The relationship between social media use and mental wellbeing amongst university students

Abstract

This dissertation uses age, gender, and academic year as major demographic variables to investigate the effects of social media use on the mental health of UK university students. The study is centred around four primary research questions: (1) How many times a day do students at universities use social media platforms? (2) What are the main reasons behind university students' use of social media? (3) Which particular social media sites are used by university students, and to what extent? and (4) How do social media usage habits relate to mental health as determined by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS)? Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collects data from a sample of 18–36-year-old university students, both quantitative and qualitative. In addition to the answers to the questions mentioned above, participant demographic data, such as age, gender, and academic year, is gathered. Participants shared details about their experiences of mental health, and social media usage via an online questionnaire.

The results show that university students use social media in a variety of ways, with differences seen across age groups, genders, and academic years. The most popular platforms are Instagram, which is followed by Snapchat and TikTok. Communication, entertainment, and information consumption are the main drivers of social media use in this study. The study also finds links between social media use habits and mental health, which has consequences for intervention and support plans that are geared towards demographic groups. In summary, this research advances our knowledge of the intricate relationship between university students' use of social media and mental health. The demographic factors of age, gender, and academic year are integrated to offer significant insights into the complex dynamics influencing students' digital behaviours and psychological well-being.