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Social anxiety and internet use – A meta-analysis: What do we know? What are we missing?
Abstract
Objective The present meta-analysis quantitatively reviewed existing literature on social anxiety (SA) and internet use, examining the relationships between SA and three internet use variables: (1) feelings of comfort online; (2) time spent online; and (3) problematic internet use (PIU). In addition, it considered developmental level (age) as a moderator of the social anxiety-internet use relationship. Method We conducted a literature search using PubMed and PsycINFO databases. Our meta-analysis was based on 22 studies and included 13,460 participants. Results and discussion Results indicated that social anxiety (a) is correlated positively with feelings of comfort online, (b) is not correlated with total time spent online, email use and IM, but is correlated positively with time spent on gamming, and (c) is correlated positively with PIU. The study also found developmental level to be a moderator of the correlations between social anxiety and internet use variables. Research and clinical implications are discussed.
... Firstly, the short video usage directly influences social anxiety. In the virtual world, social pressure is slighter relative to reality [21]. In the virtual world, users experience less social pressure compared to reality [21], which leads to a lower physiological stress response [22]. ...
... In the virtual world, social pressure is slighter relative to reality [21]. In the virtual world, users experience less social pressure compared to reality [21], which leads to a lower physiological stress response [22]. They are more willing to actively share opinions and seek social support through likes and comments. ...
... Active usage can improve subjective well-being by reducing social anxiety, while passive usage can decrease subjective well-being by increasing social anxiety. During the active usage of short videos, communication with others on the website can reduce stress and anxiety compared to real-world life [21]. In such a relaxed environment, individuals are more willing to express their opinions and less likely to experience social anxiety. ...
On short video platforms, individuals can not only passively browse videos but also actively engage in behaviors such as liking and commenting on videos. However, the mechanisms by how active and passive usage of short videos affect subjective well-being remains unclear. Thus, this study aims to explore these mechanisms through path analysis and network analysis. We employed the Short Video Usage Questionnaire, Subjective Well-Being Scale, and Interaction Anxiety Scale to survey 1086 participants. The results indicated (1) the active usage positively predicted life satisfaction and positive affect, while passive usage failed to predict any of them. (2) Social anxiety mediated the relationship between short video usage and subjective well-being. Active usage enhanced life satisfaction and positive affect by alleviating social anxiety, while reducing negative affect by decreasing social anxiety. At the same time, passive usage reduced life satisfaction and positive affect by exacerbating social anxiety while increasing negative affect by intensifying social anxiety. (3) Network analysis revealed that “live interaction” behavior was a core activity for alleviating social anxiety and enhancing subjective well-being. The findings highlight the significant role of short video usage in subjective well-being and provide empirical evidence to guide users in the rational and positive usage of short video platforms.
... Chen et al., 2021;Neumayer et al., 2023;Tu et al., 2022). Indeed, in the cyberspace, people with social anxiety problems tend to feel more comfortable and confident, report lower loneliness, be more willing to use social media, and thus spend more time in online activities (Lee & Leeson, 2015;Prizant-Passal et al., 2016;Sapacz et al., 2016;Yen et al., 2012). However, one possible side-effect could be that, without appropriate regulations, their resorting to, and strong preference for, online social interactions as a primary means of social interactions may eventually develop into problematic overreliance on the social media or even addictive disorders (Marino et al., 2020;Prizant-Passal et al., 2016;Ran et al., 2022). ...
... Indeed, in the cyberspace, people with social anxiety problems tend to feel more comfortable and confident, report lower loneliness, be more willing to use social media, and thus spend more time in online activities (Lee & Leeson, 2015;Prizant-Passal et al., 2016;Sapacz et al., 2016;Yen et al., 2012). However, one possible side-effect could be that, without appropriate regulations, their resorting to, and strong preference for, online social interactions as a primary means of social interactions may eventually develop into problematic overreliance on the social media or even addictive disorders (Marino et al., 2020;Prizant-Passal et al., 2016;Ran et al., 2022). Among such disorders, problematic smartphone use (PSU) and internet gaming disorder (IGD) represent two of the most prevalent and increasingly severe media use issues across the globe (S. ...
... It should be acknowledged that prior research has yielded evidence supporting each pair of the following links: offline peer victimization and SAS (Coelho et al., 2022;Coelho & Romão, 2018;Siegel et al., 2009;Silberg et al., 2016;L. Wu et al., 2018); SAS and PSU/IGD (Marino et al., 2020;Prizant-Passal et al., 2016;Ran et al., 2022); as well as PSU/IGD and cyberbullying victimization (L. Chen et al., 2017;Floros & Mylona, 2022;Gan et al., 2023;Huang et al., 2019;Sampasa-Kanyinga & Hamilton, 2015). ...
Objective: Individuals whose childhood had been clouded with offline peer victimization are likely to suffer from cyberbullying in their subsequent life periods. Revealing the mechanisms underlying this linkage is a research priority with high applied values. This study responds to this research need. Method: Based on three-wave data from Chinese adolescents (N = 844, Mage = 13.21, SD = .39, 53% boys), this study conducted a serial mediation model involving social anxiety symptoms (SAS), problematic smartphone use (PSU), and internet gaming disorder (IGD) to understand why there often exists a positive association between early offline peer victimization and later cyberbullying victimization. In doing so, directionality in the links among SAS, PSU and IGD was clarified using a cross-lagged design, and potential gender differences in the entire model were also explored. Results: Most importantly, a developmental cascade emerged among adolescent boys (rather than girls), such that boys who carried heavier burdens of childhood offline peer victimization (recalled at Time 1) tended to display more SAS (at Time 1), which in turn were associated with higher IGD instead of PSU (at Time 2), and such internet gaming problems ultimately elevated their risk of being bullied online in adolescence (at Time 3). Notably, the link between SAS and IGD was shown to be unidirectional. Other indirect effects and gender differences were also identified. Conclusions: Our findings shed unique light on the still underexplored mechanisms underlying the phenomenon that bullying victims in early real-life settings are also often bullying victims in cyberspace. When helping bullying victims, attention should be paid to their likely disrupted social–emotional functioning and problematic media use as a result. Working on these modifiable sequelae may prevent subsequent exposure to cyberbullying. Gender differences merit consideration in such efforts.
... Studies have identified predictors of high IGD intensity, including high impulsivity [11], low self-esteem [12], low agreeableness and high neuroticism [13]. As IGD research emphasizes the linkages between addiction, psychopathology, and certain personality traits, understanding the predisposing factors related to personality and their role in the emergence of clinical symptoms (e.g., depressive [14] and social anxiety symptoms [15]) is crucial. ...
... The most common psychopathologies associated with IGD are depression and social anxiety [14,15]. Internet usage provides a means of avoiding face-to-face interaction, and facilitates online relationships, which users can form in chat rooms or online videogames [19]. ...
... The video game section of the questionnaire consists of 14 items, rated from 1 (do not agree at all) to 7 (totally agree), which assess emotions experienced while playing, desired playtimes, and gaming's impact on everyday life. Total scores range from 14 to 98, with the following cut-off scores for IGD intensity: weak (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27), moderate (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43), high (44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51), and intense (52-98) (␣ c = 0.87). ...
... Excessive use of social networking sites is associated with emotional deficits and mental health problems [36]. Therefore, researchers found that excessive use of social networking sites is associated with increased social anxiety, consistent with previous studies [37], [38]. The internet is full of images people upload and compare themselves to, which can evoke feelings of jealousy and inadequacy. ...
... Frequencies and percentages of the affected SNSu on a friend, family relationship and the addicted to SNSu (n=1,109) Needed help to cope with social situations (e.g., alcohol or medications, superstitious objects) Left social situations early or participated only minimally (e.g., said little, avoided eye contact) Felt tense muscles, felt on edge or restless, or had trouble relaxing in social situations Social anxiety level: weak, less than 10; moderate, 10-less than 20 is moderate; severe 20-less than 30; very severe,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] ...
... Result of social anxiety level according to the most social networking sites used (n=1,10) Social anxiety level: weak, less than 10; moderate, 10-less than 20 is moderate; severe 20-less than 30; very severe,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] ...
div class="translate-tooltip-mtz green sm-root translate hidden_translate"> Social networking sites usages (SNSu) are online platforms used for communication, sharing, and connecting with others. This paper aims to investigate the current status of SNSu among students in physical education college, as well as the differences in SNSu based on gender. Additionally, we aimed to assess the level of social anxiety among the study participants and examine whether it varied by gender and SNSu. We conducted a descriptive survey among 1,109 physical education students (688 females and 421 males) enrolled in public universities. We administered the social anxiety disorder-adult and SNSu questionnaire using Google Forms. We analyzed the data using means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages, One-way ANOVA, and chi-square tests with a confidence level of 95% (p<0.05). The results of the study showed that both male and female students used social networking sites (SNS) more than 10 times a day, with percentages of 46.3% and 46.1%, respectively. Additionally, 43.7% of male and 49.1% of female students reported using SNS for more than three hours per day. The mean score for social anxiety was 20.20, indicating a severe level of social anxiety among the study participants. Based on the responses of the sample study, the results showed an increase in negative indicators associated with SNSu and these unfavorable indicators were accompanied by an increase in the level of social anxiety.
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... However, cell phone addiction and IUD are not a concept at all [38]. Prizant-Passal et al. [39] conducted a meta-analysis of the relationship between social anxiety (social anxiety) and PIU, but only eight primary studies were included, and the number of primary studies was was too small. In this meta-analysis, there were 81 after 2016 and 48 before 2016. ...
... In this meta-analysis, there were 81 after 2016 and 48 before 2016. Furthermore, Prizant-Passal et al. [39] only studied social anxiety. And whether different types of anxiety may be differently related to IUD is a question that remains to be clarified. ...
... Relative to previous literature [39], the present meta-analysis was extended in two ways. First, 100 primary studies were included in this study, making the findings more reliable. ...
... Online communication can be particularly beneficial for adolescents who experience such inhibitions it may help overcome them (McKenna et al., 2002) or gain additional social support (Frison & Eggermont, 2016). It is unclear whether adolescents leverage these opportunities by using online communication more; the current research provides inconsistent results for both social anxiety (see Prizant-Passal et al., 2016) and depressed moods (Frison et al., 2019;van den Eijnden et al., 2008). The primary goal of our study is to clarify these mixed results. ...
... For instance, an Australian study found no relationship between adolescents' social anxiety and the time spent communicating online (Bonetti et al., 2010). A meta-analysis of 10 studies shows that social anxiety does not affect how frequently people communicate with others using instant messaging or email (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). Nevertheless, there were marked differences between the results of individual studies, with some reporting a positive association, some negative, and some no relationship (see Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). ...
