Social media activities have become prevalent among preadolescents, which influences various mental health dimensions, including body image, anxiety, and social relationships. The current systematic literature review seeks to examine the impact of social media on preadolescents’ mental well-being to address potential risks and benefits. The results were synthesised based on the PRISMA guidelines from 43 studies selected through ScienceDirect and Scopus databases, which encompassed articles published from 2020 to 2024. Primary issues pinpointed in this study encapsulated the influences of social media demeanours, such as cyberbullying, gender variations in psychological well-being, peer comparison, and the moderating effect of parental control. The quantitative analysis highlighted that excessive usage was significantly correlated to elevated depression and anxiety, whereas certain activities, including moderated peer interaction, could facilitate higher resilience and social support. Hence, nuanced interventions are imperative while the current study recommended future longitudinal and cross-cultural approaches to analyse the causal relationships to further refine existing mental health guidelines. Developing effective policies and educational instruments is also crucial to ensuring preadolescents’ healthy social media engagement and mental well-being.

Authors:
Nur Haffiza Rahaman, National Defence University of Malaysia, Malaysia
Noor Azmi Mohd Zainol, National Defence University of Malaysia, Malaysia

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Nur Haffiza Rahaman, Senior Lecturer at National Defence University of Malaysia. Interests: strategic communication, digital media, youth mental health. Current project: Research on preadolescents’ social media use and psychological wellbeing

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nurhaffizarahaman/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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