The Relationships Between Social Support Seeking, Social Media Use, and Psychological Resilience Among College Students

Rong Wang,1 Zeqing Mao,2 Xiao Gu3 1College of Art and Design, Xihua University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Cultural Creativity and Management, Communication University of Zhejiang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Marxism, Communication University of Zhejiang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zeqing Mao, School of Cultural Creativity and Management, Communication University of Zhejiang, 998 Xueyuan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310018, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Rong Wang, College of Art and Design, Xihua University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: Social networking sites (SNSs) have evolved into a commonly used instrument for searching and obtaining social support. While previous research has explored and validated the correlation between seeking social support and the recipient’s physical or psychological well-being, few studies have illuminated the mechanisms through which this relationship manifests in SNSs usage. This study investigated how the tendency of college students to seek social support corresponds to their psychological resilience via different SNSs activities and interactions on Douyin (ie, TikTok’s counterpart in mainland China).Methods: Drawing from social support literature and the activity-audience framework governing social media use, we conducted a survey-based analysis involving a random sample of 536 self-identified Chinese college undergraduates.Results: The findings reveal that students seeking social support were inclined to engage in active SNSs usage (eg, status updating) and interact with familiar individuals, regardless of their distance to campus. As for the consequences on psychosocial well-being, active utilization of SNSs did exert a significantly positive impact on resilience levels. Communication with friends from the same campus was confirmed as a functioning mediator within this relationship.Discussion: This study contributes to the literature on social support and adolescent health by underscoring that the effectiveness of social support on psychosocial well-being is contingent on specific types of SNSs activities and interactants. It provides valuable insights into the nuanced dynamics of social support seeking behaviors on SNSs.Keywords: social support, resilience, social media, adolescent health, adolescent development