IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i4p3657-d1073206.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Relationship between Social Media Use and Social Anxiety in College Students: Mediation Effect of Communication Capacity

Author

Listed:
  • Fengxia Lai

    (Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
    School of Nursing, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Lihong Wang

    (Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Jiyin Zhang

    (School of Nursing, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China)

  • Shengnan Shan

    (School of Nursing, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China)

  • Jing Chen

    (School of Nursing, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China)

  • Li Tian

    (Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
    School of Nursing, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China)

Abstract

An increasing number of college students are experiencing social anxiety in an era of prevalent social networking. College students’ social anxiety may be related to their social media use. However, this relationship has not been confirmed. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between different types of social media use and social anxiety among college students, and the mediation effects of communication capacity in this context. A large sample of 1740 students from seven colleges in China was analyzed. Bivariate correlation and structural equations analysis showed that passive social media use was positively correlated with social anxiety. Active social media use was negatively correlated with social anxiety. Communication capacity partially mediated the relationship between social media use (passive/active) and social anxiety. Active social media use may reduce social anxiety by positively mediating communication capacity, while improved communication capacity may reduce the contribution of passive use to social anxiety. The differences in the effects of different social media use on social anxiety deserve the attention of educators. Developing communication capacity education around college students may help reduce their social anxiety.

Suggested Citation

  • Fengxia Lai & Lihong Wang & Jiyin Zhang & Shengnan Shan & Jing Chen & Li Tian, 2023. "Relationship between Social Media Use and Social Anxiety in College Students: Mediation Effect of Communication Capacity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3657-:d:1073206
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/3657/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/3657/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hiu Yan Wong & Hoi Yi Mo & Marc N. Potenza & Mung Ni Monica Chan & Wai Man Lau & Tsz Kwan Chui & Amir H. Pakpour & Chung-Ying Lin, 2020. "Relationships between Severity of Internet Gaming Disorder, Severity of Problematic Social Media Use, Sleep Quality and Psychological Distress," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-13, March.
    2. Ruijie Gong & Yinghuan Zhang & Rusi Long & Rui Zhu & Sicong Li & Xinyi Liu & Suping Wang & Yong Cai, 2021. "The Impact of Social Network Site Addiction on Depression in Chinese Medical Students: A Serial Multiple Mediator Model Involving Loneliness and Unmet Interpersonal Needs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-8, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michelle Hui Lim Lee & Manveen Kaur & Vinorra Shaker & Anne Yee & Rohana Sham & Ching Sin Siau, 2023. "Cyberbullying, Social Media Addiction and Associations with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Medical Students in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Youlai Zeng & Jiahui Zhang & Jiaxin Wei & Shunyu Li, 2022. "The Impact of Undergraduates’ Social Isolation on Smartphone Addiction: The Roles of Academic Anxiety and Social Media Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Hua Pang & Qinglong Shao, 2023. "Unpacking the Potential Influence of Life Satisfaction on Network Heterogeneity, Emotional Exhaustion and Mobile App Fatigue: A Stressor–Strain–Outcome Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-16, February.
    4. Lingling Gao & Yiqun Gan & Amanda Whittal & Sonia Lippke, 2020. "Problematic Internet Use and Perceived Quality of Life: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study Investigating Work-Time and Leisure-Time Internet Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Chenyu Lv & Ofir Turel & Qinghua He, 2021. "The Onset of Menstruation and Social Networking Site Use in Adolescent Girls: The Mediating Role of Body Mass Index," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-9, September.
    6. Cecilia Cheng & Yan-Ching Lau, 2022. "Social Media Addiction during COVID-19-Mandated Physical Distancing: Relatedness Needs as Motives," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-14, April.
    7. Olatz Lopez-Fernandez, 2021. "Emerging Health and Education Issues Related to Internet Technologies and Addictive Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-19, January.
    8. Lavinia Maria Pop & Magdalena Iorga & Raluca Iurcov, 2022. "Body-Esteem, Self-Esteem and Loneliness among Social Media Young Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, April.
    9. Regina J.J.M. van den Eijnden & Suzanne M. Geurts & Tom F.M. ter Bogt & Vincent G. van der Rijst & Ina M. Koning, 2021. "Social Media Use and Adolescents’ Sleep: A Longitudinal Study on the Protective Role of Parental Rules Regarding Internet Use before Sleep," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-13, February.
    10. Nurazah Ismail & Ahmad Izzat Tajjudin & Hafiz Jaafar & Nik Ruzyanei Nik Jaafar & Azlin Baharudin & Normala Ibrahim, 2021. "The Relationship between Internet Addiction, Internet Gaming and Anxiety among Medical Students in a Malaysian Public University during COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-12, November.
    11. Regina Hamre & Otto Robert Frans Smith & Oddrun Samdal & Ellen Haug, 2022. "Gaming Behaviors and the Association with Sleep Duration, Social Jetlag, and Difficulties Falling Asleep among Norwegian Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-14, February.
    12. Yonghua Chen & Xi Liu & Dorothy T. Chiu & Ying Li & Baibing Mi & Yue Zhang & Lu Ma & Hong Yan, 2022. "Problematic Social Media Use and Depressive Outcomes among College Students in China: Observational and Experimental Findings," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-17, April.
    13. Jinhee Lee & Joung-Sook Ahn & Seongho Min & Min-Hyuk Kim, 2020. "Psychological Characteristics and Addiction Propensity According to Content Type of Smartphone Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-10, March.
    14. Jia-Xin Liang & Ying Gao & I-Hua Chen & Xiu-Mei Chen & Yuan-Yuan Zheng, 2022. "The Association between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Psychological Distress among Primary School and Middle School Teachers during the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Moderated Mediation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-13, September.
    15. Amel Tayech & Mohamed Arbi Mejri & Issam Makhlouf & Ameni Mathlouthi & David G. Behm & Anis Chaouachi, 2020. "Second Wave of COVID-19 Global Pandemic and Athletes’ Confinement: Recommendations to Better Manage and Optimize the Modified Lifestyle," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-12, November.
    16. Shuang Lin & Chengfu Yu & Jun Chen & Jing Sheng & Yousong Hu & Lin Zhong, 2020. "The Association between Parental Psychological Control, Deviant Peer Affiliation, and Internet Gaming Disorder among Chinese Adolescents: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-13, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:3657-:d:1073206. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.