Social Media and Social Connection in Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults spend more time on social media than their heterosexual peers. However, the link between social media and mental health is mixed. This study employed a mixed methods approach to explore the links between social media, social connectedness, and mental health symptoms among SGM young adults between 18 to 26 years old. Focus groups ( N = 14) revealed how SGM emerging adults perceive social media as a place for socialization, building identity, and connecting to the larger SGM community. However, using social media as a primary way to seek social connections had drawbacks, such as consistent exposure to negative content. A series of multiple regressions ( N = 238) further corroborated these findings, indicating that social connection played a role in reducing symptoms of depression for SGM young adults. Implications for social media development and clinicians working with SGM young adults are provided.