Social networking site use: Linked to adolescents' social self‐concept, self‐esteem, and depressed mood
Open accessAbstract
Adolescents spend a substantial amount of time using social networking sites (SNSs); however, little is known regarding whether such use is associated with indicators of adjustment. The present study employed a multidimensional measure of SNS use to investigate the link between Australian adolescent SNS use and indicators of adjustment. Youth (N = 1,819, 55% female) from 34 diverse high schools across Western Australia were surveyed. The results showed that frequency of SNS use was linked to higher social self‐concept while investment in SNSs was associated with lower self‐esteem and higher depressed mood. Furthermore, having an SNS was linked to more negative indicators for female adolescents compared with male adolescents, although the link between frequency of use and investment in SNSs to indicators of adjustment was not moderated by gender. The present study highlights the complexity of the relationship between adolescent SNS use and indicators of adjustment, and offers insight into the diverse types of adolescent use of SNSs.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Neira and Barber (2014) reported no relationship between frequency of social media use and depressed mood in an Australian sample.
“no relationship between frequency of social media use and depressed mood was reported by Neira and Barber (2014) in another study in Australia”
From A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents (2020) · cites this paper as Neira and Barber (2014)
The regression results section reports no significant link between SNS-use frequency and depressed mood. However, the gender-analysis section reports a significant positive correlation between them, so the unqualified claim of no relationship omits a relevant finding. The study surveyed adolescents in Western Australia (Abstract). (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredNeira and Barber (2014) showed that investment in social media sites was associated with increased depressed mood.
“The cross-sectional study by Neira and Barber (2014) showed that investment in social media sites was associated with an increased depressed mood.”
From A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents (2020) · cites this paper as Neira and Barber (2014)
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Social network sites: definition, history, and scholarship
boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x · Cited by 16,251 · see citing works
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x · Cited by 9,939 · see citing works
College students' social networking experiences on Facebook
Pempek, T. A., Yermolayeva, Y. A., & Calvert, S. L. (2009) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.010 · Cited by 2,081 · see citing works
The Construction of the Self: A Developmental Perspective
Harter, S., & Leahy, R. L. (2001) · Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy · doi:10.1891/0889-8391.15.4.383 · Cited by 2,000 · see citing works
Social capital, self-esteem, and use of online social network sites: A longitudinal analysis.
Steinfield, C., Ellison, N. B., & Lampe, C. (2008) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2008.07.002 · Cited by 1,919 · see citing works
The construction of the self: a developmental perspective
(1999) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.37-1226 · Cited by 1,846 · see citing works
Friend networking sites and their relationship to adolescents’ well-being and social self-esteem
Valkenburg, P. M., Peter, J., & Schouten, A. P. (2006) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.584 · Cited by 1,531 · see citing works
Chou, H.-T. G., & Edge, N. (2012) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2011.0324 · Cited by 1,166 · see citing works
Kim, J., & Lee, J.-E. R. (2011) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0374 · Cited by 930 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Other research has found that greater numbers of Facebook friends was positively associated with university students’ well-being (Kim & Lee, 2011).”
BackgroundBarker, V. (2009) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0228 · Cited by 781 · see citing works
Self-presentation and gender on MySpace
Manago, A. M., Graham, M. B., Greenfield, P. M., & Salimkhan, G. (2008) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2008.07.001 · Cited by 724 · see citing works
Whatever Happened to the Jock, the Brain, and the Princess?
Barber, B. L., Eccles, J. S., & Stone, M. R. (2001) · Journal of Adolescent Research · doi:10.1177/0743558401165002 · Cited by 697 · see citing works
Self-citationThe relationship between Facebook and the well-being of undergraduate college students
Kalpidou, M., Costin, D., & Morris, J. (2011) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0061 · Cited by 619 · see citing works
Adolescents’ identity experiments on the internet
Valkenburg, P. M., Schouten, A. P., & Peter, J. (2005) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444805052282 · Cited by 532 · see citing works
Escaping or connecting? Characteristics of youth who form close online relationships
Wolak, J., Mitchell, K. J., & David Finkelhor, B. (2003) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/s0140-1971(02)00114-8 · Cited by 329 · see citing works
After-school activities and the development of low-income urban children: A longitudinal study.
