LONGITUDINAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROBLEMATIC SOCIAL NETWORKING USE AND INTERNALIZING PROBLEMS

The purpose of this study is to examine the longitudinal and bidirectional relationships between problematic social networking use (PSNU) and internalizing problems (depressive symptoms and self-esteem) in adolescents. Data were collected from N = 360 adolescents from two public high schools in Turkey, 14.58 years old in 9th grade at Time 1 (54.3% females). Participants completed four assessments regarding problematic social media use, depression and self-esteem, over the course of two school years, once per semester in 9th and 10th grades. The study tested a series of hypotheses which tested the bidirectional relationships between PSNU on depressive symptoms and self-esteem. Study findings provided only partial support to such relationships; PSNU positively predicted depressive symptoms from Time 2 to 3, but none of the paths from depressive symptoms to PSNU were statistically significant. For self-esteem, PNSU predicted it from Time 3 to 4; on the other hand, self-esteem predicted PNSU from Time 3 to 4, thus providing some evidence of bidirectional effects. These findings provide evidence of a limited number of bidirectional effects.