... A meta-analysis of 10 studies shows that social anxiety does not affect how frequently people communicate with others using instant messaging or email (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). Nevertheless, there were marked differences between the results of individual studies, with some reporting a positive association, some negative, and some no relationship (see Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). ...
Adolescents commonly use the Internet to communicate with their acquaintances. This study examines how social anxiety and depressed moods influence adolescents’ online communication – both its frequency and the level of self-disclosure. We propose that these relationships are mediated by adolescents’ preference for online social interaction (POSI), which helps explain the mixed results of previous research. Moreover, since the communication patterns may differ based on communication partners, we differentiate between online and offline acquaintances. Using structural equation modeling, we tested our hypotheses on survey data from 1,530 Czech adolescents (ages 13–18, 50.1% female). Our results suggest that while social anxiety is directly related to less online communication, indirectly, through higher POSI, it is related to more online communication. Notably, these associations are canceled out in communication with online acquaintances, but the inhibitions predominate in communication with offline acquaintances. Experiencing depressed moods is associated with more extensive online communication, both directly and via POSI, indicating that adolescents use online communication to cope with negative feelings. Theoretically, our findings support both the rich-get-richer and social-compensation hypotheses and suggest they are complementary. Moreover, they emphasize the role of adolescents’ perceptions of online communication within the social-compensation mechanism.
... Second, as individuals with social anxiety may avoid direct social interactions, it is also reasonable to think that they will also have a higher likelihood of using the internet to seek connections with others, and thus fulfilling social needs in a "safer" and more controlled environment such as the internet. This may, in turn, be associated with having more difficulty controlling their internet usage, as shown in recent studies (O'Day & Heimberg, 2021;Kamalou et al., 2019;Lee & Stapinski, 2012;Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). ...
... A possible explanation for this finding is that an internet connected device such as a smartphone is capable to afford an individual who is afraid of negative evaluations of others a way to feel safe by decreasing the level of exposure to social interactions, or the level of exposure within them (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). As socially anxious individuals have a tendency to attribute their feelings of calmness, safety or social success to their safety behaviors (Clark & McManus, 2002;Kim et al., 2022) it is also likely that this would also foster an over-reliance on said devices to deal with social interactions, thus increasing the likelihood of an uncontrolled usage of the internet. ...
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a prevalent mental health issue and has been reliably associated with problematic internet use (PIU), an escalating concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of two theoretically derived internet affordances—seeking social connections online and safety-seeking behaviors online—in this relationship, and to compare their relative impact. Using a sample of 537 adult volunteers and self-report measures, we tested a structural equation model to probe their contributions. Results indicate that individuals with more SAD symptoms tended to use the internet more for both internet affordances, which in turn increased the likelihood of PIU. The relative contribution of safety behaviors in the relationship between SAD and PIU was five times stronger than seeking social connections online. We discuss our results in the context of an affordance-based approach to research internet behaviors and delve into potential clinical implications.
... However, a systematic review considered 20 papers that investigated SNS usage and social anxiety, and reported that 16 of those found such a relationship, although some of the reported relationships were positive whereas others were negative (Dobrean & Păsărelu, 2016). A meta-review of internet use more broadly concluded that social anxiety was not significantly correlated with time spent online overall (Prizant-Passal, Shechner, & Aderka, 2016). ...
... In this context, it is also worth noting that the focus on correlational studies, and dearth of experimental studies, means that we have limited grounds to establish mechanisms (Dobrean & Păsărelu, 2016). Future longitudinal studies, further qualitative work to understand more complex relationships between social anxiety and Facebook use, and consideration of older users based upon the noted effects of age in relation to social media use and anxiety (Hardy & Castonguay, 2018;Prizant-Passal et al., 2016), may all prove beneficial. ...
The relationship between social media use and mental health remains under scrutiny by researchers, policy makers, and the general public. Recently, researchers have addressed whether Facebook use is beneficial to people with high social anxiety. The findings from such studies are mixed, partly due to differences in how variables are operationalised. A study by McCord et al (McCord, B., Rodebaugh, T. L., & Levinson, C. A., 2014. Facebook: Social uses and anxiety. Computers in Human Behavior, 34, 23-27) suggested that the inclusion of a new variable, Facebook-centric social anxiety, helps explain the complex relationship between general social anxiety and frequency of usage of socially-interactive Facebook features. We undertook two studies (N=202 and N=542; majority British and non-student participants) with the aim of replicating McCord et al (2014), using the original measures (general social anxiety, Facebook-centric social anxiety, and frequency of usage of socially-interactive Facebook features). Replicating the original study, we found a significant positive association between general social anxiety and Facebook-centric social anxiety. However, unlike the original study, we did not find evidence that general social anxiety and Facebook-centric social anxiety interacted to predict frequency of usage of socially-interactive Facebook features. We discuss the implications for future research on social Facebook use.
... face-to-face) communication among socially anxious individuals. 4 Unfortunately, dating apps may present unique risks to socially anxious individuals, as social rejection is an unavoidable aspect of the dating app user experience, 5,6 and SA is associated with particularly problematic responses to social rejection. ...
... Recent studies indicate prolonged TV watching is associated with social isolation and higher levels of social anxiety [25]. Social anxiety is also linked to addictive behaviors such as problematic internet use [26], TV series-watching behaviors [27], and YouTube addiction [14]. Self-efficacy, characterized by an individual's confidence in their ability to perform a task effectively, is associated with problematic watching behaviors [28]. ...
Background
In recent years, with the rapid development of technology, research on behavioral addiction concepts such as digital gaming disorders and problematic internet use has increased. As anime-watching has become widespread worldwide, it is thought that this behavior may be one of the areas of problematic technology use, especially in adolescence. However, studies evaluating problematic anime-watching behaviors within the framework of behavioral addictions are quite limited in the literature. In this study, problematic anime-watching behaviors, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and possible psychosocial factors were evaluated in 86 anime watchers aged between 12 and 18 years. Problematic anime-watching behaviors were evaluated according to the diagnostic criteria of other defined disorders related to addictive behaviors in ICD-11. A semi-structured interview tool was used to assess psychiatric comorbidities, and the IGDS9-SF adapted form for anime-watching, the Self-Efficacy Scale for Children, KIDCOPE, and the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents were used to collect other data.
Results
It was determined that 36.8% of the 86 adolescents in our study had problematic anime-watching behavior. Compared to other adolescents, the problematic anime-watching group had significantly lower self-efficacy scores and significantly higher social anxiety and avoidant coping scores. A significant relationship was found between social anxiety disorder and watching problematic anime.
Conclusions
The present study showed that problematic watching of anime may be a variant of behavioral addiction. In conclusion, the relationship between problematic anime-watching behaviors and mental health warrants further examination.
... Beberapa penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan internet bermasalah atau adiksi internet berhubungan positif dengan pemasalahan interpersonal seperti kesepian (Caplan, 2007;Kim et al., 2009;Sipangkar et al., 2021;Wongpakaran et al., 2021). Penelitian lainnya menemukan bahwa orang yang memiliki kecemasan sosial lebih rentan melakukan penggunaan internet bermasalah dikarenakan mereka lebih merasa nyaman untuk berinteraksi atau bermain game di online (Caplan, 2006(Caplan, , 2007Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). ...
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji hubungan antara keterampilan sosial dan adiksi internet, dengan mempertimbangkan durasi penggunaan internet sebagai variabel moderator. Studi dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode kuantitatif cross-sectional, dengan melibatkan partisipan penelitian sebanyak 250 orang pemuda pengguna internet dari Kota Bandung. Pengukuran dilakukan menggunakan skala modifikasi keterampilan sosial yang dikembangkan oleh Buhrmester et al. (1988) dan skala adiksi internet yang dikembangkan oleh Chang dan Man Law (2008). Analisis data dilakukan dengan moderated regression analysis (MRA). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa keterampilan sosial tidak memiliki hubungan yang signifikan dengan adiksi internet, begitupun dengan durasi penggunaan internet tidak menunjukkan hubungan yang signifikan juga dengan adiksi internet. Selain itu, tidak ditemukan interaksi antara keterampilan sosial dan gender maupun keterampilan sosial dan durasi penggunaan internet dalam memprediksi adiksi internet. Kata Kunci : Keterampilan Sosial, Adiksi Internet, Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA)
... 71 Recent studies also demonstrate that individuals with higher stress levels are more inclined to retreat into the virtual realm of smartphones as a means of escaping real-life pressures and negative emotions. 72 It has also been shown that the higher the level of smartphone addiction, the more pronounced the sleep disorder is. 63 Hence, physical activity contributes to the mitigation of stress. ...
Purpose
During the period of COVID-19 pandemic, the social restrictions and isolation exerted a significant impact on the sleep quality of Chinese college students. This study aims to delve into the influence of physical activity on the sleep quality of college students as well as the mediating roles of stress and smartphone addiction.
Materials and Methods
A cohort of 274 eligible college students (146 males and 128 females) were selected for the investigation. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form, Stress Perception Scale, Smartphone Addiction Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were employed to assess the levels of physical activity, stress, smartphone addiction, and sleep quality among college students. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and chained mediation effect tests were performed sequentially.
Results
The findings revealed: (1) a significant negative correlation between physical activity and stress, smartphone addiction, and sleep quality among college students (r = −0.216, p < 0.001; r = −0.224, p < 0.001; r = −0.259, p < 0.001); (2) independent mediating roles of stress and smartphone addiction in the relationship between physical activity and sleep quality; and (3) chained mediating effects of stress and smartphone addiction in the association between physical activity and sleep quality.
Conclusion
This study deepens our comprehension of how physical activity augments the quality of slumber, concurrently emphasizing that mitigating stress levels and alleviating smartphone addiction constitute effective strategies for preventing sleep issues among college students.
... Consistent with this concept, numerous empirical studies have repeatedly demonstrated a positive correlation between SA and MSMA (Chen et al., 2020;Chu et al., 2021). According to a meta-analysis, a positive correlation exists between SA and the sensation of comfort experienced online and the development of social media addiction (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). Additionally, a longitudinal investigation has substantiated that anxiety significantly correlates with the development of MSMA . ...
