Communication Research· 2020Q1
Computer-Mediated Communication, Social Media, and Mental Health: A Conceptual and Empirical Meta-Review
- 534citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2020year
Short summary
A meta-review of 34 reviews and 594 publications reveals a small negative association between social media use and mental health, though effects are complex and depend on specific indicators.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Developed two frameworks to organize conceptual and operational approaches to CMC and MH.
- Synthesized findings from 34 systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
- Analyzed the content of 594 individual publications.
- Found a small, overall negative association between social media use and mental health.
- Highlighted that effects are complex and depend on specific CMC and MH indicators.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Computer-mediated communication (CMC), and specifically social media, may affect the mental health (MH) and well-being of its users, for better or worse. Research on this topic has accumulated rapidly, accompanied by controversial public debate and numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Yet, a higher-level integration of the multiple disparate conceptual and operational approaches to CMC and MH and individual review findings is desperately needed. To this end, we first develop two organizing frameworks that systematize conceptual and operational approaches to CMC and MH. Based on these frameworks, we integrate the literature through a meta-review of 34 reviews and a content analysis of 594 publications. Meta-analytic evidence, overall, suggests a small negative association between social media use and MH. However, effects are complex and depend on the CMC and MH indicators investigated. Based on our conceptual review and the evidence synthesis, we devise an agenda for future research in this interdisciplinary field.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Communication Research, 2020 · DOI ↗
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Field: Sociology and Political Science
Sociology and Political ScienceSocial Sciences