured interviews via phones or videocalls (Temmann, 2023). Finally, the three papers all underline the power of social connections.…”

“…Finally, the three papers all underline the power of social connections. They show that online interactions are crucial to children's and adolescents' life satisfaction in times of isolation (Marciano et al, 2023), emphasize that the perceived "societal" severity is not only a predictor of Covid-19 risk-reducing behaviours, but also that health topics are also further discussed on social media platforms (Vanherle et al, 2023), and that the societal framing of health issues by the media affects how the audience perceives social context as a cause and solution for health issues (Temmann, 2023).…”