Posner, J. K., & Vandell, D. L. (1999) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037//0012-1649.35.3.868 · Cited by 318 · see citing works
Bonetti, L., Campbell, M. A., & Gilmore, L. (2010) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0215 · Cited by 307 · see citing works
Neira, C. J. B., & Barber, B. L. (2010) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-010-9563-0 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Associations among Computer-Mediated Communication, Relationships, and Well-being
Schiffrin, H. H., Edelman, A., Falkenstern, M. A., & Stewart, C. (2010) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0173 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
Modecki, K. L., Barber, B. L., & Vernon, L. (2012) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-012-9887-z · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Self-citationRelation of shyness with aspects of online relationship involvement
Ward, C. C., & Tracey, T. J. G. (2004) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407504045890 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Neira, C. J. B., & Barber, B. L. (2009) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2009.01.003 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Self-citationNeira, C. J. B., & Barber, B. L. (2012) · The Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist · doi:10.1017/edp.2012.8 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Self-citationTo have loved and lost: Adolescent romantic relationships and rejection
Barber, B. L. (2005) · Murdoch University Research Portal · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Blomfield, C. J., & Barber, B. L. (2009). Performing on the stage, the field, or both? Etracurricular activity participation and Aus- tralian adolescent self-concept. Journal of Adolescence, 32, 733- 739.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2020) · International Journal of Adolescence and Youth · doi:10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851 · Cited by 1,909 · see citing works
The interplay between Facebook use, social comparison, envy, and depression
Appel, H., Gerlach, A. L., & Crusius, J. (2016) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.10.006 · Cited by 605 · see citing works
“Given that sites such as Facebook serve a diversity of purposes [10,11], treating them as a one-dimensional construct is likely an oversimplification [4,5] resulting in conceptual imprecision (for an overview, see [12 ]).”
BackgroundLup, K., Trub, L., & Rosenthal, L. (2015) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2014.0560 · Cited by 520 · see citing works
“17 In adolescent girls, emotional investment in social networking has been linked to lower self-esteem and depressed mood, 18 and exposure to SNS that emphasize appearance has been linked to increased body image disturbance.”
Association of Facebook Use With Compromised Well-Being: A Longitudinal Study
Shakya, H. B., & Christakis, N. A. (2017) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/aje/kww189 · Cited by 378 · see citing works
Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review
Karim, F. B., Oyewande, A. A., Abdalla, L. F., Ehsanullah, R. C., & Khan, S. (2020) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.8627 · Cited by 378 · see citing works
“Similarly, Neira and Barber found that while higher investment in social media (e.g. active social media use) predicted adolescents’ depressive symptoms, no relationship was found between the frequency of social media use and depressed mood [28].”
BackgroundInfluentialIs social network site usage related to depression? A meta-analysis of Facebook–depression relations
Yoon, S., Kleinman, M., Mertz, J., & Brannick, M. (2019) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.01.026 · Cited by 355 · see citing works
A meta-analysis of the association between adolescent social media use and depressive symptoms
Ivie, E. J., Pettitt, A., Moses, L. J., & Allen, N. B. (2020) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.014 · Cited by 358 · see citing works
Social Media and Depressive Symptoms in Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review
McCrae, N., Gettings, S., & Purssell, E. (2017) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-017-0053-4 · Cited by 304 · see citing works
“(2009) 307 Instant messaging (time 1)/depression (time 2) −0.02 Neira and Barber (2014) 1819 Social media use/depressive symptoms −0.09* Gámez-Gaudix (2014) 699 Preference for online social interaction (time 1)/depression (time 2) 0.13* Frison and Eggermont (2015) 910 Social support seeking on…”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialSocial media use and mental health and well-being among adolescents: a scoping review
Schønning, V., Hjetland, G. J., Aarø, L. E., & Skogen, J. C. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01949 · Cited by 288 · see citing works
Social Media Use and Adolescents' Self-Esteem: Heading for a Person-Specific Media Effects Paradigm
Valkenburg, P., Beyens, I., Pouwels, J. L., van Driel, I. I., & Keijsers, L. (2021) · Journal of Communication · doi:10.1093/joc/jqaa039 · Cited by 258 · see citing works
“Some of these studies have reported positive effects of SMU on self-esteem (e.g., Blomfield Neira & Barber, 2014), others have yielded negative effects (e.g., Woods & Scott, 2016), and yet others have found null effects (e.g., Ko (cid:2) sir et al., 2016).”