Even though recent studies indicate a correlation between peer phubbing (PP) and mobile social media addiction (MSMA), there is a shortage of knowledge regarding the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this association. The objective of the research was to examine the possible mediating functions of emotional loneliness (EL) and social anxiety (SA) in the correlation between PP and MSMA, as well as to determine whether boredom proneness (BP) influenced these mediating associations. The study consisted of a sample of 422 undergraduate students from Dhaka City, Bangladesh. The respondents were selected with the help of a structured questionnaire through a convenience sampling technique. The study employed structural equation modeling, artificial neural networks, and necessary condition analysis to evaluate and validate the research findings. The findings indicated a positive correlation between PP and MSMA. EL and SA individually and serially mediated the relationship between PP and undergraduates MSMA. Again, BP moderated the association between PP and MSMA and EL and MSMA but not the correlation between SA and MSMA. The findings highlight the significance of understanding the moderating mechanisms that impact the mediated pathways linking PP and MSMA. Finally, the necessary condition analysis revealed that various levels of these constructs contributed to undergraduates’ MSMA. The findings of this investigation expand upon current knowledge regarding the potential ramifications of phubbing while also emphasizing the importance of elucidating the underlying mechanisms involved.
... Social anxiety refers to a state of anxiety resulting from the prospect or presence of interpersonal evaluation in real or imagined social settings, such as a concern about how the individual is being perceived and evaluated by others (Leary, 1983). Considering that social anxiety has been found to be associated with a variety of addictive behavior, such as cannabis use, smoking, alcohol use and problematic internet use (Buckner & Vinci, 2013;Hong et al., 2019;Prizant-Passal et al., 2016;Schry & White, 2013;Single et al., 2022;You et al., 2019), we proposed that social anxiety may serve as a possible mediator. ...
Although low self-control is regarded as an important influence factor of college student smartphone addiction, the mediating mechanism is still unclear. Based on the I–PACE model, the present study aims to explore the multiple mediating roles of social anxiety and procrastination in the effect of self-control on smartphone addiction among college students, as well as the gender differences, using a semi-longitudinal design. Our sample consisted of 1143 Chinese college students (36.4% males; Mage=21.91 years, SD = 1.02 years, range from 19 to 28 years) who completed the Brief Self-control Scale, the Interaction Anxiousness Scale, the Pure Pocrastination Scale, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version. SPSS 26.0 was used to analyze correlations among variables and Mplus 8.0 was used to test the structural equation model and gender differences. The results indicated that self-control was negatively associated with smartphone addiction. Social anxiety and procrastination sequentially mediated the link between self-control and smartphone addiction. Furthermore, although the proposed mediation model did not show significant gender differences, we found different associations between self-control, procrastination and smartphone addiction between males and females. The results of this study may contribute to intervention and prevention programs to reduce smartphone addiction among students.
... Our research has revealed that social media addiction can develop as a result of social anxiety. This finding is consistent with previous studies that have highlighted the dominant role of social anxiety in online addiction [65]. Socially anxious individuals may become excessively fixated on social media to compensate for a lack of fulfilling face-to-face social interaction. ...
Background
Social anxiety has been shown to affect college students’ academic performance. However, the role of social media addiction and academic engagement in this association is unclear.
Methods
A total 2661 college students completed a self-report questionnaire including Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Utrecht Student Work Engagement Scale for Students, and the grade point average. Hayes’ PROCESS macro for SPSS was employed to test the serial mediation effect.
Results
Results indicated that social anxiety was negatively related to academic performance, only academic engagement played a single mediating role in the relationship between social anxiety and academic performance, meanwhile social media addiction and academic engagement acted as serial mediators between social anxiety on academic performance.
Conclusions
Social media addiction and academic engagement can explain the potential mechanisms of the association between social anxiety and academic performance, which have implications for devising intervention strategies to enhance the mental health and academic outcomes of college students.
... d. Studies on social anxiety and Internet use were also excluded (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). e. ...
In recent years, much research and many data sources have become digital. Some advantages of digital or Internet-based research, compared to traditional lab research (e.g., comprehensive data collection and storage, availability of data) are ideal for an improved meta-analyses approach.In the meantime, in meta-analyses research, different types of meta-analyses have been developed to provide research syntheses with accurate quantitative estimations. Due to its rich and unique palette of corrections, we recommend to using the Schmidt and Hunter approach for meta-analyses in a digitalized world. Our primer shows in a step-by-step fashion how to conduct a high quality meta-analysis considering digital data and highlights the most obvious pitfalls (e.g., using only a bare-bones meta-analysis, no data comparison) not only in aggregation of the data, but also in the literature search and coding procedure which are essential steps in any meta-analysis. Thus, this primer of meta-analyses is especially suited for a situation where much of future research is headed to: digital research. To map Internet-based research and to reveal any research gap, we further synthesize meta-analyses on Internet-based research (15 articles containing 24 different meta-analyses, on 745 studies, with 1,601 effect sizes), resulting in the first mega meta-analysis of the field. We found a lack of individual participant data (e.g., age and nationality). Hence, we provide a primer for high-quality meta-analyses and mega meta-analyses that applies to much of coming research and also basic hands-on knowledge to conduct or judge the quality of a meta-analyses in a digitalized world.
... Depressed individuals, for example, who frequently experience chronic symptoms of mood disorders, used the internet to manage daily stressors; over time, this tendency to use the internet for stress management became compulsive or addictive, which can exacerbate their depressive symptoms, forming a vicious cycle (Morita et al., 2021). This is because these individuals perceived the internet-based communication as more controllable than face-to-face interaction, thereby assisting them in overcoming their deficient social skills (Chen & Toma, 2023;Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). Similarly, research on adolescent friendships found that lonely adolescents considered the internet as a more comfortable setting for self-disclosure and relationship maintenance than face-to-face contact (Valkenburg & Peter, 2007). ...
... Vannucci et al. [38] observed that spending more time on social media significantly affects the severity of anxiety. In contrast to the aforementioned authors, Prizant-Passal et al. [39] found no significant correlation between social anxiety symptoms and the total amount of time spent online and using instant messaging. ...
... Confidence intervals were then tested for significance by examining whether or not they contained zero. In addition, it has been considered that the gender, age, grade and monthly household income of the subjects may have an impact on the results and therefore were set as control variables in this study [75][76][77]. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Guanzhou University in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki. ...
Background
Some studies have examined the relationship between internalization of media appearance ideals and eating disorders. However, few have discussed the relationship between eating disorder tendencies. To fill this research gap, this study was to explore the influencing mechanisms of internalization of media appearance ideals on adolescents’ eating disorder tendencies in Chinese cultural context.
Method
The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, Eating Attitude Test-26, Physical Self-Description Questionnaire, Body Image Depression Questionnaire and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were employed in this study to investigate 1523 adolescents. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0.
Result
The results showed that: (1) internalization of media appearance ideals had a significant positive predictive effect on adolescents’ eating disorder tendencies; (2) internalization of media appearance ideals significantly influenced adolescents’ eating disorder tendencies through the mediating role of body esteem and body image disturbance respectively, and also influenced eating disorder tendencies through the chain mediating of both; and (3) social support played a moderating role between body image disturbance and eating disorder tendency.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest distinct pathways through which internalization of media appearance ideals may influence adolescents’ eating disorder tendencies. It is suggested that reducing body image disturbance and enhancing social support can help reducing eating disorder tendency.
... Although some research suggests that the cognitive and behavioural processes that characterise social anxiety persist in online settings (Carruthers et al., 2019), our results suggest that affordances of online contexts may prove beneficial for minimising socially anxious young adults' hypervigilance towards social cues and threat, and negative interpretations of social information online (Hutchins et al., 2021). Further, our results corroborate past findings suggesting that anxious individuals find comfort in and value digitally-mediated communication for intimate interactions with others and relationship maintenance (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016;Reid & Reid, 2007), and that youth higher in social anxiety perceive their social interactions to be more successful in online versus offline settings (Shalom et al., 2015). In the current study, we propose that enhanced comfort and control online, and the reduced non-verbal cues within online settings, may promote successful interactionseven with close friendsfor more socially vulnerable young people. ...
... A key category of emotion regulation strategy used by socially anxious people is safety behaviours [15], defined as an "overt or covert avoidance of feared outcomes that is carried out within a specific situation" [111]. In the context of social anxiety, these behaviours may range from overt actions, like exiting a conversation (Situation Selection) [99,100], to more covert actions, like avoiding eye contact and focusing on one's phone (Attentional Redeployment) [15]. Reliance upon safety behaviours can be maladaptive and research has linked their use to worse therapy outcomes [15,84,106], with Wells et al. finding that socially anxious patients who underwent exposure experienced better outcomes when decreasing their use of varied safety behaviours [139]. ...
Social anxiety is a prevalent mental health concern that impacts quality of life and makes social spaces less accessible. We conducted two studies with socially anxious participants, investigating using affective haptic comfort objects to provide calming support during social exposure. Participatory prototyping informed the design and use of the intervention, which was then evaluated between-groups with a social exposure task. Treatment participants held their preferred vibration-augmented prototype during this task; control participants did not. We observed no change in physiological measures, but treatment participants exhibited a significantly broader distribution of psychological anxiety scores. Participants in both studies found their objects pleasant and calming, made positive emotional associations with resonant stimuli, and used their objects to afford self-soothing tactile experiences. We discuss how future designers can facilitate calming affective haptic interfaces for socially anxious settings.
... Offline social avoidance is manifested by over-choosing online social interactions that induce less anxiety, such as through the social use (i.e., social networking sites and messaging) of smartphones, which would trigger PSU [25,26]. Moreover, individuals may exhibit online social avoidance by engaging in the process use (i.e., news consumption and entertainment) with their smartphones, which have been found to have stronger associations with PSU [27][28][29]. Additionally, the compensatory internet use theory argues that people use smartphones to escape real-life problems or relieve irritability, such as social anxiety, although this sometimes leads to negative consequences [12]. ...
... In this way, students with social anxiety have ample time and interpersonal distance to consider how best to articulate themselves (Pierce, 2009). The results of a previous meta-analysis also indicate that higher social anxiety is associated with more feelings of comfort online (Prizant-Passal, Shechner, & Aderka, 2016). One interesting finding regarding the low-FoMO group is that their scores on SAS2 ("anxiety in unfamiliar situation") and all MPAI symptoms increased significantly after the long period of online learning. ...
Background
The advancement of communication technology and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increased reliance on online education. However, the effects of the long-term use of smart devices for online learning on students' social anxiety and problematic smartphone use (PSU) and the role of fear of missing out (FoMO) in this process have yet to be fully explored.
Methods
This study analysed longitudinal data from 2,356 high school students (female = 1,137 (48.26%), mean age = 13.84, SD age = 1.37) in China, divided into high- and low-FoMO groups based on their scores on the FoMO scale, to examine the impact of four months of online learning on social anxiety and PSU. The Social Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI) were used to assess social anxiety and PSU symptoms.
