Impact of Social Media on the Wellbeing of Adolescents 

By : Kranti Gawali, Mariya Taibani

Page No: 289-296

Abstract
Research on social media’s impact has largely emphasised its negative effects, focusing on ill-being. However, its positive role in well-being remains underexplored. This study shifts the focus to how social media may support adolescent flourishing. Using correlation analysis in R, findings show a significant positive relationship between flourishing and three variables: Online Social Support (OSSMB), In-Person Social Support (ISSMB), and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). These results reject the null hypothesis, indicating that social media engagement is positively linked to adolescent flourishing. Regression analysis further reveals that OSSMB, ISSMB, and SCS together explain 60.7 per cent of the variance in flourishing, suggesting a strong predictive model. Specifically, the average ISSMB, median OSSMB, and SCS range offer key insights into how social media contributes to adolescent well-being, supporting the hypothesis that it can play a constructive role.

Authors
Prof. (Dr.) Kranti Gawali: Professor and Head, Department of Psychology, Bhavan’s College Autonomous, Mumbai.
Ms. Mariya Taibani: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Bhavan’s College Autonomous, Mumbai.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JPR.2025.20.02.12