Adolescent Social Media Use and Depression: A Person-Centered Approach

Many previous studies have investigated the effects of social media use (SMU), including both general SMU and specific types of SMU (e.g., active and passive SMU), on adolescents’ depression. However, very few of these studies have employed a person-centered approach. To address this gap, this study conducted a latent profile analysis using five SMU indicators (i.e., problematic SMU, SMU intensity, active SMU, passive SMU, and nighttime SMU) to identify potential SMU patterns among adolescents. The participants were 986 Italian students (525 girls, 53.2%) from senior high schools, aged 13 to 20 years old (M = 16.84, SD = 1.60). Five SMU profiles emerged: (1) the Active users (n = 126, 12.8%), (2) the Low-intensity passive users (n = 97, 9.8%), (3) the Passive users (n = 251, 25.5%), (4) the Problematic active users at night (n = 358, 36.3%), and (5) the Highly problematic active users at night (n = 154, 15.6%). The relative mediating effects of adolescents’ self-esteem and self-concept clarity were found in the relationships between SMU profiles and depression. This study highlights the heterogeneity of SMU patterns among adolescents, their association with depressive symptoms, and the potential underlying mediating mechanisms.