Results
The undirected symptom networks revealed more bridge symptoms among the students in the high-FoMO group, although their overall symptom scores decreased. The results of the directed cross-lagged panel networks showed that “productivity loss” predicted other symptoms in the low-FoMO group but that “afraid of negative evaluation” was the predictor in the high-FoMO group. Meanwhile, “withdrawal/escape” and “productivity loss” were the symptoms that were most affected by other symptoms in the high-FoMO and low-FoMO groups, respectively.
Conclusions
The current study therefore sheds light on the changes in social anxiety and PSU symptoms among secondary school students during long-term online learning, as well as the moderating role of FoMO.
... As an example, if there is a lack of social stimulation in real life, individuals will have an incentive to socialize online, which is facilitated by an application where socializing is afforded. The anonymity and other characteristics of online games probably eliminate their worry in face-to-face communication, so online games are more likely to be the medium for their social compensation (Prizant-Passal, Shechner, & Aderka, 2016;Valkenburg & Peter, 2009;Young & Lo, 2012). Over-reliance on social compensation could lead to consequences such as excessive online gaming (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014a;2014b). ...
... People experiencing social anxiety desire social connections but are afraid of engaging in social activities, leading them to frequently avoid or reduce interactions due to perceiving them as challenging and uncomfortable (91). The act of avoiding social interactions can be demonstrated by avoiding in-person interactions or by using non-social functions on smartphones instead of engaging in online social media activities (92,93). ...
Background
The previous literature has demonstrated that depression, anxiety, and stress are significant predictors of problematic social media use. However, the manifestation of problematic social media use varies, and the predictive relationship between depression, anxiety, and stress with different subgroups of problematic social media use remains unclear. The aim of this research was to evaluate latent subgroups of problematic social media use among college students and to investigate the impact of depression, anxiety, and stress on these latent subgroups.
Methods
A survey was carried out among college students in China using a cross-sectional approach. A total of 955 participants were included, with a mean age of 19.50 ± 1.22 years. Participants completed questionnaires containing the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The study employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to investigate latent subgroups of Chinese college students with problematic social media use, and a robust three-step approach was used to develop predictive regression mixed models of depression, anxiety, and stress on latent subgroups.
Results
Problematic social media use of Chinese college students can be categorized into four latent subgroups, namely, the high-risk group, the moderate-risk with pleasure group, the moderate-risk with compulsion group, and the low-risk group. The regression model showed that there was a significant difference between the high-risk group and the low-risk group on the stress scale. There was a significant difference between the moderate-risk with pleasure group and the moderate-risk with compulsion group on the depression scale.
Conclusion
Problematic social media use is heterogeneous, with depression and stress being potentially key factors influencing problematic social media use. Depression would make college students more likely to be moderate-risk with compulsion problematic social media users than moderate-risk with pleasure problematic social media users, and stress would make college students more likely to be high-risk problematic social media users than low-risk problematic social media users.
... Social anxiety is conceptualized as an anxiety disorder that causes individuals to have significant and constant fears of being judged by others in social life, of performing an action in front of others, or of communicating with strangers, and to avoid these social situations (APA 2013). Social media networks have become an important socialization tool for individuals with high levels of social anxiety since they require no face-to-face interaction with real people, which has led to an increase in their rate of internet and social media use (Prizant-Passal et al. 2016). Some studies show that individuals with high social anxiety resort to establishing social adaptation via social media as a reaction to the lack of social interaction (Lin et al. 2017). ...
The primary objective of this study is to explore the correlations between feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, and social anxiety, alongside virtual social support levels, in relation to the extent of social media addiction. Additionally, the study aims to assess a predictive path analysis model, comprised of these explanatory variables, to enhance comprehension of social media addiction. Targeting young adults aged 18-35, acknowledged for their heightened engagement with internet and social media, the study recruited a total sample size of 250 participants. Data collection involved the use of a Participant Information Form, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Inferiority Feeling Scale, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Online Social Support Scale, and Social Media Addiction Scale. Correlation analysis outcomes revealed a significant and positive association between loneliness, inadequacy, social anxiety, virtual social support scores, and the overall social media addiction score. Moreover, multiple regression analysis indicated that all independent variables accounted for 44% of the total variance in social media addiction scores. Lastly, employing a path analysis model demonstrated remarkably high fit indices (CMIN/DF=1.163; CFI=.998; GFI=.997; NFI=.993; AGFI = .949; RMSEA=.034), elucidating direct and indirect relationships between independent variables and social media addiction.
... [14] Studies have shown that social anxiety is a predisposing factor in the problematic use of various technologies, including mobile phones [15] social media [16], and the Internet. [17] This study shows that the appearance of AI chatbots has given a negative impact on society, which increase the over dependency and might even create a dysfunctional relationship between the user and their environment. ...
p class="Abstract">The past decade has witnessed the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)[1]. AI nowadays, are becoming more popular and integrated in every aspect of the world. Using Ai chatbot as a companion partner has been a thing since a few years ago, but with the development of AI, it is possible to inject personality into those chatbots now. With the increasing growth of social anxiety issues, it is possible to implement AI chatbot as a way to train social skills into people. Past researches have already created a chatbot that is solely for the purpose of depression in a one-on-one chatting environment. In order to create a working training regime, it is necessary to give the user the ability to change from a fully AI environment to slowly integrate with humans. The present paper considers the ability of personality trained AI chatbots and environment as a way to help people learn to socialize. This research aims to help provide a cheaper and reliable alternative for therapists by using AI chatbots as a guide for socially anxious people.</p
... Shaw and colleagues (2015) also confirmed that passive use is considered a significant predictor of social anxiety (81). Therefore, it can be concluded that people with high social anxiety may prefer online communication to face-to-face interactions as a way to reduce and control anxiety symptoms such as physical symptoms (82). However, we should be mindful that this type of social anxiety measured by the SAS-SMU can even lead people to stay away from social media, rather than causing them to overuse it. ...
Objective: Social anxiety refers to an excessive concern or fear about social situations. It seems that social media, which has become one of the most popular and effective tools for communication today, can be one of the contexts of social anxiety. Due to the lack of a Persian instrument to assess social anxiety in the context of social networks, the current study was undertaken to analyze the psychometric criteria of the Iranian version of the Social Anxiety Scale for Social Media Users (SAS-SMU). The SAS-SMU is a 21-item questionnaire designed by Alkis and colleagues (2017) to measure social anxiety emerging from the social media platforms.
Method : In this study, a total of 842 participants within the age range of 11 to 82 years old (mean age 33.11 ± 12.134), 59% female) answered the questions in an online survey. The original version of the scale was translated into Persian using the back translation procedure. All participants completed a Demographic Questionnaire, the SAS-SMU, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. In order to analyze the collected data, internal and external consistency, factor analysis, construct validity, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were examined. A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered to determine statistical significance.
Results: Four subscales were obtained from the exploratory factor analysis (SCA, PCA, IA, and SEA), which were confirmed by the confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was found to be 0.931 for the total scale and 0.920, 0.846, 0.901, 0.828 for SCA, PCA, IA, and SEA, respectively. In addition, the test-retest scores of 30 participants (interval: between 2 to 3 weeks) for all four subscales (SCA = 0.641, PCA = 0.773, IA = 0.688, SEA = 0.727) indicated acceptable stability of the questionnaire over time.
Conclusion: This study validates the Persian version of the SAS-SMU for use in studies in the field of psychological problems related to social media and online communications.
... It is likely that the use of problematic gaming and PIU as compensatory strategies also extends to the negative interpersonal-related outcomes associated with this insecure attachment style (e.g., fewer peer relationships, lower social competence) (Kokkinos et al., 2016) and its characteristics (e.g., constant concern about the possibility of abandonment and the unavailability of others). It is likely that for individuals with an anxious social group attachment style, it is easier to establish and maintain social connections in cyberspace because in this space, there are fewer indicators of social rejection (e.g., there are fewer non-verbal cues [Venter, 2019]) and there are fewer communication barriers for people with some degree of social anxiety (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). Also in cyberspace, others are more readily accessible , which likely leads to a lower concern about the unavailability of others. ...
Gaming and Internet use are positively associated with benefits for interpersonal relationships in adolescence, with these behaviors when excessive having been negatively linked with positive aspects of interpersonal connections, such as secure attachment. Using a representative sample of 7918 Portuguese adolescents, with ages ranging from 13 to 19 (Mage = 15.5, 53.3% females), and three self-report measures of problematic gaming, problematic Internet use, and social group attachment (secure, anxious, avoidant), this cross-sectional study aimed to examine the associations between problematic gaming, as well as problematic Internet use, and secure and insecure (anxious and avoidant) social group attachment styles, in the groups with and without these problems. In the groups without problematic gaming and without problematic Internet use, excessive gaming and involvement with the Internet were negatively associated with secure social group attachment and positively associated with anxious social group attachment; on the other hand, in the groups with severe levels of these problems, problematic gaming and Internet use were positively associated with secure social group attachment and negatively associated with anxious social group attachment. These results go against what had been initially hypothesized and suggest that in the case of adolescents with severe levels of these problems, they may serve as an effective compensatory mechanism for coping with the negative effects of insecure attachment styles, which in turn likely contributes to the maintenance of problematic gaming and Internet use.
... Consequently, social anxiety can reasonably be assumed to be a potential predictor of problematic social networking. In line with this notion, a meta-analytic study reveals that social anxiety is positively linked to both feelings of comfort online and problematic Internet use (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). Moreover, a longitudinal study further confirms that anxiety positively predicts problematic Internet use 6 months later . ...
Phubbing harms relationships and reduces well‐being of phubbees. However, limited research has explored the potential causes and underlying mechanisms for phubbing; and an important risk factor, social anxiety, has been largely ignored from previous studies. The present study employed a moderated mediation model to examine whether social anxiety was positively related to phubbing, whether problematic social networking mediated the relationship, and whether the first path of this mediating process was moderated by family socioeconomic status. The data of 1379 undergraduates ( M age = 18.84; SD = 0.94) were collected anonymously to test the model. Findings demonstrated that social anxiety was positively linked to phubbing, problematic social networking mediated the linkage, and family socioeconomic status played a moderating role in the first stage. Specifically, the indirect association between social anxiety and phubbing via problematic social networking was stronger for undergraduates with lower family socioeconomic status. Results provide a new perspective for understanding phubbing and highlight the significance of uncovering the underlying mechanisms.
