Motivations for social media use in adolescents and their association with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aims: This study sought to explore associations between adolescents’ motivations for social media use and common mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: British secondary school students aged 11-17 (N = 162) completed an online questionnaire covering demographics, social media use including motivations for use, and symptoms of depression, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety. Multiple linear regression was used to explore associations between individual use motive and mental health symptoms scores in social media users (N = 142). In addition, latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to categorise users into homogenous profiles based on their pattern of use motives, and multinomial logistic regression used to explore associations between extracted profiles and symptoms scores. Results: Motivation to use social media for entertainment predicted higher symptom scores across all three mental health categories: depression (β = 1.41, 95% CI [0.75, 2.06], p < .001), GAD (β = 0.96, 95% CI [0.46, 1.45], p < .001) and social anxiety (β = 1.69, 95% CI [0.98, 2.41], p < .001). In addition, motivation to follow/monitor others on social media was associated with higher symptoms of social anxiety (β = 0.90, 95% CI [0.29, 1.50], p = .004). Finally, the LPA identified four distinct social media motivation profiles, which were labelled high-motivation-dating, high-motivation-social, low motivation and intermediate motivation. Greater levels of social anxiety predicted membership to both high motivation profiles compared to the low motivation profile: high-motivation-dating (RRR = 1.19, 95% CI [1.05, 1.35], p = .006) and high-motivation-social (RRR = 1.17, 95% CI [1.06, 1.29], p = .002). Conclusions: The findings suggest that elevated social media use for the purpose of entertainment may be a trans-diagnostic / general feature of common mental health difficulties in adolescence. Furthermore, social anxiety may be a driver and/or consequence of motivation to use social media for entertainment and to fulfil interpersonal motives (e.g. following others). These findings have potential implications for the development of interventions aimed to modify adolescents’ relationship with social media, and/or the identification of individuals who may be at higher risk of developing mental health difficulties. However, future longitudinal research is needed to identify the underlying direction of causality

Smart, Responsible, and Upper Caste Only: Measuring Caste Attitudes through Large-Scale Analysis of Matrimonial Profiles

Discriminatory caste attitudes currently stigmatize millions of Indians, subjecting individuals to prejudice in all aspects of life. Governmental incentives and societal movements have attempted to counter these attitudes, yet accurate measurements of public opinions on caste are not yet available for understanding whether progress is being made. Here, we introduce a novel approach to measure public attitudes of caste through an indicator variable: openness to intercaste marriage. Using a massive dataset of over 313K profiles from a major Indian matrimonial site, we precisely quantify public attitudes, along with differences between generations and between Indian residents and diaspora. We show that younger generations are more open to intercaste marriage, yet attitudes are based on a complex function of social status beyond their own caste. In examining the desired qualities in a spouse, we find that individuals open to intercaste marriage are more individualistic in the qualities they desire, rather than favoring family-related qualities, which mirrors larger societal trends away from collectivism. Finally, we show that attitudes in diaspora are significantly less open, suggesting a bi-cultural model of integration. Our research provides the first empirical evidence identifying how various intersections of identity shape attitudes toward intercaste marriage in India and among the Indian diaspora in the US.Comment: 12 pages; Accepted to be published at ICWSM'1

Dating_MissRepresentation.Com: Black Women\u27s Lived Love-Hate Relationship With Online Dating

The increased use of online dating sites has further encouraged corporations’ attempts to capitalize on these mate-seeking trends. Match.com, eHarmony, and OkCupid are primary competitors in a growing market of individuals seeking out potential romantic partners. They offer several mainstream dating options as well as niche-dating sites. Similar to society at large where dating still occurs offline, scholars have revealed that racial hierarchies exist within various online platforms. As such, the roles of gender and ethnicity in online dating environments merit study. Specifically, the experiences of Black women who use Internet dating sites, a virtually unexplored demographic, form the basis of this dissertation. This study consisted of 16 interviews and a demographic survey, which were used to examine Black women’s online dating experiences from their perspectives to determine whether or not online dating sites are productive, love-seeking spaces. Data analysis was conducted utilizing a Google Form survey to collect demographic data and NVivo 11 qualitative software to help generate themes that guided analysis. Themes that emerged included: negative and positive perceptions from men; physical and non-physical attributes participants possessed that men found attractive; whether or not men’s perceptions impacted interview participants’ success or failure in online dating, and whether or not participants viewed their online dating experiences to be in line with those of other Black women. Participants discussed how perceptions from men online influenced their racially-gendered online dating experience

OK Cupid, Stop Bumbling around and Match Me Tinder: Using Dating Apps Across the Life Course

Social connectedness, sex, and intimacy are all factors associated with positive aging, facing individuals in society across the life course. Phenomenal technological developments in the 21st century have led to the increased use of smartphones, mobile apps, and dating apps for a myriad of services, and engagements. This paper focuses on two specific cohorts’ who have the opportunity to engage with dating apps, older adults and young citizens with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, and highlights issues related to the intersection of technology, societal constructions of age, disability, and online dating

Hybrid Algorithm for Matching Profiles and Social Networks

Abstract: The online dating experience has revolutionized the way how many of us form relationships with one another. It turns out that many people struggle with finding their perfect match because their self interest tends to get in the way. They may find someone of their liking but someone else might spark their interest so this project aims to eliminate this uncertainty by creating a hybrid algorithm to match people within a dating pool. The algorithm acts as a self-enforcer to create the best match possible under the guise of a social network application. The application will act as a probe to gather the information from the users. The results will help us examine the best ways to match people up in the online dating world

Why Youth (heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life

Part of the Volume on Youth, Identity, and Digital Media Social network sites like MySpace and Facebook serve as "networked publics." As with unmediated publics like parks and malls, youth use networked publics to gather, socialize with their peers, and make sense of and help build the culture around them. This article examines American youth engagement in networked publics and considers how properties unique to such mediated environments (e.g., persistence, searchability, replicability, and invisible audiences) affect the ways in which youth interact with one another. Ethnographic data is used to analyze how youth recognize these structural properties and find innovative ways of making these systems serve their purposes. Issues like privacy and impression management are explored through the practices of teens and youth participation in social network sites is situated in a historical discussion of youth's freedom and mobility in the United States