Abstract

The connection between social media usage and mental health is a topic that has been widely researched. However, researchers have yet to reach a consensus on the nature of the relationship between these variables. Furthermore, Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms today, especially among adolescents, but has not to our knowledge been studied in this context yet. This study set out to determine the nature of the relationship between amount of Snapchat usage of adolescents and the negative mental health variables depression and loneliness. It was hypothesized that other variables, such as amount of passive use, amount of active use, level of upward social comparison, and who one is primarily friends with on Snapchat (offline friends, acquaintances, or strangers), would mediate the relationship. Participants included 96 high school students from two high schools (Russell Independent School and Owen County school districts in Kentucky). Analyses indicated that there was no correlation between amount of Snapchat usage and the mental health variables, and none of the other variables mediated this relationship. Greater amounts of active use showed a slight negative correlation with loneliness and social comparison. These findings suggest that there may not be a positive correlation between Snapchat use and poorer mental health among adolescents.

Semester/Year of Award

Fall 2019

Mentor

Dan Florell

Mentor Professional Affiliation

Psychology

Access Options

Restricted Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelor's

Department

Psychology

IRB Approval Number (if applicable)

2499

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