... As the first study to examine the effects of internet use on social interactions and well-being, Kraut et al. (74) concluded that internet use decreases social interaction with family and friends, thus increasing loneliness and decreasing well-being. Several early studies supported the view that internet usage reduces face-to-face interaction time, which negatively impacts the happiness of individuals (32,33,(51)(52)(53)(54)75). According to more and more researchers, as ICTs have developed and the internet has become increasingly popular, particularly with the emergence of SNSs, the use of the internet does not entirely replace face-to-face communication with family and friends. ...
Using data from the 2018 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this study investigates the impact of internet use on residents’ happiness. Empirical results show that internet use significantly enhances residents’ happiness. Considering the possible endogeneity problem, a two-stage tool variable estimation is carried out with ownership of a mobile phone as the tool variable. After overcoming the endogenous problem and conducting a series of robustness tests, the conclusion is still valid. The action mechanism finds that social interaction frequency and socioeconomic status (SES) play significant mediating effects in the process of internet use affecting happiness. Specifically, internet use significantly increases the social interaction frequency of residents and enhances their SES. The improvement of social interaction frequency and SES will significantly increase residents’ happiness. Therefore, this paper gives policy recommendations from the perspectives of regulating and deepening internet use, increasing the frequency of communication among residents, and improving their SES to better enhance their happiness.
... For people with social anxiety, online social interaction may be less distressing than offline social interaction (Erliksson et al., 2020). A review confirms that many socially anxious individuals prefer online above offline communication, although such preference is more typically seen in adults than adolescents (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016). Both social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder in childhood are associated with difficulties in social interaction (McClure & J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f Nowicki, 2001;Pickard et al., 2017;Scharfstein et al., 2011) and the tendency to withdraw from social contact (Kingery et al., 2010). ...
... With more than 5.3 billion smartphone users, according to recent estimates (DataReportal, 2021), the Internet and its various digital utilities have significantly transformed how we communicate and interact. However, the potential benefits of digital activities and Internet usage, in general, are complicated and challenged by the expanding threats of the digital environment (Lozano-Blasco et al., 2022), with ramifications within people's social relationships (Prizant-Passal et al., 2016), mental health (Cai et al., 2023), physical health (Aghasi et al., 2020), civic and political participation (Chae et al., 2019), academic and work performance (Amez & Baert, 2020;Karimikia et al., 2021). ...
In the present study, we investigated the relationship between online vigilance and phubbing, a specific form of technoference that implies ignoring someone while favoring technological, Internet-based devices, such as smartphones. We also explored the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating role of moral disengagement in the relationship between online vigilance and phubbing. Our sample comprised 607 young adults aged 18 to 30 (M = 20.80, SD = 2.70, 71.5% females) who completed an online survey. Correlation analyses suggested significant positive relations between phubbing, loneliness, moral disengagement, and online vigilance. Subsequent analyses suggested that loneliness mediated the relation between online vigilance and phubbing, regardless of participants’ age and gender. At the same time, moral disengagement moderated this relationship. Finally, we discuss some practical ways to use these results (i.e. online vigilance and loneliness predict phubbing and moral disengagement moderates the relation between online vigilance and phubbing) to prevent and reduce phubbing behaviors among youth
... For example, girls tend to show excessive fear of social events, people in authority, criticism, and talking to strangers, as compared with boys (Ranta et al., 2007). Remote working reduces face-toface interaction, provides certain anonymity, and enables asynchronous communication (see a summary by Prizant-Passal et al., 2016), all of which minimize the likelihood of making undesirable impressions on others. Moreover, both laboratory and field studies confirm that males are more eager to compete, and their performance is more positively associated with competition (Niederle & Vesterlund, 2011). ...
The unprecedented COVIDÀ19 pandemic required millions of people across the world to become remote workers. However, little is known about how to achieve effective remote working for organizations. This study investigates the types of employees that are more suited to accepting remote working by considering two determinants: gender and internet skills. Based on an official data set from China, this study reveals that females are more likely to accept remote working, as are those employees with advanced internet skills. This study further investigates the impacts of perceived benefits on employees' acceptance of remote working. It appears that the preference of females for remote working is attributed to avoiding face-to-face interaction rather than free time planning. This study is among the first to reveal how skill matching matters in order to be successful remote workers. Meanwhile, this study indicates that it is gender-specific psychological differences rather than the division of labor in families that motivate females to accept remote working, an important observation which has been neglected so far. The findings are helpful for employers and employees in the post-pandemic era.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the current status of anxiety and depression among adolescents and to analyze the correlation between adolescents’ online social connections and their depression and anxiety.
METHODS
The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design, conducted in a middle school located in a city in Sichuan Province. Classes were selected through simple random sampling, with all students in the selected classes serving as study participants. Anxiety, depression, and online social connections were assessed using the Chinese version of the DSM-5 Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adolescents, the DSM-5 Depression Inventory for Children and Adolescents, and the Revised Social Connectedness Scale, respectively.
RESULTS
The prevalence rates of anxiety and depression among the participants were found to be 49.1% and 47.1%, respectively. A significant positive correlation was identified between online social connections and both anxiety and depression.
CONCLUSION
The findings indicate a concerning prevalence of anxiety and depression among adolescents. It is crucial for healthcare professionals to recognize the multifaceted factors contributing to these mental health challenges and to remain vigilant regarding adolescent mental health. Leveraging the impact of online social connections, early psychological intervention strategies should be implemented to promote healthy online relationships and mitigate the risks of anxiety and depression among adolescents.
Objective
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by heightened sensitivity to social interactions or settings, which disrupts daily activities and social relationships. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of utilizing digital phenotypes for predicting the severity of these symptoms and to elucidate how the main predictive digital phenotypes differed depending on the symptom severity.
Method
We collected 511 behavioral and physiological data over 7 to 13 weeks from 27 SAD and 31 healthy individuals using smartphones and smartbands, from which we extracted 76 digital phenotype features. To reduce data dimensionality, we employed an autoencoder, an unsupervised machine learning model that transformed these features into low-dimensional latent representations. Symptom severity was assessed with three social anxiety-specific and nine additional psychological scales. For each symptom, we developed individual classifiers to predict the severity and applied integrated gradients to identify critical predictive features.
Results
Classifiers targeting social anxiety symptoms outperformed baseline accuracy, achieving mean accuracy and F1 scores of 87% (with both metrics in the range 84–90%). For secondary psychological symptoms, classifiers demonstrated mean accuracy and F1 scores of 85%. Application of integrated gradients revealed key digital phenotypes with substantial influence on the predictive models, differentiated by symptom types and levels of severity.
Conclusions
Leveraging digital phenotypes through feature representation learning could effectively classify symptom severities in SAD. It identifies distinct digital phenotypes associated with the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of SAD, thereby advancing the understanding of SAD. These findings underscore the potential utility of digital phenotypes in informing clinical management.
Social media platforms such as Reddit allow users to share information and find support about different topics. The present research investigated the topics, sentiments, and emotions discussed in a subreddit about social anxiety prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was used to discover latent topics from the data. Sentiment and emotion analyses were performed on the posts and comments associated with each topic. Two-proportions z-tests were computed to investigate whether the percentage of positive, negative, and neutral sentiments expressed in posts and comments for each topic differed between the period prior to and during COVID-19. Thirteen topics about social interactions, coping mechanisms, and physiological and cognitive aspects of social anxiety emerged: (1) Miscellaneous, (2) Interacting with others, (3) Family and time, (4) Medication and receiving help, (5) Physical features and appearance, (6) At work, (7) Physical sensations and cognitive aspects, (8) School activities, (9) Dating, (10) Communicating and asking questions, (11) Social media, (12) Stressful behaviors, and (13) Substances. There was no difference in the sentiment of posts and comments between the two time periods, with the exception of a few topics for which there were more neutral comments and fewer positive comments prior to the pandemic. The three most prominent emotions expressed were anticipation, trust, and fear. These findings inform on the topics discussed in an online community about social anxiety, and on differences in the sentiment expressed about those topics prior to and during the pandemic. Future research can investigate causal associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and online discussions about social anxiety, as well as the clinical implications of interacting in such online communities for individuals struggling with social anxiety.
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a globally significant mental health concern as it is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders. It is characterized by an intense fear of social situations and a persistent worry about being judged or embarrassed in public settings. Individuals with SAD tend to avoid social encounters, limiting their access to health information. This study fills a gap by addressing the information needs of and information sources used by individuals with SAD. Semi-structured online interviews and one written interview were conducted in Germany with 22 participants (15 females; 7 males) aged 18 to 65. The interviews incorporated visual participatory elements through the virtual whiteboard Miro, enabling participants to construct personalized health information infrastructures that reveal information needs and used information sources. Information needs and sources/channels were identified through inductive coding. Further, thematic analysis was applied, covering the interrelations of information needs and information sources used. Notably, intrapersonal health information needs emerged prominently in the data, highlighting the personal and introspective nature of SAD-related information. The most mentioned information sources are interpersonal channels such as psychotherapists, self-help groups, friends, and relatives. In addition, the findings indicated a preference for media channels such as social media and self-help books. Moreover, it became apparent that digital peer-to-peer support is essential for exchanging information and satisfying the need for social connections. Further, digital health apps (e.g., VR) for psychoeducation are integral information sources. This article is the first to address SAD within the context of information behavior in the LIS field.
International students in Malaysian universities face uncertainty and anxiety toward a multi-new culture, a must-encountered cultural shock. This study investigated the relationship between superficial causes of AUM theory and uncertainty and anxiety in a high-context culture. In this study, 388 international students from different faculties were chosen through a method called stratified random sampling, which sampled two public universities with the largest number and richest nationalities of international students. The researchers used a self-administered questionnaire to gather information from the participants, which was analyzed by AMOS and applied to the validation of theoretical construct through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), and other statistical methods were employed to analyze the data and test seven hypotheses. The findings of the study showed that five superficial causes affect the management of uncertainty and anxiety in AUM theory. The results of this study have important implications for Malaysian public universities in terms of understanding the factors that influence uncertainty and anxiety management among students.
