Engagement in Academic-Based Comparisons on Social Networking Sites and Mental Health Outcomes among Post-secondary Students: A Cross-sectional Analysis
Cross-sectional analysis reveals links between social networking site use and mental health outcomes in students, indicating crucial areas for intervention.
Key Points
Engagement in upward academic-based comparisons on social networking sites is linked to increased anxiety scores among post-secondary students.
Use of TikTok correlates with worse mental health outcomes, while LinkedIn may improve psychological well-being in students.
A sample of 570 Canadian post-secondary students was analyzed for associations between social media engagement and mental health issues.
Findings emphasize the urgent need for mental health interventions that address the challenges of academic comparisons on social media.