Social media use and depression in adolescents: a scoping review
Vidal, C., Lhaksampa, T., Miller, L., & Platt, R. (2020) · International Review of Psychiatry · doi:10.1080/09540261.2020.1720623 · Cited by 259 · see citing works
Social comparison on Facebook: Motivation, affective consequences, self-esteem, and Facebook fatigue
Cramer, E. M., Song, H., & Drent, A. M. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.07.049 · Cited by 240 · see citing works
Internet Use, Facebook Intrusion, and Depression: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study
Błachnio, A., Przepiórka, A., & Pantic, I. (2015) · European Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2015.04.002 · Cited by 199 · see citing works
“During the past several years, several authors have associated the Internet and social networking use with various mental health issues, such as depression, low self-esteem, and narcissism [16,23,21].”
BackgroundValkenburg, P. M., Koutamanis, M., & Vossen, H. G. M. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.008 · Cited by 192 · see citing works
“And secondly, because there is initial evidence that the positive relationship be-tween social media use and self-esteem may hold for adolescents but not for adults (Gross, 2009).”
Li, L., Niu, Z., Mei, S., & Griffiths, M. D. (2021) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2021.107086 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Do social media foster or curtail adolescents’ empathy? A longitudinal study
Vossen, H. G. M., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.040 · Cited by 170 · see citing works
“…some studies have reported negative effects of social media on some aspects of psychosocial development (e.g., on self-esteem or mood), these studies have typically focused on problematic or excessive internet or social media use (e.g., Blom fi eld Neira & Barber, 2014; Van der Aa et al., 2009).”
Chao, M., Lei, J., Ru, H., Jiang, Y., & Yang, H. (2023) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115247 · Cited by 204 · see citing works
Social comparison on Facebook: Its antecedents and psychological outcomes
Jang, K., Park, N., & Song, H. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.082 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
Smartphones and close relationships: the case for an evolutionary mismatch
Sbarra, D. A., Briskin, J. L., & Slatcher, R. B. (2019) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691619826535 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
Association Between Social Networks and Subjective Well-Being in Adolescents: A Systematic Review
Webster, D., Dunne, L., & Hunter, R. (2021) · Youth & Society · doi:10.1177/0044118x20919589 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
“…and in a study with High school students in Australia, girls with a social networking site profile reported Webster et al. 197 significantly higher levels of depressed mood and lower self-esteem than those without a profile; however, this was not the case for boys (Blomfield Neira & Barber, 2014).”
ResultVernon, L., Modecki, K. L., & Barber, B. L. (2018) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/cdev.12836 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
“This scale was based on the mean for three items used in previous research where the validity of the scale has been ascertained (Blomfield Neira & Barber, 2014).”
MethodSelf-citationLatif, K., Weng, Q. D., Pitafi, A. H., Ali, A., Siddiqui, A. W., Malik, M. Y., & Latif, Z. (2020) · Telematics and Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.tele.2020.101470 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Krause, H.-V., Baum, K., Baumann, A., & Krasnova, H. (2019) · Media Psychology · doi:10.1080/15213269.2019.1656646 · Cited by 158 · see citing works
The Digital Self: How Social Media Serves as a Setting that Shapes Youth’s Emotional Experiences
Wood, M. A., Bukowski, W. M., & Lis, E. (2015) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-015-0014-8 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
“Blomfield Neira and Barber (2014) discovered that male users of SNSs might experience positive effects such as the development of social skills and higher social self-concept than their male peers without SNS profiles.”