The influence of electronic screens on the health of children and adolescents and their education is not well understood. In this prospectively registered umbrella review (PROSPERO identifier CRD42017076051), we harmonized effects from 102 meta-analyses (2,451 primary studies; 1,937,501 participants) of screen time and outcomes. In total, 43 effects from 32 meta-analyses met our criteria for statistical certainty. Meta-analyses of associations between screen use and outcomes showed small-to-moderate effects (range: r = –0.14 to 0.33). In education, results were mixed; for example, screen use was negatively associated with literacy (r = –0.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = –0.20 to –0.09, P ≤ 0.001, k = 38, N = 18,318), but this effect was positive when parents watched with their children (r = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.28, P = 0.028, k = 12, N = 6,083). In health, we found evidence for several small negative associations; for example, social media was associated with depression (r = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.19, P ≤ 0.001, k = 12, N = 93,740). Limitations of our review include the limited number of studies for each outcome, medium-to-high risk of bias in 95 out of 102 included meta-analyses and high heterogeneity (17 out of 22 in education and 20 out of 21 in health with I² > 50%). We recommend that caregivers and policymakers carefully weigh the evidence for potential harms and benefits of specific types of screen use.
Introduction
Social media are widely used by adolescents and young adults as a mean to maintain interpersonal relationships. Recent studies have found that young individuals with high levels of social anxiety feel more confident in communicating online. However, little is known about the role of perceived social media characteristics that could minimize the distress they experienced in face‐to‐face interactions. In this study, we rely on the tenets of the Transformation Framework, according to which social media, with its own features, may transform social relationships, including disclosing emotions and communicating with others online, in ways that may differ across individuals with or without specific vulnerability (e.g., social anxiety). Therefore, this cross‐sectional study aims at examining the contribution of three specific social media features (i.e., asynchronicity, cue absence, and visualness) in explaining perceived breadth and depth of online communication, both directly and via e‐motional processes (i.e., expression and facilitating use of e‐motions), across groups of individuals with high versus low levels of social anxiety.
Methods
Participants were 1046 Italian adolescents and young adults (61.4% females; Mage = 17.9, SD = 3.23) who completed an anonymous self‐report questionnaire between 2021 and 2022. Participants with very high scores on social anxiety (above the 90th percentile; socially anxious), were distinguished from all others (socially nonanxious) and a multigroup analysis (MGA) was run to compare the pattern of associations across the two different groups.
Results and Conclusion
Results from the MGA showed significant differences between the two groups, partially confirming our hypotheses. Specifically, among socially anxious individuals, perceived cue absence was found to benefit perceived breadth and depth of online communication, and asynchronicity to enhance online emotional processes; conversely, these associations were negative in the group of socially nonanxious. Thus, these findings underly the contribution of social media in explaining youngsters' online experiences and support the potential beneficial role of some social media features for those more socially vulnerable.
Objective
Although numerous studies have investigated the association between problematic internet use (PIU) and social anxiety, the findings have no yet reached consistent. The present meta-analysis aims to examine the association between PIU and social anxiety within adolescents and young adults (age range: 14–24 years old).
Method
The meta-analysis systematically retrieved the studies prior to September 7, 2023 from Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, CNKI, and CQVIP. The meta-analysis based on random-effects model to conduct the research. Stata Version 17.0 and JASP 16.3.0 was used to analysis.
Results
The meta-analysis ultimately included 37 studies (37 effect sizes in total), involving a total of 36,013 subjects. Our findings indicated that the overall correlation between PIU and social anxiety was significant positive [r = 0.333, 95% CI (0.292, 0.373), p < 0.001]. Their association was significantly moderated by publication year, measurement tools for PIU and social anxiety but not significantly by culture context, developmental level and gender.
Conclusion
This meta-analysis suggests that social anxiety is a predictor of the development of PIU in adolescents and young adults. Furthermore, the study also finds the possibility that contemporary adolescents and youth may exhibit a more “global” behavior pattern, potentially emphasizing fewer differences between cultures, generations and genders.
Socially anxious individuals struggle with establishing and maintaining social relationships. We hypothesized that, when socially anxious, people often turn to nostalgia, which alleviates the interpersonal competence deficits that accompany social anxiety. We tested and supported this hypothesis in six studies ( N = 1,858), three preregistered. In cross-sectional Study 1, higher (compared with lower) social anxiety individuals more frequently identified interpersonal incompetence as a trigger of nostalgia. In cross-sectional Study 2, social anxiety was associated negatively with interpersonal competence, but positively with nostalgia, which in turn predicted higher interpersonal competence. In the final four studies, we tested causation. Although social anxiety reduced interpersonal competence, it also triggered nostalgia (Studies 3–3S), and nostalgia increased interpersonal competence (Studies 4–5).
Prior research has suggested that the use of social media could be associated with psychopathology (e.g., depression and anxiety symptoms). To measure social anxiety associated with social media use, Alkis et al. (2017) developed the Social Anxiety Scale for Social Media Users (SAS-SMU). The aims of the present study were to investigate the factor structure of the SAS-SMU in a nonclinical sample of Italian adults and to analyze its psychometric properties. Three hundred and eighty participants (222 women and 158 men) were administered Italian versions of the SAS-SMU, the Social Phobia Inventory, the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory Revised, the General Anxiety Disorder-7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The original hierarchical model, with four first-order factors and one second order factor had good fit to the data (χ²185 = 405.81, RMSEA = 0.06, 95%CI 0.05–0.06, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.04). SAS-SMU had satisfactory internal consistency (ordinal α = 0.94) as well as good convergent and divergent validity. Finally, different SAS-SMU scores were associated with different level of social anxiety. The SAS-SMU is, therefore, a reliable and valid measure of social anxiety in relation to social media use.
This paper reports the results from two waves of studies on the development of Chinese Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS) and its revision (CIAS-R). Based upon the conception framework adapted from other traditional addiction disorders such like pathological gambling and substance addictions, the tendency of Internet addiction was presumably characterized with two aspects of behavioral manifestation, i.e., core symptoms and related problems. In study 1, the original items of the CIAS depicting core symptoms and related problems of the Internet addiction were thus generated through focused interview and derived from the diagnostic criteria of other well-defined addiction disorders. The CIAS, background questionnaire eliciting data on basic demographics, weekly on-line hours, habitual domains, and experience of Internet utilization were administered in a traditional paper and pencil manner to a random sample of students of National Taiwan University (N=1336) Factor analysis, correlation analysis, and t-test were utilized to analyze data. The results show that: The CIAS is an appealing and reliable test with satisfactory test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Correlation analyses yield significantly positive correlation of total scale and subscale scores of CIAS with weekly Internet hours, but not with experience of Internet utilization. Moreover, high-risk students show different attitudes toward Internet use and addiction from the normal. In study 2, the CIAS-R, with modification of item wording as well as addition and elimination of some items, were administered to another wave of random subjects at National Taiwan University (N=1975). Same procedure and analyses were applied. It results in a better factor structure in CIAS-R, with similarly satisfactory psychometric properties. Future research concerning scale revision as well as possible psychopathological approach to Internet addiction will be discussed accordingly.
Objective
The aim of this study was to develop a self-administered scale based on the special features of smartphone. The reliability and validity of the Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) was demonstrated.
Methods
A total of 283 participants were recruited from Dec. 2012 to Jul. 2013 to complete a set of questionnaires, including a 26-item SPAI modified from the Chinese Internet Addiction Scale and phantom vibration and ringing syndrome questionnaire. There were 260 males and 23 females, with ages 22.9±2.0 years. Exploratory factor analysis, internal-consistency test, test-retest, and correlation analysis were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the SPAI. Correlations between each subscale and phantom vibration and ringing were also explored.
Results
Exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors: compulsive behavior, functional impairment, withdrawal and tolerance. Test–retest reliabilities (intraclass correlations = 0.74–0.91) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.94) were all satisfactory. The four subscales had moderate to high correlations (0.56–0.78), but had no or very low correlation to phantom vibration/ringing syndrome.
Conclusion
This study provides evidence that the SPAI is a valid and reliable, self-administered screening tool to investigate smartphone addiction. Phantom vibration and ringing might be independent entities of smartphone addiction.
This study examined how internet users’ psychological characteristics, amount of internet use and demographic factors contribute to particular dimensions of internet addiction. The sample consisted of 384 adolescents, ranging in age from 15 to 18 years. Participants were asked to complete the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), measures of Locus of Control, Depression, Loneliness, Self-esteem, and Social Anxiety as well as an inventory that included demographic factors and questions about the amount of Internet use. Results revealed significant associations between variables and different sets of predictors across the four dimensions of Internet use behaviour identified in the study. However, locus of control, depression, and amount of internet use were significant predictors of all internet addiction dimensions. Recommendations are provided on how researchers can strengthen the field of research concerning how internet addiction is manifested and which adolescent internet users are more susceptible to different manifestations of addiction.
Contradictory evidence exists regarding the benefit of the Internet for social and personal wellbeing, with some studies indicating deleterious effects and others possible social enrichment. The potential for increased social isolation from 'over- involvement' in online activities or, conversely, the Internet's possibilities for enhancing social relationships, may be particularly salient during young adult- hood and adolescence because of the special importance of the peer group during this developmental phase. This study was an investigation of the relationships between the levels of identity development, Internet use and social anxiety among a sample of 161 older adolescents/young adults aged between 18 and 25. Results indicated that, for males only, higher levels of social anxiety and less mature identity statuses were associated with more frequent Internet use, specifi- cally time spent in chatrooms, online browsing for personal use, and games. For females (who were in this sample less socially anxious, more identity-developed, and lower users of the Internet than males), social anxiety and identity status were not significantly associated with time spent online. Discussion centred around the potential roles of Internet use in reinforcing already-existing social anxiety or, alternatively, in supporting and maintaining social contacts in those with lower levels of social deficit.
Alternative views of computer-mediated communication suggest that it is devoid of affective cues and interpersonal expression, or that the translation of affect into verbal cues facilitates relational communication. Little research has examined basic affective communication online, mirroring a dearth of empirical research identifying spontaneous affective verbal cues in face-to-face interaction. An experiment prompted participants to enact greater or lesser affinity in face-to-face or synchronous computer chat dyads in order to assess the proportion of affect expressed verbally online compared to that which is verbal offline and the specific behaviors that account for affective communication in each channel.Partners’ ratings demonstrated affective equivalency across settings. Analyses of the verbal, kinesic, and vocalic behaviors of face-to-face participants and verbal transcripts from computer sessions revealed specific cues in each condition that led to these ratings. Results support a primary but previously untested proposition in the social information processing theory of mediated interaction.
A reasons for Internet Use Questionnaire was developed to examine the relationship between internet use, social anxiety, general anxiety, and depression. Research suggests that socially anxious individuals may find it easier to interact online where anonymity can be maintained rather than engage in face to face interaction where being observed by others might induce a fear of negative evaluation. In line with the self-regulation model, it was hypothesised that social anxiety, low ego strength, anxiety and depression, would be related to use of the internet to cope with social fears. The results were partially in line with the hypothesis. Implications of these findings are discussed.
