Social media use, psychological well-being and physical health during lockdown

In efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented a variety of lockdown and quarantine measures. With substantially reduced face-to-face interactions, many people may have relied heavily on social media for connection, information, and entertainment. However, little is known about the psychological and physical health implications of social media use during strict lockdown. The current study investigates the associations of social media use with psychological well-being and physical health among Wuhan residents (N = 1214). Our findings showed that non-COVID related self-disclosure was positively associated with psychological well-being, while COVID related information consumption and sharing were negatively associated with psychological well-being. Further, more generic use of social media was associated with lower psychological well-being, which in turn related to more somatic symptoms. Quarantined people used social media more frequently than non-quarantined people. Importantly, the negative association between social media use and psychological well-being was significantly stronger for quarantined people than unquarantined people. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Information, Communication & Society is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Entertainment and social media use during social distancing: Examining trait differences in transportability and need for social assurance

This study (N = 348 students and 468 adults) examines whether the associations between increased media use during social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and negative emotional states (negative affect, boredom, and depression) depend on individual differences. Transportability is the trait likelihood of becoming mentally and emotionally immersed in story worlds, and need for social assurance is the tendency to rely on others for affiliation and companionship. Theoretically, higher transportability may lead to greater benefits from using entertainment media, whereas need for social assurance has previously been linked with negative outcomes of social media use. In addition, we explored whether media use and its associations differ between college students and older adults. Results suggest that social media use and entertainment media use increased during social distancing, particularly for students. Moreover, increased use of both types of media was associated with more negative emotional states. In particular, those high in need for social assurance used social media more often and reported more negative feelings. In addition, contrary to expectations, the association between entertainment media and depression appeared to be increased by transportability, particularly in older adults. These findings highlight the need for greater understanding of how effects of media use might change during social isolation as well as the need for additional social and mental health support for young adults/students during social distancing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement College students and older adults increased their entertainment and social media use during social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that media use did not relieve negative feelings, boredom, or depression. This was especially true for those more likely to be transported (immersed) into stories, those high in need for social assurance, and young adult/students, in whom these characteristics appeared to facilitate the effects of media use on negative mood state. These results suggest that the effects of individual differences on media use may change during times of social stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Passive social media use and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of social comparison and emotion regulation.

Social media browsing is commonly seen as a trigger of unhealthy social comparison (i.e., upward contrast), which negatively affects well-being. One underlying assumption is the predominance of positive self-presentation on social media, which may have shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic when negative disclosures have become more prevalent. In this study, we conceptualize social comparison as a multi-dimensional construct based on different comparing targets and processes, and explore how individual (i.e., cognitive reappraisal) and contextual (i.e., quarantine status) factors may influence the relationships among passive social media use, social comparison and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on a survey with 1131 Wuhan residents in China, we found that passive social media use was positively related to both upward contrast and downward identification, which in turn predicted a higher level of stress. Cognitive reappraisal was negatively associated with unhealthy social comparison (i.e., upward contrast and downward identification) but was positively related to healthy social comparison such as upward identification. Quarantined people tended to report more upward contrast, especially when they engaged in more frequent social media browsing. This study contributes to the larger debate about the impact of social media on mental health and offers practical implications.

Compassionate goals, prosocial emotions, and prosocial behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for people to engage in prosocial behaviours to support one another. The aim of this research is to answer a key question: in a social crisis, what motivates Americans to help others? Guided by research on appraisal theories and ecosystem theory, we examined the role of compassionate goals and prosocial emotions in promoting prosocial behaviours towards either out-group or in-group members. Study 1 (N = 943) was conducted in February 2020, before the widespread transmission of COVID-19 began in the United States. Results show that people with high compassionate goals are more likely to experience sympathy, which in turn makes them more willing to help people suffering from COVID-19 in China. Study 2 (N = 1,009) was conducted with a nationally representative sample after COVID-19 became more prevalent in the United States. Although people with high compassionate goals still experience more sympathy and solidarity, sympathy does not predict donation intention. Instead, solidarity mediates the relationship between compassionate goals and donation intention. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Fast and Frugal: Information Processing Related to The Coronavirus Pandemic.

This research focuses on three factors that influence how individuals cognitively process information related to the coronavirus outbreak. Guided by dual-process theories of information processing, we establish how the two different information processing modes (system 1: heuristic processing; system 2: systematic processing) are influenced by individuals' responsibility attribution, discrete negative emotions, and risk perception. In an experiment, participants were exposed to a news article that either blames China (n = 445) or does not blame China (n = 498) for the pandemic. Results reveal that exposure to the responsibility attribution frame led individuals to engage in more heuristic processing, but it did not influence systematic processing. Discrete negative emotions and risk perception mediated the relationship between responsibility attribution and information processing. The indirect relationships suggest a more intricate process underlying heuristic processing and systematic processing. In particular, information processing styles seem to be determined by social judgment surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.