SCROLLANDE OCH STUDENTSTRESS : En kvantitativ studie om vanor på sociala medier och stress bland universitetsstudenter

Background: Stress is common in Sweden and university students are a vulnerable group. The use of social media has increased among young adults which may be a contributing factor to stress. Previous research shows that the use of social media can affect stress, and more studies are needed to examine this relationship. Aim: The aim of the study was to examine habits on social media and levels of stress among university students and possible relationships and gender differences between habits on social media and stress. Method: The study used a quantitative cross-sectional design. Data were collected through questionaries at a university in Svealand. A total of 100 respondents participated and the collected data was analyzed using Spearmans rho and chi-square tests to examine associations and differences. Results: The majority of the respondents spent 3 –4 hours per day on social media, followed by a third who spent 1 –2 hours. The main purpose for using social media was entertainment, closely followed by social contacts. The majority indicated that they are experiencing stress currently and when using social media. The result showed that more women than men reported feeling stressed when using social media. However, there was no statistically significant correlation between social media habits and stress. Conclusions: Social media was primary used for entertainment. Most of the respondents were feeling stressed. The majority indicated a high prevalence of stress when they used social media. Stress related to social media was more common among women. Keywords: Public health social media, stress, students, transactional model