BackgroundHo, S. S., Lee, E. W. J., & Liao, Y. (2016) · Social Media + Society · doi:10.1177/2056305116664216 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Lee, H. Y., Jamieson, J. P., Reis, H. T., Beevers, C. G., Josephs, R. A., Mullarkey, M. C., O’Brien, J. M., & Yeager, D. S. (2020) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/cdev.13422 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
“Co-occurring with this increase in social media use has been a dramatic and alarming increase in youth mental health problems, leading some to question whether social media might be contributing to this trend (Beyens, Frison, & Eggermont, 2016; Blomfield-Neira & Barber, 2014; Kross et al., 2013; Nesi & Prinstein, 2015…”
BackgroundInfluentialJarman, H. K., Marques, M. D., McLean, S. A., Slater, A., & Paxton, S. J. (2021) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-020-01390-z · Cited by 121 · see citing works
New technologies and 21st century children
Graafland, J. H. (2018) · OECD education working papers · doi:10.1787/e071a505-en · Cited by 131 · see citing works
“However, female students with a SNS profile reported higher levels of depressed feelings and lower levels of self-esteem in comparison with their female peers without SNS profiles (Blomfield Neira and Barber, 2014[65]).”
ResultRaudsepp, L., & Kais, K. (2019) · Preventive Medicine Reports · doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100925 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
“For example, Neira and Barber (2014) found that female adolescents who had a social media profile reported significantly higher levels of depressed mood, and lower self-esteem, than female youth without a social media profile.”
BackgroundVernon, L., Modecki, K. L., & Barber, B. L. (2017) · Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology · doi:10.1080/15374416.2016.1188702 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
“A number of studies suggest that there may be benefits to using SNSs to engage with friends, develop social self-concept (Barker, 2009; Blomfield-Neira & Barber, 2014), and build social connections and support, especially for those who are lonely (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007, 2011; Lee, Noh,…”
BackgroundSelf-citationVernon, L., Barber, B. L., & Modecki, K. L. (2015) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2015.0107 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Self-citationVahedi, Z., & Zannella, L. (2021) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-019-0150-6 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
“…Facenook Intrusion Questionnaire Block et al. (2014) N = 19,776; M = 45.4 51.7% Female 58.4% Caucasian Non-specific General USA Published N/A – Blomfield Neira and Barber (2014) N = 1819; M = 14.6 55% Female 83.4% Caucasian Non-specific General Australia Published Depressed Mood Scale – Chop…”
BackgroundInfluentialThe effect of social media on the development of students’ affective variables
Chen, M., & Xiao, X. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1010766 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Yin, X.-Q., de Vries, D. A., Gentile, D. A., & Wang, J.-L. (2019) · Social Science Computer Review · doi:10.1177/0894439318784908 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
“Females tend to browse others’ profiles more frequently than males (Pujazon-Zazik & Park, 2010), which may lead them to experience more upward social comparisons and more negative emotions (Blomfield Neira & Barber, 2014).”
BackgroundNesi, J., Rothenberg, W. A., Bettis, A. H., Massing-Schaffer, M., Fox, K. A., Telzer, E. H., Lindquist, K. A., & Prinstein, M. J. (2022) · Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology · doi:10.1080/15374416.2021.1955370 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Zhang, C., Tang, L., & Liu, Z. (2023) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-023-01311-2 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Effects of Social Media Use on Youth and Adolescent Mental Health: A Scoping Review of Reviews
Agyapong-Opoku, N., Agyapong-Opoku, F., & Greenshaw, A. J. (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15050574 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Piteo, E. M., & Ward, K. (2020) · Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.1111/camh.12373 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Metzler, A., & Scheithauer, H. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01981 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
“The online exposure to their friends’ positive, socially desirable moments (e.g., visiting a party) may lead to a higher level of social comparison (Neira and Barber, 2014).”
