Adolescent Engagement in Digital Status Seeking: Developmental Antecedents of Peer- and Self-Reported DSS

• In Event: Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Topic - Technology, Media & Child Development

Abstract

The vast majority of adolescents now use social media, but the ways in which they do so vary dramatically. Recent research suggests that some adolescents are especially inclined to search for attention, visibility, and status in the form of likes, followers, and reposts (Dumas et al., 2020). This behavioral tendency, referred to as digital status seeking (DSS), is “the investment of significant effort into the accumulation of online indicators of peer status and approval.” Prior work demonstrates that DSS is associated prospectively with increases in health-risk behaviors, such as substance use, even beyond the effects of offline status seeking (Nesi & Prinstein, 2018). Yet, little is known regarding the developmental antecedents of DSS. This study builds on this prior work in three ways. First, this study examines correspondence and overlap between both self- and peer-reported measures of DSS. Second, correlates of DSS are examined, and third, qualities of adolescent group-based (i.e., likeability, popularity) and dyadic-based (i.e., friendship quality) peer relations are examined as prospective predictors of adolescent DSS.

At two annual time points, a sample of adolescents (n= 706; Mage = 15.9, 53.8% female, 51.0% nonwhite) from rural, lower-middle class schools in the Southeastern U.S. completed peer nominations to assess likeability (i.e., liked most/least) and popularity (i.e., most/least popular) and self-report measures of depressive symptoms, friendship quality, and peer importance (i.e., the importance placed on popularity). Self-reported DSS was assessed through 5 items (e.g., “I purposefully post on social media during ‘high traffic’ times so that my posts/photos get more likes and comments”; “I think it's important to have people ‘like’ or comment on the things I post on social media”). Peer-reported DSS was assessed through sociometric nominations (i.e., “Who tries hard to get more activity (i.e. likes, comments, etc.) on their social media profiles (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)?”)

Results revealed small but statistically significant correlations (rs< .23) between self- and peer-reported DSS at each time point, suggesting discrepancies between adolescents' self-perceptions vs. peer perceptions of their engagement in DSS. Depressive symptoms were correlated with self-reported DSS, but not peer-reported DSS, at both time points. Peer likeability was negatively correlated with peer-reported DSS at time 1, but not correlated with self-reported DSS. Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that high levels of friendship conflict, high levels of importance ascribed to popularity, and high levels of peer-rated popularity were prospectively associated with higher self-reported DSS one year later, but only peer-rated popularity predicted higher peer-reported DSS. However, depressive symptoms and peer likeability were not found to be significant longitudinal predictors.

This study contributes to a growing body of research investigating the psychosocial determinants and effects of adolescents’ specific online behaviors, and suggests that some adolescents may be at greater risk of using technology maladaptively than others.

Authors

• Kara Anne Fox, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Nick, Vanderbilt University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jacqueline Nesi, Brown University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mitchell J Prinstein, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author