Methodological Innovations to Advance the Science of Social Media Use and Adolescent Development and Well-being

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Despite advances in our understanding of adolescent social media use, most research continues to rely on self-reported surveys of social media assessed at a single timepoint and cross-sectional designs. Advancing technology provides new opportunities to improve our understanding of social media using state-of-the-art methods across disciplines. In this symposium, we present methodological and empirical advances in examining adolescent social media use and its nuanced relationship with mental health and well-being.

Talk 1 describes the use of daily surveys to examine whether social media quality predicts daily peer closeness, mood, and internalizing symptoms over a 10-day period among adolescent girls. Talk 2 discusses the benefits and challenges of using smartphone sensing as a method to examine idiographic patterns of social media use among adolescents over one month. Talk 3 presents the use of topic modeling, a machine learning technique, to identify patterns in adolescents’ statements regarding time well spent on social media. Talk 4 describes the development and testing of a novel fMRI task (Teen Brain Online) to measure teen brain response to peer reward (i.e., acceptance) and threat (i.e., rejection), which integrates key elements of popular social media sites.

Collectively, our work highlights innovative methods to advance the science of studying adolescent social media use and its potential to promote mental health and well-being. We will engage with the audience through an open discussion about the strengths and limitations of these methods and future directions for the field.

Sub Unit

• Technology, Media & Child Development

Chair

• Jessica Leigh Hamilton, Rutgers University - New Brunswick

Individual Presentations

• Social Technology Use Predicts Girls’ Daily Emotional Health during Social Distancing via Peer Closeness - Presenting Author: Jennifer S. Silk, University of Pittsburgh; Kiera M James, University of Pittsburgh; Lori Scott, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Emily Anne Hutchinson, University of Pittsburgh; Cecile D Ladouceur, University of Pittsburgh

• Smartphone Sensing: Innovative Methods to Identify Objective Patterns of Adolescent Social Media Use and Behaviors - Presenting Author: Jessica Leigh Hamilton, Rutgers University - New Brunswick; Melissa J Dreier, Rutgers University; Simone I. Boyd, Rutgers University; Saskia Jorgensen, Rutgers University; Maya Dalack; Christopher Damerau

• Using Machine Learning to Characterize Adolescents’ Time Well Spent on Social Media - Presenting Author: Brian Galla, University of Pittsburgh; Anne Maheux, University of Delaware; Sophia Choukas-Bradley, University of Delaware; Jacqueline Nesi, Brown University; Dipen Rupani, Stony Brook University; Adithya Ganesan, Stony Brook University; H. Andrew Schwartz

• Probing Social Threat and Reward through Social Media Interactions: fMRI Task Development in Adolescents - Presenting Author: Caroline Oppenheimer; Helmet Karim, University of Pittsburgh; Sophia Choukas-Bradley, University of Delaware; Jamie L Hanson, University of Pittsburgh; Jennifer S. Silk, University of Pittsburgh