The model introduced and tested in the current study suggests that lonely and depressed individuals may develop a preference for online social interaction, which, in turn, leads to negative outcomes associated with their Internet use. Participants completed measures of preference for online social interaction, depression, loneliness, problematic Internet use, and negative outcomes resulting from their Internet use.Results indicated that psychosocial health predicted levels of preference for online social interaction, which, in turn, predicted negative outcomes associated with problematic Internet use. In addition, the results indicated that the influence of psychosocial distress on negative outcomes due to Internet use is mediated by preference for online socialization and other symptoms of problematic Internet use.T he results support the current hypothesis that that individuals’ preference for online, rather than face-to-face, social interaction plays an important role in the development of negative consequences associated with problematic Internet use.
The purpose of the study was to gather descriptive
information about college students’ Internet use
and to explore the relationship between types of
Internet use and well-being. The sample consisted
of 312 college students (67% female; age range
18-49 years; M = 21.34 years, SD = 5.05).
Self-report questionnaires were administered in
a large undergraduate psychology course. Exploratory
factor analyses suggested 5 specific types
of use: Meeting People, Information Seeking,
Distraction, Coping, and E-mail. Confirmatory
factor analyses on a new sample from the same
university (N = 169) verified the 5-factor
structure. Using the Internet for coping purposes
related to depression, social anxiety, and family
cohesion more so than frequency of use. This study
highlights the importance of examining types of
Internet use in relation to well-being.
Given the widespread use of the Internet, researchers have begun to examine the personal and social consequences associated with excessive online involvement. The present study examined college students' problematic Internet use (PIU) behaviors within the framework of Jessor and Jessor's (1977) problem-behavior theory. Its specific aim was to investigate the links between PIU with both internalizing (depression, social anxiety) and externalizing (substance use and other risky behaviors) problems. Relevant variables from the perceived environmental system, the personality system, and the behavioral system were entered in a canonical correlation analysis. The analysis yielded two distinct functions: the first function, titled traditional problem-behavior syndrome, characterized students who are impulsive, hold socially deviant attitudes and show a propensity to use tobacco and illicit drugs. The second function, titled problematic Internet-behavior syndrome, characterized students who are socially anxious, depressed, report conflictive family relations, and show a propensity toward PIU. Thus, PIU did not share the characteristics typically associated with the traditional problem-behavior syndrome consistent with problem-behavior theory, but showed correlates more consistent with internalizing rather than externalizing problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).
This study developed and tested an “Internet-attribute-perception” model that explains how self-disclosure develops in instant messaging (IM) interactions. Following hyperpersonal communication theory, two attributes of computer-mediated communication (i.e., reduced nonverbal cues and controllability) were assumed to be responsible for increased online self-disclosure in IM. However, our model posed that any actual effects of these attributes would depend on users' perceptions of the relevance of these attributes. Furthermore, our model posed that these perceptions would mediate the relationship between personality characteristics (i.e., pri vate and public self-consciousness, and social anxiety) and online self-disclosure. Using structural equation modeling on a sample of 1,203 Dutch adolescents, we found that adolescents' perceptions of the relevance of reduced nonverbal cues and controllability encouraged their feelings of disinhibition, which in turn increased their online self-disclosure. As expected, private and public self-consciousness and social anxiety stimulated adolescents' perceptions of the relevance of reduced nonverbal cues and controllability, but did not directly influence online self-disclosure. The study shows the vital role of users' perceptions of CMC attributes in Internet-effects research.
The development, reliability, and discriminative ability of a new instrument to assess social phobia are presented. The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is an empirically derived instrument incorporating responses from the cognitive, somatic, and behavioral dimensions of social fear. The SPAI high test–retest reliability and good internal consistency. The instrument appears to be sensitive to the entire continuum of socially anxious concerns and is capable of differentiating social phobics from normal controls as well as from other anxiety patients. The utility of this instrument for improved assessment of social phobia and anxiety and its use as an aid for treatment planning are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A survey with 172 students was conducted at a large southern research university to examine how unwillingness-to-communicate in interpersonal communication influences gratifications sought and gratifications obtained from Facebook use. The study investigated the relationship between two dimensions of unwillingness-to-communicate (approach-avoidance and reward) and different motives of Facebook use. In addition, it examined the relationship between unwillingness-to-communicate and the behavioral and attitudinal outcomes of Facebook use (e.g., the number of hours spent on Facebook, duration of use, the number of Facebook friends, satisfaction with Facebook). Results of multiple regression analysis revealed that respondents who felt anxiety and fears in their face-to-face communication used Facebook to pass time and feel less lonely more than other respondents, but they had fewer Facebook friends. Overall, this paper finds evidence that people who are involved in online relationships are those who are willing to communicate in real life, rather than the opposite. Such results seem to justify the rich-get-richer hypothesis, which states that the internet primarily benefits extraverted individuals. Our results are in contrast to findings that socially anxious individuals are more likely to form relationships online. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article reports tests of the relationships between problematic Internet use (PIU), time spent using the Internet, and psychosocial problems from the two perspectives. Ten individual meta-analyses were first conducted to identify weighted mean correlations among the five variables included within the models. The correlations derived from the meta-analyses were subsequently used in path analysis to test the alternative characterizations. The results offer some support for the deficient self-regulation model but provide relatively little evidence consistent with the pathology perspective of PIU.
This study integrates research on social skill and self-presentation into the recently introduced cognitive-behavioral theory of generalized problematic Internet use. The model proposed and tested here predicted that individuals who lack self-presentational skill are especially likely to prefer online social interaction over face-to-face communication. Further, the model predicted that a preference for online social interaction fosters compulsive Internet use, which results in negative outcomes. Participants in this study completed measures of social skill, preference for online social interaction, compulsive Internet use, and negative outcomes associated with Internet use. Structural equation modeling analysis techniques tested the proposed model. The analysis indicated a good fit between the hypothesized model and the current data.
Social anxiety was compared between online and real-life interaction in a sample of 2,348 college students. Severity of social anxiety in both real-life and online interaction was tested for associations with depression, Internet addiction, Internet activity type (gaming versus chatting), and scores on Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales. The results showed that social anxiety was lower when interacting online than when interacting offline. Depression, Internet addiction, and high BIS and BAS scores were associated with high social anxiety. The social anxiety decreased more in online interaction among subjects with high social anxiety, depression, BIS, and BAS. This result suggests that the Internet has good potential as an alternative medium for delivering interventions for social anxiety. Further, the effect of BIS on social anxiety is decreased in online interaction. More attention should be paid for BIS when the treatment for social anxiety is delivered online.
Online social networking services are Internet websites that allow individuals to learn about and communicate with others. This study investigated the association between use of these websites and friendship quality for individuals varying in shyness. Participants (N = 241) completed questionnaires assessing their use of Facebook, an online social networking service, shyness, perceived available social support, loneliness, and friendship quality. Results indicated an interaction between shyness and Facebook usage, such that individuals high in shyness (when compared to less shy individuals) reported stronger associations between Facebook use and friendship quality. Facebook use, however, was unrelated to loneliness among highly shy individuals. Therefore, online social networking services may provide a comfortable environment within which shy individuals can interact with others.
Children and adolescents now communicate online to form and/or maintain relationships with friends, family, and strangers. Relationships in "real life" are important for children's and adolescents' psychosocial development; however, they can be difficult for those who experience feelings of loneliness and/or social anxiety. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in usage of online communication patterns between children and adolescents with and without self-reported loneliness and social anxiety. Six hundred twenty-six students ages 10 to 16 years completed a survey on the amount of time they spent communicating online, the topics they discussed, the partners they engaged with, and their purposes for communicating over the Internet. Participants were administered a shortened version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale and an abbreviated subscale of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A). Additionally, age and gender differences in usage of the online communication patterns were examined across the entire sample. Findings revealed that children and adolescents who self-reported being lonely communicated online significantly more frequently about personal and intimate topics than did those who did not self-report being lonely. The former were motivated to use online communication significantly more frequently to compensate for their weaker social skills to meet new people. Results suggest that Internet usage allows them to fulfill critical needs of social interactions, self-disclosure, and identity exploration. Future research, however, should explore whether or not the benefits derived from online communication may also facilitate lonely children's and adolescents' offline social relationships.
The current study examined the longitudinal associations of time spent on Internet activities for communication purposes (i.e., IM-ing) versus time spent on Internet activities for non-communication purposes (i.e., surfing) with depression and social anxiety, as well as the moderating role of perceived friendship quality in these associations. Questionnaire data were gathered from 307 Dutch middle adolescents (average age 15 years) on two waves with a one-year interval. For adolescents who perceive low friendship quality, Internet use for communication purposes predicted less depression, whereas Internet use for non-communication purposes predicted more depression and more social anxiety. These results support social compensation effects of IM-ing on depression and poor-get-poorer effects of surfing on depression and social anxiety, respectively.
Reports the specification of a construct of social anxiety, the subsequent development of 2 scales, and validational studies. The Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE) and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD) were given to 358 undergraduates. 3 experiments and other correlational data are presented. People high in SAD tended to avoid social interactions, preferred to work alone, reported that they talked less, were more worried and less confident about social relationships, but were more likely to appear for appointments. Those high in FNE tended to become nervous in evaluative situations, and worked hard either to avoid disapproval or gain approval. Certain convergent and discriminant relationships had been part of the construct of social anxiety, and the correlational data support these differentiations. (17 ref.)
Facebook (FB) is a popular platform for interacting with others to establish or maintain relationships. Compared to other interpersonal exchanges, FB does not require in-person interactions. Therefore, FB may represent an important social sphere for individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Examining the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and FB activity could inform future research on the benefits or consequences of FB use in SAD individuals. This study examined the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and different FB usage patterns. We also considered the role of brooding—a known risk factor for SAD. 75 nonclinical FB users completed questionnaires about psychological symptoms, FB usage, and brooding. Greater social anxiety symptoms were associated with spending more time on FB and passively using FB (i.e., viewing other's profiles without interacting). Brooding mediated the relationship between passive FB use and social anxiety symptoms. An alternative model demonstrated that social anxiety symptoms mediated the association between passive FB use and brooding. This study was limited by its cross-sectional, self-report design. Future research should assess FB use with objective, real-time data and use experimental designs. Results have implications for the cognitive–behavioral model of SAD.