BackgroundInternet Addiction and Depression in Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model
Chi, X., Liu, X., Guo, T., Wu, M., & Chen, X. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00816 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
“Int J Environ Res Public Health (2011) 8(12):3528–52.”
BackgroundInfluentialHilty, D. M., Stubbe, D. E., McKean, A. J. S., Hoffman, P. E., Zalpuri, I., Myint, M. T., Joshi, S. V., Pakyürek, M., & Li, S. T. (2023) · BJPsych Open · doi:10.1192/bjo.2023.523 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
“142 With regard to college students, studies examined the relationship of social medial with well-being, 128 FOMO, 130 attachment, social capital 130 and social closeness based on activity.”
BackgroundLi, P., Chang, L., Chua, T. H. H., & Loh, R. (2018) · Telematics and informatics · doi:10.1016/j.tele.2018.07.003 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
“Self-esteem and Peer Feedback A huge body of research has studied the relationship between self-esteem and social media use, particularly among adolescents and teenagers (Neira et al., 2014; Pounders et al., 2016; Valkenburg et al., 2006; Valkenburg and Peter, 2011; Wilson et al., 2010).”
BackgroundSocial media and its relationship with mood, self‐esteem and paranoia in psychosis
Berry, N., Emsley, R., Lobban, F., & Bucci, S. (2018) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/acps.12953 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Latif, K., Malik, M. Y., Pitafi, A. H., Kanwal, S., & Latif, Z. (2020) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/2158244020925511 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
“Research postulates that SNS use by individuals has consequences on how they see themselves and their related peers (Blomfield Neira & Barber, 2014).”
BackgroundPegg, K. J., O'Donnell, A. W., Lala, G., & Barber, B. (2018) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0665 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Self-citationCalancie, O. G., Ewing, L., Narducci, L. D., Horgan, S. A., & Khalid‐Khan, S. (2017) · Cyberpsychology Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace · doi:10.5817/cp2017-4-2 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
“Through Facebook, adolescents can observe others anonymously, control their self-image, and make social comparisons with others (Ellison, 2007; Neira et al., 2014; Shaw et al., 2015).”
BackgroundPertegal, M.-Á., Delgado, A. O., & Rodríguez‐Meirinhos, A. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0225781 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Use of social network sites among depressed adolescents
Gürbüz, H. G. A., Demir, T., Özcan, B. G., Kadak, M. T., & Poyraz, B. Ç. (2016) · Behaviour and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2016.1262898 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
“…adolescents clearly used SNSs longer than non-depressed adolescents (Ybarra, Alexander, and Mitchell 2005; Pantic et al. 2012;Wright et al. 2013), whereas Jelenchick, Eickhoff, and Moreno (2013) and Neira, Corey, and Barber (2014) found no relationship between time spent on SNSs and depression.”
BackgroundIn the Arms of a Robot: Designing Autonomous Hugging Robots with Intra-Hug Gestures
Block, A. E., Seifi, H., Hilliges, O., Gassert, R., & Kuchenbecker, K. J. (2023) · ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction · doi:10.1145/3526110 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Sarmiento, I. G., Olson, C., Yeo, G., Chen, Y. A., Toma, C. L., Brown, B. B., Bellmore, A., & Mares, M.-L. (2020) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-018-0095-2 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Valkenburg, P. M., Pouwels, J. L., Beyens, I., van Driel, I. I., & Keijsers, L. (2021) · Technology Mind and Behavior · doi:10.1037/tmb0000037 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
“Four of these studies found a nonsigni fi cant effect (Blom fi eld Neira & Barber, 2014; Kelly et al., 2019; Ko š ir et al., 2016; Meeus et al., 2019), while one study found a stronger negative SM-self-esteem relationamonggirlsthanboys(Barthorpeet al.,2020).”
