To build bridges through social media

Socially vulnerable adolescents and online friendships

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the interplay between adolescent psychological distress and the quantity of friends, emphasising online relationships. The research specifically explores the social compensation hypothesis by analysing the associations among socially vulnerable adolescents, including those characterised by social anxiety and individuals with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Extensive adolescent screen time and engagement in social media have been linked to increased levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, albeit exhibiting generally modest correlations (Santos et al., 2023). Notably, an excessive amount of time spent on social media has been found to correlate with depressive symptoms, particularly among girls (Santos et al., 2023; Twenge et al., 2020). Additionally, various social media platforms have been associated with internal and external problems (Vannucci & McCauley Ohannessian, 2019). Despite these negative associations, there is a body of literature highlighting the positive aspects of social media, such as the creation of opportunities for adolescents to form communities, foster new relationships, aid in identity development, offer emotional support, and enhance a sense of belonging among adolescents. Furthermore, social media communication has the potential to build bridges between diverse groups and reduce social anxiety (Best et al., 2014). However, the causal relationship of these studies remains unclear, necessitating further analysis of the risks and benefits of social media use. Two conflicting hypotheses regarding the potential benefits of online friendships for adolescents are presented: the social compensation hypothesis posits that individuals who experience fragile real-world relationships may enhance the quantity and quality of their friendships online, while the rich-get-richer hypothesis suggests that online interactions supplement real-world friendships, enriching the overall social experience (Kraut et al., 2002; 1998). Although only a limited number of studies have explored these hypotheses, the existing evidence leans towards supporting the rich-get-richer hypothesis (Abbas & Mesch, 2018; Gadekar & Ang, 2020; Weiqin et al., 2016). Some scholars propose that online friendships may benefit shy adolescents (Van Zalk et al., 2013), socially insecure and anxious adolescents (Pouwels et al., 2021; Scott et al., 2021), especially boys (Desjarlais & Willoughby, 2010) and adolescents with autism (van Schalkwyk et al., 2017). This study examines the psychological distress of adolescents regarding the number of friends they have, with a specific focus on online friendships. The social compensation hypothesis is tested by investigating the associations among socially vulnerable adolescents, including those with social anxiety and those from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. A survey was conducted in nine schools. Eighth to tenth graders participated. They were asked how many friends of Icelandic and foreign origin they had and about the number of friends they only communicated with on the Internet. Psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler’s K6 screening scale for psychological distress (Furukawa et al., 2003; Kessler et al., 2002; Mewton et al., 2016), while anxiety was measured using a 12-item questionnaire about fear of negative evaluation (Sigrún Aðalbjarnardóttir, 1995). Based on a sample of 806 participants, the findings indicate a statistically significant but weak positive correlation between psychological distress and the number of online friends. Gender and age were identified as factors associated with psychological distress, with girls and older adolescents more likely to experience distress. However, these demographic variables could not fully account for the association between social anxiety and psychological distress. Having more friends of Icelandic origin was linked to reduced psychological distress, while adolescents from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds reported higher distress scores and had more online friends. Interestingly, no statistically significant interaction was observed between the number of online friends and foreign background or social anxiety, thereby refuting the social compensation hypothesis in this study. The presence of more Icelandic friends was associated with decreased distress for socially anxious adolescents while having more friends of foreign origin was linked to lower distress for adolescents with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The findings suggest a potential curvilinear relationship for adolescents from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, hinting that online friendships may correspond to less distress as the number of online friends increases. However, it is important to note that this study has certain limitations and further research employing alternative measures of online relationships is encouraged. The current study did not provide sufficient insights into the nature of online friendships. In conclusion, fostering an awareness of valuable social contact and online and offline friendships is crucial for promoting social relationships and social skills among young people.