IntroductionIndividual studiesThe summary effectHeterogeneity of effect sizesSummary points
The centrifugal microfluidic platforms utilize primarily the rotationally controlled centrifugal field in combination with capillary forces to network a range of laboratory unit operations (LUOs) such as metering, aliquoting, mixing and extraction for biofluids as well as sorting, isolation and counting of bioparticles to integrate and automate bioanalytical assay protocols. Due to its evident technological analogies to optical disc drive (ODD) technologies such as a compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD) and due to its high sensitivity, specificity and ease of integration with a low-footprint, rugged and essentially maintenance-free instrument, optical detection techniques have been the mainstay for read out of “lab-on-a-disc” (LoaD) systems. This chapter surveys the repertoire of optical sensing techniques that has been successfully implemented for such LoaD platforms.
Research on Facebook has suggested that individuals’ profiles are an accurate portrayal of the self and that it may be possible to identify traits such as narcissism and extraversion by viewing a Facebook profile. It has been suggested, however, that largely internal experiences, such as anxiety, should be less detectable in such contexts. In the current study, the authors tested if objective criteria (e.g., number of interests) on users’ profiles (N = 62) could discriminate between individuals who were higher and lower in social anxiety. The authors asked six coders to view each participant’s Facebook profile and rate the participant’s level of social anxiety and then tested whether these ratings correlated with the participant’s own self-reported social anxiety level. Our results suggest that social anxiety is recognizable both in objective criteria on the Facebook profile page and from raters’ impressions of the Facebook profile. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
The current study investigated the relationship between problematic Internet use and social interaction anxiety among pre-service teachers. Participants were 1235 students attending teacher training programs at a Turkish state university. The “Problematic Internet Use Scale” and “Social Interaction Anxiety Scale” were used to collect the data. Independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were conducted to examine the differences; and correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between variables. Findings revealed that male students’ use of the Internet was more problematic compared to female students’. As the time spent on the Internet increased, so did the problematic Internet use levels. In addition, the problematic Internet use levels of students varied with regard to departments. A significant relationship was found between the level of problematic Internet use and social interaction anxiety, and social interaction anxiety was found to be among the predictors of problematic Internet use. Implications and suggestions for further research are provided.
Research suggests that people with high social anxiety trait may be more inclined to interact through computer-mediated communication (CMC). The psychological underpinnings of this inclination however remained unclear. The present research thus examines if cognitive appraisal bias (i.e. heighten estimation of social risk and deflated self-efficacy) would mediate the relationship between social anxiety and one’s perception of CMC attributes, contributing to a differential pattern of responses in CMC use. Four hundred and ten adolescents aged 12–18 years completed a set of self-reported measures tapping social anxiety trait, cognitive appraisals, perception of CMC attributes, and pattern of CMC social responses. Structural equation modeling lent support to the mediating role of the cognitive appraisal factors. Those with higher social anxiety trait would attach higher self-relevance to the CMC attributes, and engage in a more socially-involved pattern of interpersonal responses in CMC. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Anecdotal reports indicated that some on-line users were becoming addicted to the Internet in much the same way that others became addicted to drugs or alcohol, which resulted in academic, social, and occupational impairment. However, research among sociologists, psychologists, or psychiatrists has not formally identified addictive use of the Internet as a problematic behavior. This study investigated the existence of Internet addiction and the extent of problems caused by such potential misuse. Of all the diagnoses referenced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1995), Pathological Gambling was viewed as most akin to the pathological nature of Internet use. By using Pathological Gambling as a model, addictive Internet use can be defined as an impulse-control disorder that does not involve an intoxicant. Therefore, this study developed a brief eight-item questionnaire referred to as a Diagnostic Questionnaire (DQ), which modified criteria for pathological gambling to provide a screening instrument for classification of participants. On the basis of this criteria, case studies of 396 dependent Internet users (Dependents) and 100 nondependent Internet users (Nondependents) were classified. Qualitative analyses suggest significant behavioral and functional usage differences between the two groups such as the types of applications utilized, the degree of difficulty controlling weekly usage, and the severity of problems noted. Clinical and social implications of pathological Internet use and future directions for research are discussed.
The development and validation of the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) two companion measures for assessing social phobia fears is described. The SPS assesses fears of being scrutinised during routine activities (eating, drinking, writing, etc.), while the SIAS assesses fears of more general social interaction, the scales corresponding to the DSM-III-R descriptions of Social Phobia—Circumscribed and Generalised types, respectively. Both scales were shown to possess high levels of internal consistency and test–retest reliability. They discriminated between social phobia, agoraphobia and simple phobia samples, and between social phobia and normal samples. The scales correlated well with established measures of social anxiety, but were found to have low or non-significant (partial) correlations with established measures of depression, state and trait anxiety, locus of control, and social desirability. The scales were found to change with treatment and to remain stable in the face of no-treatment. It appears that these scales are valid, useful, and easily scored measures for clinical and research applications, and that they represent an improvement over existing measures of social phobia.
The social compensation hypothesis states that the internet primarily benefits individuals who feel uncomfortable communicating face-to-face. In the current research, we tested whether individuals higher in social anxiety use the internet as a compensatory social medium, and whether such use is associated with greater well-being. In Study 1, individuals higher in social anxiety reported greater feelings of comfort and self-disclosure when socializing online than less socially anxious individuals, but reported less self-disclosure when communicating face-to-face. However, in Study 2, social anxiety was associated with lower quality of life and higher depression most strongly for individuals who communicated frequently online. Our results suggest that, whereas social anxiety may be associated with using the internet as an alternative to face-to-face communication, such a strategy may result in poorer well-being.
Previous research suggests that Internet use may be associated with decreases in well-being among adolescents. However, there has been little investigation of the relationship between well-being and social aspects of Internet use. In the present study, 130 7th graders from a middle-class public school in California completed dispositional measures of well-being, and on three subsequent evenings they responded to questions regarding their Internet use (including detailed logs of instant messages) and daily well-being. Time spent on-line was not associated with dispositional or daily well-being. However, as suggested by intimacy theory, the closeness of instant message communication partners was associated with daily social anxiety and loneliness in school, above and beyond the contribution of dispositional measures.
This article introduces a cognitive-behavioral model of Pathological Internet Use (PIU). While previous studies on Internet addiction have described behavioral factors, such as withdrawal and tolerance, the present article focuses on the maladaptive cognitions associated with PIU. The cognitive-behavioral model of PIU distinguishes between specific PIU and generalized PIU. Specific PIU refers to the condition in which an individual pathologically uses the Internet for a particular purpose, such as online sex or online gambling, whereas generalized PIU describes a more global set of behaviors. The model implies a more important role of cognitions in PIU, and describes the means by which PIU is both developed and maintained. Furthermore, it provides a framework for the development of cognitive-behavioral interventions for PIU.
This study examined teens’ use of socially interactive technologies (SITs), such as online social sites, cell phones/text messaging, and instant messaging (IM), and the role that social anxiety plays on how teens communicate with others (technologically or face-to-face). Participants included 280 high school students from a large western city. On average, 35–40% of teens reported using cell phones/text messaging and online social sites between 1 and 4 h daily, 24% reported using IMs 1–4 h daily and only 8% reported using email between 1 and 4 h daily. Females tended to use cell phones/text messaging and online social sites more so than did males. In assessing social anxiety, analyses revealed a positive relationship between social anxiety (not comfortable talking with others face-to-face) and (1) talking with others online and (2) talking with others via text messaging. In contrast, there was a positive relationship between the lack of social anxiety (feeling “comfortable” talking with others) and making friends online. Assessing gender differences and social anxiety also revealed significant differences. Results revealed females reported more social anxiety (not comfortable talking with others in person) than did males. In addition, females, more than males, reported feeling more comfortable using SITs (text messaging and online social sites only) rather than talking with others face-to-face.
Loneliness has been associated with increased Internet use. Lonely individuals may be drawn online because of the increased potential for companionship, the changed social interaction patterns online, and as a way to modulate negative moods associated with loneliness. Online, social presence and intimacy levels can be controlled; users can remain invisible as they observe others’ interactions, and can control the amount and timing of their interactions. Anonymity and lack of face-to-face communication online may decrease self-consciousness and social anxiety, which could facilitate pro-social behavior and enhance online friendship formation. Support for this model was found in a survey of 277 undergraduate Internet users that was used to assess differences between lonely and not-lonely individuals in patterns of Internet use. Loneliness was assessed on the UCLA Loneliness Scale; students in the highest 20% (Lonely) were compared with all other students (Non-lonely). Lonely individuals used the Internet and e-mail more and were more likely to use the Internet for emotional support than others. Social behavior of lonely individuals consistently was enhanced online, and lonely individuals were more likely to report making online friends and heightened satisfaction with their online friends. The lonely were more likely to use the Internet to modulate negative moods, and to report that their Internet use was causing disturbances in their daily functioning.
The cognitive theory of panic disorder proposes that panic attacks occur as a result of an enduring tendency to misinterpret bodily sensations as a sign of imminent catastrophe such as a heart attack. The persistence of such catastrophic cognitions is in part due to the tendency of patients to avoid and/or escape situations where panic occurs. It is proposed that within-situation safety seeking behaviours also have the effect of maintaining catastrophic cognitions in the face of repeated panics during which the feared catastrophe does not occur. The association between catastrophic cognitions and within-situation safety behaviours matched the pattern predicted from the cognitive theory in 147 panic disorder patients. The implications of these findings for the way in which therapy is conducted are discussed.
As adolescent Internet use grew exponentially in the last decade, with it emerged a number of correspondent expectations. Among them were the following: (1) that gender predicts usage, i.e., that boys spend more time online, surfing the web and playing violent games, while girls chat or shop online; (2) that Internet use causes social isolation and depression, especially for teens; and (3) that adolescents use the Internet for anonymous identity experimentation. These expectations were based on research with earlier technologies when the Internet was less diffused in the adolescent population. By means of highly detailed daily reports of adolescents' home Internet usage and peer-related adjustment, the present research sought to compare these expectations with the actual experiences of early and mid-adolescents in 2000 and 2001. Participants were 261 7th and 10th graders from suburban California public schools who completed four consecutive end-of-day reports on their school-based adjustment and Internet activity (including detailed logs of instant messages). Results challenge prevailing expectations regarding gender, well-being, and identity play. For the most part, adolescent boys' and girls' online activities have become more similar than different. On average, boys and girls alike described their online social interaction as (1) occurring in private settings such as e-mail and instant messages, (2) with friends who are also part of their daily, offline lives, and (3) devoted to fairly ordinary yet intimate topics (e.g., friends, gossip). No associations were found between Intern