BackgroundSocial Media Use and Offline Interpersonal Outcomes during Youth: A Systematic Literature Review
Dredge, R., & Schreurs, L. (2020) · Mass Communication & Society · doi:10.1080/15205436.2020.1810277 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Tran, D. V., Nguyen, T., & Nguyen, D. M. (2022) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-022-03042-w · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Mougharbel, F., Chaput, J., Sampasa‐Kanyinga, H., Hamilton, H. A., Colman, I., Leatherdale, S. T., & Goldfield, G. S. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1190390 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Mougharbel, F., Chaput, J., Sampasa‐Kanyinga, H., Colman, I., Leatherdale, S. T., Patte, K. A., & Goldfield, G. S. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1101594 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Social media and adolescent psychosocial development: a systematic review
Senekal, J. S., Ruth Groenewald, G., Wolfaardt, L., Jansen, C., & Williams, K. (2023) · South African Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1177/00812463221119302 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“Blomfield Neira and Barber (2014) note that it is investment in or being engrossed with social media, not the frequency of use, that predicts depressed mood and lower self-esteem.”
BackgroundInfluentialBottaro, R., & Faraci, P. (2022) · Current Addiction Reports · doi:10.1007/s40429-022-00445-4 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Hjetland, G. J., Finserås, T. R., Sivertsen, B., Colman, I., Hella, R. T., & Skogen, J. C. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph191711133 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Mieczkowski, H., Lee, A. Y., & Hancock, J. T. (2020) · Social Media + Society · doi:10.1177/2056305120961784 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Fors, P. Q., & Barch, D. M. (2019) · Child Psychiatry & Human Development · doi:10.1007/s10578-019-00892-7 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Adolescent Social Media Use and Emotional Intelligence: A Systematic Review
Piccerillo, L., & Digennaro, S. (2025) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-024-00245-z · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Lai, H.-M., Hsieh, P.-J., & Zhang, R.-C. (2018) · Behavior and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2018.1543452 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
“A popular SNS and communication platforms for adolescents, Facebook promotes stronger social ties (Chai and Kim 2012), successful peer relations (Košir et al. 2016), and constitutes an integral part of the everyday lives of adolescents (Neira and Barber 2014; Frison and Eggermont 2016).”
BackgroundKandola, A., Owen, N., Dunstan, D. W., & Hallgren, M. (2022) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291721000258 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
“Some studies have indicated that associations between social media use and poorer mental health are stronger in female adolescents than boys (Blomfield Neira & Barber, 2014), but other studies have not found this (Keles et al., 2020).”
BackgroundSavolainen, I., Sirola, A., Kaakinen, M., & Oksanen, A. (2018) · Journal of Gambling Studies · doi:10.1007/s10899-018-9813-8 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Why Social Comparison on Instagram Matters: Its impact on Depression
Hwnag, H. S. (2019) · KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems · doi:10.3837/tiis.2019.03.029 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
“Indeed, “selfies”—photographs that individuals take of themselves [37], typically with webcams or smartphones—are among the most popular types of posts.”
BackgroundMethodSaleem, N., Young, P., & Yousuf, S. (2024) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2023.0456 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
“Neira and Barber 50 and Woods and Scott 36 measured the degree to which participants were emotionally invested in social media sites.”
Social Networking Site Use, Positive Emotions, and Job Performance
Kock, N., & Moqbel, M. (2019) · Journal of Computer Information Systems · doi:10.1080/08874417.2019.1571457 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
“In fact, in the past several years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the use of social networking sites.(1,33,91) The implications of this increasing use, in organizations and society in general, are only beginning to be explored in targeted and task-specific ways.”
