Depressive mood and compulsive social media usage: the mediating roles of contingent self-esteem and social interaction fears

Introduction

Although the relationship between depression and compulsive use of social media has been well-established, few studies have focused on perceived depressive mood (PDM) and the underlying factors that affect the relationship between perceived depressive mood and compulsive social media usage (CSMU). In particular, the current study demonstrates the role of contingent self-esteem (CSE), social interaction anxiety (SIA), and fear of negative evaluation (FNE) as mediators by which perceived depressive mood contributes to the development of compulsive social media usage. The findings reveal that perceived depressive mood increases compulsive social media usage directly and indirectly through contingent self-esteem. Furthermore, contingent self-esteem affects two psychological deficits: social interaction anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. In addition, contingent self-esteem influences compulsive social media usage only through fear of negative evaluation. Thus, how compulsive social media usage is acknowledged is a result of the serial mediation of CSE and FNE. In other words, we may say that the effect of perceived depressive mood transfers to compulsive social media usage through CSE and FNE in series. These results offer a first look into the process by which perceived depressive mood affects compulsive social media usage, clarifying the complex role of depressive symptoms in the social media context.

Results of the study

Our findings show that perceived depressive mood is a potential factor for compulsive social media usage. This means that individuals high in perceived depressive mood turn to social media for self-gratification, general advice or social support. Moreover, because depressed individuals have relatively fewer social interactions in a physical environment, social media frequently becomes a platform to use and, thus, satisfy these needs. This relationship is serially and partially mediated by an individual’s CSE and FNE. Self-esteem as a trait is negatively associated with compulsive social media usage, which means that individuals with high self-esteem are perhaps less compulsive in their use of social media. In contrast, the current study finds that CSE is positively related to compulsive social media usage, suggesting that individuals with high CSE focus more on self-presentation and social acceptance. The literature highlights that self-esteem alone is insufficient; the individuals’ self-esteem manifests their incomplete picture, so CSE is an essential determinant of an individual’s behavior. Arguably, if individuals rely on others’ approval for their self-esteem, others’ comments or judgments would likely be more critical, and our results confirm this contention for compulsive social media use.

Self-esteem alone is insufficient; the individuals’ self-esteem manifests their incomplete picture, so contingent self-esteem is an essential determinant of an individual’s behavior.

Furthermore, CSE significantly mediates the relationship between perceived depressive mood and compulsive social media usage. In other words, because depressed individuals need appreciation from others to feel valued social media would be an accessible platform for them to present themselves and manage their impressions of others they see as important. This finding contributes to previous research indicating that self-presentation driven by CSE is a major concern for psychologically unstable individuals. The role of social media becomes important for depressed people, especially in alleviating their worries or stress by sharing their feelings instantly on social media platforms. In addition, we find that FNE acts as a mediator between CSE and compulsive social media usage. This means that individuals with low self-esteem fear negative evaluations of others. They may feel more comfortable expressing themselves on social media because it allows them to build their image through social media posts in the fashion they want. However, self-esteem is also associated with social anxiety—the lower the self-esteem, the greater the social anxiety. This relationship has been found to be significant in the current study, but SIA as a mediator does not transfer the effect of CSE to compulsive social media usage. The insignificant result of the SIA is perhaps because of the lockdown situation in China when the data were collected in April and May 2020. It would probably be individuals’ natural tendency to spend more time on social media instead of their social anxiety driving them to do so in isolation.

Self-esteem is also associated with social anxiety—the lower the self-esteem, the greater the social anxiety.

Finally, we have tested the relationship between perceived depressive mood and compulsive social media usage through two serial mediating mechanisms. First, we find that the effect of perceived depressive mood transfers to compulsive social media usage through CSE and FNE in series. These findings show that the more individuals become depressed, the more they become compulsive social media users to regulate their moods. Because depressed individuals seek positive comments about themselves from others to improve their self-worth, social interaction becomes an important means of self-presentation. However, because of the lack of social skills, social interactions in the physical environment make depressed individuals feel more worried about negative evaluations from others. Because social media provides more control over self-presentation, depressed individuals may find it easy to use social media to frequently express themselves. Second, we have failed to find a significant serial connection between perceived depressive mood and compulsive social media usage through CSE and SIA. A plausible explanation could be that individuals with high SIA tend to avoid interacting with others, regardless of the communication medium.

Methodology

The research model was empirically tested with a survey of 367 Chinese university students using structural equation modeling by drawing on the escape and self-presentation lenses.

Applications and beneficiaries

The results can advance the knowledge the role and process by which depressive mood impacts compulsive social media use. These findings may add insights into psychological treatment and help in, for example, developing counseling programs or coping strategies for depressed people to protect them from using social media excessively.

Reference to the research

Ali, F., Tauni, M.Z., Ashfaq, M., Zhang, Q. and Ahsan, T. (2024), “Depressive mood and compulsive social media usage: the mediating roles of contingent self-esteem and social interaction fears”, Information Technology & People, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 1052-1072.

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