Social Media use and Digital Stress Before and After the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Topic - Technology, Media & Child Development

Abstract

Previous studies have found an association between social media use and negative outcomes; although some results conclude that the relationship may be minimal (Keles et al., 2020; Hancock et al., 2019). Digital stress, the stress resulting from social media use and being permanently connected to an online world, has previously been proposed to be a mediator of the association between social media and negative outcomes. Recent studies have found that after the stay-at-home orders were issued due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents’ time spent on social media increased (Ellis et al., 2020). However, the association between social media use and digital stress after COVID-19 has not yet been explored; this study aims to explore pre and post-COVID-19 levels of social media use and digital stress. The primary goals of this research are to examine (a) pre- and post-COVID mean social media use among U.S. adolescents, (b) pre- and post-COVID mean digital stress levels, and (c) correlations between social media use and digital stress in pre- and post-COVID samples. It is hypothesized that post-COVID social media use and digital stress will be significantly greater than pre-COVID social media use and digital stress. Further, it is hypothesized that the association between social media use and digital stress will be significantly higher in the post-COVID sample, relative to the pre-COVID sample.
A nationally representative sample of adolescents’ objective social media use and subjective reports of digital stress were collected through the online platform Qualtrics™ pre-COVID and post-COVID stay-at-home orders. Social media use was objectively measured by asking participants to upload screenshots of their screen time, number of notifications, and number of daily pickups. For the subjective reports of digital stress, a 24-item measure of anxiety and stress related to social media was given. For this measure, participants rated themselves on a 5-point Likert-scale ranging from never to always. The data from the surveys were single and double entered into SPSS to ensure reliability. To assess hypothesis one to determine if social media use increased post-COVID, a t-test will be run. Similarly, to analyze the data for hypothesis two, a t-test will be run to determine if levels of digital stress increased post-COVID. Finally, to analyze hypothesis three, associations between digital stress and social media use pre- and post-COVID, correlations will be conducted on the pre- and post- COVID data. After correlations are performed, r-to-z transformations will be conducted to examine if there are statistically significant differences.
Data analysis for this study will be very feasible. Data have already been collected and is currently in the checking and cleaning process. The remaining steps will be to conduct the analyses. Thus, completion of data analysis for the presentation will be feasible and able to be completed well before the conference.

Authors

• Kylie Renee Kimrey, University of Kansas
  Presenting Author

• Jennifer L. Christofferson, University of Kansas
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jeffrey A. Hall, University of Kansas
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ric G. Steele, University of Kansas
  Non-Presenting Author