BackgroundBlock, A. E., Christen, S., Gassert, R., Hilliges, O., & Kuchenbecker, K. J. (2021) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000476649 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Use of social networking site and mental disorders among medical students in Kolkata, West Bengal
Mukhopadhyay, D. K., Barman, L., & Bandyopadhyay, G. (2018) · Indian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.4103/psychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_210_18 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
“also reported a significant association between frequency of social network use and depression.[32] Kross et al.”
BackgroundFunciones sociales de los Youtubers y su influencia en la preadolescencia
Aran-Ramspott, S., Fedele, M., & Tarragó, A. (2018) · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · doi:10.3916/c57-2018-07 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“Hence, they are more susceptible to the influence of the environment (Bernete, 2009), and it becomes essential to understand how adolescents interact with the digital environment (Blomfield & Barber, 2014).”
BackgroundKošir, K., Horvat, M., Aram, U., Jurinec, N., & Tement, S. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.04.013 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Peters, S., van der Cruijsen, R., van der Aar, L. P. E., Spaans, J., Becht, A., & Crone, E. A. (2021) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100921 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Effects of WeChat use on the subjective health of older adults
Wei, N., Sun, D., & Huang, W. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.919889 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“Combined with the results of existing studies focusing on adolescent populations, studies have found gender differences (Neira and Barber, 2014) as well as age differences (Tsitsika et al.”
ResultThe relationship between obesity and self-esteem: longitudinal evidence from Australian adults
Byth, S., Frijters, P., & Beatton, T. (2022) · Oxford Open Economics · doi:10.1093/ooec/odac009 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“Neira et al. (2014) surveyed approximately 1800 Australian high school students and found that individuals who frequently use social networking and are highly emotionally invested in it have significantly lower self-esteem.”
Subject matter of videos for teens on YouTube
Jiménez, A. G., & Vozmediano, M. M. (2019) · International Journal of Adolescence and Youth · doi:10.1080/02673843.2019.1590850 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Los vídeos de los adolescentes en YouTube: Características y vulnerabilidades digitales
Vozmediano, M. M., García‐Jiménez, A., & Sendra, J. J. M. (2018) · Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva (Universidad de Huelva) · doi:10.3916/c54-2018-06 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Turn off to tune in: Digital disconnection, digital consciousness, and meaningful leisure
Harmon, J. T., & Duffy, L. N. (2023) · Journal of Leisure Research · doi:10.1080/00222216.2023.2220699 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Others have also noted the social ills of smartphone use, finding connections to outcomes such as anxiety, loneliness, self-esteem, social phobias, and depression (e.g., Blomfield Neira & Barber, 2014; Enez Darcin et al., 2016; Lapierre et al., 2019; Madhav et al., 2017; McAllister et al., 2021).”
BackgroundHatchel, T. J., Negriff, S. L., & Subrahmanyam, K. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.12.012 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Wang, Y., Chen, Y.-J., & Liu, C.-C. (2024) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-024-01727-4 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Limone, P., & Toto, G. A. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938965 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Theocharidis, A.-I. T., Argyropoulou, M., Karavasilis, G., Vrana, V. G., & Kehris, E. C. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su12218973 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“Blomfield-Neira and Barber [81] operationalized th construct f social medi usage as the creation f profile onli e that thers can see, on n SNS like F cebo k, Bebo, or MySpace.”
