Burn or Balm?: Exploring University Students’ Experiences With Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Psychological Reports · 5 authors, 1 centre

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TL;DR

This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data from university students to examine social media use patterns during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

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This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data from university students to examine social media use patterns during the first COVID-19 lockdown. The results indicated a significant increase in use across multiple platforms, with students selecting specific platforms for distinct goals like staying informed, connecting with others, and entertainment. Greater social media use was associated with higher extroversion and stress levels. The findings suggest that social media served important but complex functions for students during the lockdown, with implications for understanding its dual role in well-being.

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

psychiatry

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10183348

Burn or Balm?: Exploring University Students’ Experiences With Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Psychological Reports

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ABSTRACT

Abstract The impact on perceived burnout experiences among university students from the intensification of social media use during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet fully understood. In total, 516 university students (430 females) in a midsized city in Ontario, Canada completed one online survey that explored student characteristics (i.e., personality, life satisfaction, perceived stress, and basic psychological needs) as well as frequency and perceived purpose of social media use. Approximately 80% indicated an increase in their social media use with iMessage/Text messaging, Instagram, and Snapchat being the three most frequently accessed platforms. Social media use was associated with higher levels of perceived stress, extraversion, satisfaction and frustration of psychological relatedness needs, and frustration of competence need. Most students (87%) reported experiencing burnout. Greater burnout was associated with individuals who reported higher perceived stress, scored high in extroversion, and greater use of Instagram. Overall, intensified social media use during the pandemic yielded both positive and negative outcomes. Keywords: COVID-19, social media use, perceived burnout, basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration personality, life satisfaction, Instagram

CITATION EXPORT

Joanne Lee, Eileen Wood, Natasha Vogel et al.. Burn or Balm?: Exploring University Students’ Experiences With Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Psychological Reports. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941231175068

AUTHORS

5 · 1 CENTRES

Joanne Lee, Eileen Wood, Natasha Vogel, Edwin Santhosh, Preet K Chauhan

1Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada