Study on the Impact of Social Media Use on Subjective Well-Being Among Youth:  — An Analysis of Chain Mediation and Moderating Effects Based on Psychological Anxiety and Psychological Resilience

Qiang Sun; Wen Wang; Yufei Zhang

doi:10.62177/chst.v2i4.612

Authors

Qiang Sun Jiangxi University of Water Resources and Electric Power
Wen Wang Jiangxi University of Water Resources and Electric Power
Yufei Zhang Jiangxi University of Water Resources and Electric Power

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62177/chst.v2i4.612

Keywords:

Social Media Use, Subjective Well-Being, Psychological Anxiety, Psychological Resilience, Chained Mediation

Abstract

In a media-saturated society, mental health issues among youth are particularly prominent, and research on subjective well-being remains a prominent topic. This study analyzes the relationship between social media use and subjective well-being among young people, introducing psychological anxiety and psychological resilience as mediating variables to construct a chain mediation model. Findings reveal that social comparison significantly reduces subjective well-being by triggering psychological anxiety and weakening psychological resilience. Conversely, social media use exhibits an emotional compensation effect among youth with high anxiety and low resilience, temporarily boosting well-being. Furthermore, the impact of social media use on well-being exhibits dynamic, nonlinear characteristics, highlighting the chained effects of underlying psychological mechanisms. This study unravels the psychological mechanisms underlying the negative influence of social media use on subjective well-being, offering a new theoretical perspective for understanding the subjective well-being of young people in the new era.

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