Using Media for Coping: A Scoping Review

Wolfers, Lara N.; Schneider, Frank M.

doi:10.1177/0093650220939778

Cited by 106 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…All forms of media use discussed above (and addressed in H1 and H2) have been linked to psychological well-being in previous research (Reinecke and Oliver, 2016). Extant work on media use and coping clearly suggests that media exposure is a frequently used tool for stress coping and can significantly facilitate the coping process (Wolfers and Schneider, 2020). Furthermore, both exposure to hedonically and eudaimonically motivated media use has been linked to well-being benefits.…”

Section: Effects On Affect Mental Health and Flourishingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Media for Coping During COVID-19 Social Distancing: Stress, Anxiety, and Psychological Well-Being

et al. 2020

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In spring 2020, COVID-19 and the ensuing social distancing and stay-at-home orders instigated abrupt changes to employment and educational infrastructure, leading to uncertainty, concern, and stress among United States college students. The media consumption patterns of this and other social groups across the globe were affected, with early evidence suggesting viewers were seeking both pandemic-themed media and reassuring, familiar content. A general increase in media consumption, and increased consumption of specific types of content, may have been due to media use for coping strategies. This paper examines the relationship between the stress and anxiety of university students and their strategic use of media for coping during initial social distancing periods in March-April 2020 using data from a cross-sectional survey. We examine links between specific types of media use with psychological well-being concepts, and examine the moderating roles of traits (hope, optimism, and resilience) as buffers against negative relationships between stress and anxiety and psychological well-being. Our findings indicate that stress was linked to more hedonic and less eudaimonic media use, as well as more avoidant and escapist media-based coping. Anxiety, on the other hand, was linked to more media use in general, specifically more eudaimonic media use and a full range of media-based coping strategies. In turn, escapist media was linked to negative affect, while reframing media and eudaimonic media were linked to positive affect. Avoidant coping was tied to poorer mental health, and humor coping was tied to better mental health. Hedonic and need-satisfying media use were linked to more flourishing. Hope, optimism, and resilience were all predictive of media use, with the latter two traits moderating responses to stress and anxiety. The findings give a nuanced portrait of college students’ media use during a pandemic-induced shutdown, showing that media use is closely intertwined with well-being in both adaptive and maladaptive patterns.

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Section: Effects On Affect Mental Health and Flourishingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Media for Coping During COVID-19 Social Distancing: Stress, Anxiety, and Psychological Well-Being

et al. 2020

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“…Q2: Controlling for individual and relationship differences, did pandemic-related stress and coping strategies predict engagement in experimental, risky, and emotional sexting during COVID-19 lockdown? Recent literature has suggested indeed that online behaviors may be used to cope with distressing situations and emotions (Wolfers & Schneider, 2020 ).…”

Section: The Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Young people have also used new media to cope with pandemic-related stress (Garfin, 2020 ). The coping function of online behaviors is widely acknowledged (review by Wolfers & Schneider, 2020 ) and, specifically during home-confinement, new technologies might have served for problem-focused coping (i.e., retrieving information about contagion and prevention) and for emotion-focused coping (i.e., maintaining social contacts, looking for emotional support; Garfin, 2020 ). Also avoidant-coping might have been implemented, because spending time on Internet can be a way to escape from emotional troubles and negative affect (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Love in Quarantine: Sexting, Stress, and Coping During the COVID-19 Lockdown

et al. 2021

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Introduction This study investigated the relationships of pandemic-related stress and coping strategies with different kinds of sexting (i.e., experimental, risky, and emotional) during the COVID-19 lockdown in the Italian context. Methods A sample of 1929 emerging adults (Mage = 24.17, SDage = 2.75; 71.6% girls) completed an online survey about their sexting behaviors during the national lockdown in Italy. Data were gathered in April/May 2020, from 6th to 11th week of home confinement due to COVID-19 pandemic. Hierarchical regression and mediation analyses were performed. Results Pandemic-related stress directly predicted only risky and emotional sexting. Experimental and emotional sexting were positively predicted by social support, and negatively predicted by turning to religion. Risky and emotional sexting were positively predicted by avoidance, and negatively predicted by problem solving. Adaptive coping (i.e., social support) mediated the relationships from pandemic-related stress to both experimental and emotional sexting. Maladaptive coping (i.e., avoidance and problem solving) mediated the relationships from pandemic related-stress to risky and emotional sexting. Conclusions Sexting was a coping tool during COVID-19 lockdown, showing both adaptive and maladaptive facets. Policy Implications Findings suggest new directions for implementing programs of sexual education and safer Internet use targeted to young people.

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“…Some considerations include the tendency for individuals with certain predispositions (e.g., depression, low self-esteem, perfectionism) to view social media as a means to reaffirm their self-worth through social comparisons and seeking social validation ( 23 ). More severely depressed or stressed individuals may also view social media as a means of escape and spend excessive periods of time aimlessly browsing social networking sites ( 45 ). It is thus necessary to understand the factors that push individuals toward unhealthy social media behavior, in which social media use is more a symptom than a cause.…”

Section: Discussion and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%