The effect of social media use via mobile device on the mental health of young adults

Purpose: To examine how interaction with mobile devices and social media platforms affects the mental health and well-being of adolescents as they transition from life with parents to life on their own. Hypothesis (or research question-focus of inquiry): Does the amount of time spent on social media via a mobile device correlate with self-reports of self-esteem and mental health issues among young adults? Methods: A convenience sample of no less than 50 and no more than 100 individuals between the ages of 18-25 responding to a questionnaire via a Qualtrics online survey. Results: The survey began January 26, 2020 and ended on February 12, 2020. A total of 43 surveys were received, however, 4 cases were deleted due to incomplete information. Excluding these 4 cases reduced the sample size to 39 for analysis. The completed surveys were checked for appropriate age group and completeness of information. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to perform descriptive analysis and correlation. Discussion: Our research indicates that from the participants in our sample, those who engaged in longer social media use where more likely to score higher on the CES-D depression scale. These findings show that although social media is not the only indicator of depression, social media does have statistically significant relationship with increased CES-D scores.