BackgroundInfluentialLee, S., Lohrmann, D. K., Luo, J., & Chow, A. (2022) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.11.029 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Fujimori, A., Yamazaki, T., Sato, M., Hayashi, H., Fujiwara, Y., & Matsusaka, T. (2015) · Psychology · doi:10.4236/psych.2015.614179 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Al-Jbouri, E., Volk, A. A., Spadafora, N., & Andrews, N. C. Z. (2024) · Frontiers in Developmental Psychology · doi:10.3389/fdpys.2024.1419756 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
The impact of short video usage on the mental health of elderly people
Zhang, R., Su, Y., Lin, Z., & Hu, X. (2024) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-024-02125-6 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Bonsaksen, T., Steigen, A. M., Stea, T. H., Kleppang, A. L., Lien, L., & Leonhardt, M. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1037375 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
An Experience Sampling Study on the Association Between Social Media Use and Self-Esteem
Miljeteig, K., & von Soest, T. (2022) · Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications · doi:10.1027/1864-1105/a000333 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Youth insight about social media effects on well/ill-being and self-modulating efforts
Harness, J., Fitzgerald, K., Sullivan, H., & Selkie, E. (2022) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.04.011 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Griffith, D. A., Lee, H. S., & Yalcinkaya, G. (2022) · International Marketing Review · doi:10.1108/imr-07-2021-0214 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Unpacking Associations between Mood Symptoms and Screen Time in Preadolescents: a Network Analysis
Lin, S.-Y., Eaton, N. R., & Schleider, J. L. (2020) · Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10802-020-00703-x · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Derges, J., Bould, H., Gooberman‐Hill, R., Moran, P., Linton, M.-J., Rifkin-Zybutz, R. P., & Biddle, L. (2023) · JMIR Formative Research · doi:10.2196/43115 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Web-based activities have been associated with poor sleep, anxiety, and depression [4,5], especially among young people who are already vulnerable and whose mental health problems can be amplified by increased time spent on social media [6].”
Social media ills and evolutionary mismatches: a conceptual framework
Lim, A. J., & Tan, E. (2024) · Evolutionary Psychological Science · doi:10.1007/s40806-024-00398-z · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“These curated contents induce body image dissatisfaction and low self-esteem (Blomfield Neira & Barber, 2014; Harriger et al., 2023).”
The impact of snapchat usage on drunkorexia behaviors in college women
Foster, S., O'Mealey, M., Farmer, C., & Carvallo, M. (2020) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2020.1775609 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Cingel, D. P., & Olsen, M. K. (2018) · Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media · doi:10.1080/08838151.2018.1451860 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“In the current body of literature on self-esteem and social networking site use, some studies use social networking site use as the dependent variable (e.g., Barker, 2010), as we have done here, and others examine the influence of use on self-esteem (e.g., Niera & Barber, 2014).”
MethodResultKong, F., Deng, H., Meng, S., & Ge, Y. (2022) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-022-03880-8 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“For example, Blomfield Neira and Barber (2014) found that social media had negative aspects for girls (e.g., higher levels of depression, lower self-esteem) while being a positive leisure activity for boys.”
BackgroundKontribusi pola asuh orang tua demokratis, kontrol diri, konsep diri terhadap motivasi belajar siswa
Komsi, D. N., Hambali, I., & Ramli, M. (2018) · Psychology Evaluation and Technology in Educational Research · doi:10.33292/petier.v1i1.21 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Hands, B. P., Rose, E., Chivers, P., McIntyre, F., Timler, A., & PARKER, H. E. (2020) · Current Developmental Disorders Reports · doi:10.1007/s40474-020-00189-8 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Schreurs, L., Lee, A. Y., Liu, X. “., & Hancock, J. T. (2024) · Communication Research · doi:10.1177/00936502241233787 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Parents, friends, and depression: A multi-country study of adolescents in South Asia
Murshid, N. S. (2017) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.06.018 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Zhu, Y., & Yao, J. (2025) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-025-07478-8 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“The more people use social networking sites, the happier the experience will be (Blomfield Neira & Neira, 2014).”
- Authors
- Blomfield neira, C. J., & Barber, B. L.
- Affiliations
- School of Psychology and Exercise Science, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia,
- Murdoch University (AU)
- ORCID
- Barber, Bonnie L.
- Venue
- Australian Journal of Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2014-03-01
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 56-64
- ISSN
- 0004-9530 (ISSN-L)
- 1742-9536
- OpenAlex
- W1593810090
- Cited by
- 247
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 23.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Australian Journal of Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Australian Government
- Australian Research Council (DP1095791)
- Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health via Writing
- Keywords
- social networking sites, adolescents, social self-concept, self-esteem, depressive mood, adolescent adjustment, gender differences
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
