Social Media, Social Support and Solitude among College Students

Abstract

2013 Mayers Summer Research ScholarshipsSocial support gained through social network and social media has been proposed to be a plausible buffer protecting college students from mental health problems. However, contradictory evidence has been found questioning whether social media indeed can help gratify college students’ social needs and cultivate social support for them. The current study reconciles existing findings by examining the role of solitude in this process. Through a longitudinal 4-week experience sampling study and dynamic panel models, the study revealed that the nature of solitude (loneliness and voluntariness) moderated the use and effects of social media. More specifically, an increase of social needs boosted social media use; but this effect was stronger when a person was lonelier during the solitude and when the solitude was non-voluntary. The effect of social media use on social gratification was moderated by solitude as well. For those who were voluntarily to select to be alone and did not feel high levels of loneliness, social gratification was higher and an increase of social media use slightly increased social gratification. In comparison, for those who were non-voluntarily to be alone and felt lonelier, social gratification was lower and an increase of social media use decreased social gratification. The implications for how to better use social media to improve college students’ social support and mental health is discussed.No embargoAcademic Major: Communicatio