High Social Media Use among Adolescents Associated with Increased High-Risk Behaviors and Poor Academic Outcomes

Research Article

J Fam Med. 2022; 9(6): 1310.

High Social Media Use among Adolescents Associated with Increased High-Risk Behaviors and Poor Academic Outcomes

Yoders AM1,2*, Ray SA1,2, Quinn MA2, Phalen K3, Cabral MD4, Shrestha M4 and Wood D1

1Department of Pediatrics, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, USA

2Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, USA

3College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University, USA

4Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, USA

*Corresponding author: author: Yoders AM, Quillen College of Medicine and College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University; 325 N. State of Franklin, Johnson City, TN 37604, USA

Received: June 27, 2022; Accepted: September 07, 2022; Published: September 14, 2022

Abstract

Purpose: With the marked increase in social media apps over the last two decades and teens’ dramatic increase in screen time, research examining the impacts of social media on teenage health outcomes is urgently needed. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between adolescent social media use and high-risk behaviors (alcohol use, tobacco, vaping, sexual activity) and academic outcomes (ability to get good grades and complete homework).

Methods: 234 adolescents were recruited via convenience sampling at two suburban/rural clinics. A survey assessed hours of social media use, participation in high-risk behaviors, and impact on academic outcomes. Variables were recoded into bivariate categories and multiple logistic regressions were conducted using SPSS, controlling for age, gender, race, and insurance status.

Results: High users of social media (4+ hours/day) were 3.4 and 3.0 times more likely to use alcohol (p<0.05) and tobacco (p<0.01), respectively. Highusers were also 3.2 and 3.0 times more likely to report that their social media use impacted their ability to get good/acceptable grades (p<0.01) and complete homework (p<0.01), respectively.

Conclusions: High levels of social media use were associated with increased likelihood of alcohol and tobacco use and had a negative effect on youth’s academic performance. Screening of adolescent social media use will better identify youth at risk for potentially harmful effects of excess social media use, allowing providers to intervene with the proper education for youth and their guardians.

Keywords: Social media use, Alcohol use, Tobacco use, Academic performance

Introduction

In 2018, 95% of teenagers were found to have access to a smart phone, with 45% of teens saying they are online “almost constantly” [1]. With the marked increase in social media apps over the last two decades and teens’ dramatic increase in screen time, research examining the impacts of social media on teenage health outcomes is urgently needed. When determining media’s impact on adolescent high-risk behaviors, previous literature has looked specifically at the relationship between social media habits and use of a particular substance. Multiple studies found that the type of media consumed, whether used for professional or personal use, impacted the levels of substance use among youth [2,3]. Increases in high-risk behaviors such as alcohol use, [2,4-8] tobacco and vaping, [5,9,10] and sexual activity [11] were found to be associated with exposure to media related to that specific activity. However, there is more limited research looking at general, everyday social media use (posts from friends and families, influencers, or accounts already followed) and its impact on these high-risk behaviors. Furthermore, very little research has examined the relationship between social media use and school performance. A 2018 study found that higher social media use predicted a decrease in school performance, [12] but additional research is needed to understand this association.

The current study examined the relationships between overall time spent on social media (no specifications on media content) and four high-risk behaviors (alcohol use, vaping, tobacco use, and sexual activity) in a suburban/rural adolescent population. Additionally, the impact of social media use on academic performance is uniquely studied by assessing youth’s perception of their social media use on their own grades and homework completion. By studying a wide range of adolescent outcomes, this study can provide further information on the impact of social media use and inform interventions to mitigate the impact of excessive social media use.

Methods

This study was approved by the East Tennessee State University IRB through an expedited review. A convenience sample of 234 adolescents was recruited from pediatric clinics at East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine and Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. Data were collected via a paper survey during regular healthcare visits. Caregiver consent and youth assent were required for participation. The survey used in this study was adapted from previously administered questionnaires. The independent variable of social media use was assessed using questions adapted from the “Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens”, conducted by Common Sense Media, [13] stating “If you had to guess, how many total hours per day do you spend on any form of social media?” Social media use was coded into low use (0-3 hours/day) and high use (4+ hours/ day). These categories were chosen due to Common Sense Media’s description of “light media users” spending an average of about 3.5 hours/day on media.

Outcome variables included high-risk behaviors and academic outcomes, such as the ability to complete homework and achieve good grades. Questions assessing youth participation in high-risk behaviors were adapted from the validated Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey [14] and included alcohol use, tobacco use, vaping, and sexual activity, with all coded as “ever used/ever engaged” or “not used/never engaged.” Finally, to assess the impact of the youth’s social media use on academic outcomes, each youth was asked “how often do social media keep you from doing the following: (1) completing homework, (2) making good/acceptable grades in school.” They responded using a 4-point categorical scale with options of “never,” “rarely,” “sometimes,” or “often.” These responses were coded into categories of “no effect” and “any effect” (included responses of rarely, sometimes, or often).

Co-variates of age, gender, race, and insurance status were included for regression analyses. Age was kept as a continuous variable (12-17 years old) for a majority of analyses. However, categories of younger teens (12-14 years old) and older teens (15-17 years old) were used for comparison. Gender included male and female. Due to the small number of participants who identified as ‘non-binary’ or ‘prefer not to say,’ those participants were removed from the regression analyses. Race was coded into “White” and “Non-White” (Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American or American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Other) due to the large majority of participants who identified as “White.” Insurance status, used as proxy for income level, was coded as “Medicaid” or “not Medicaid.”Survey data were entered into RED Cap and all analyses were completed using SPSS version 26.

Descriptive statistics were conducted and included frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, where appropriate, for each variable. A series of regression analyses were completed to determine if social media use was independently associated with youth health outcomes. First, simple binomial logistic regressions were completed between social media use and each of the dependent variables. Then, multiple logistic regressions were completed to determine the most predictive model of the primary predictor, social media use, the covariates, and each dependent variable. The final multiple regression model, including odds ratios and confidence intervals, are reported.

Results

Demographic Information

Frequencies of demographic information of youth participants are presented in (Table 1). A majority of participating youth (78.6%) are high-school aged (14-17 years old). There was almost equal participation of male and female youth, with predominantly White participants (73.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latinx participants (12.1%) and Black or African American participants (8.2%). The remaining categories of race made up smaller percentages: Native American or American Indian (2.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%), other (2.6%). 74% of participants reported Medicaid insurance, a metric for lower socioeconomic status.