Social networks use disorder and associations with depression and anxiety symptoms: a systematic review of recent research in China

Background: An increasing number of studies have investigated Social Networks Use Disorder (SNUD) among Western samples. In this context, the investigation of SNUD in Asia and especially in China has been much neglected. This poses a gap in the literature; it has been estimated that more than one billion Chinese people are using Chinese social networking sites (SNSs). Of note, many of these Chinese SNSs are rather unknown to researchers in Western countries. Aims: The primary objective of the present systematic review was to identify and evaluate studies that investigated Chinese SNS use and associations between SNUD and depression and anxiety symptoms. Method: A comprehensive search strategy identified relevant studies in PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, MEDLINE, ProQuest, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI). Results: The search strategy identified 35 potential studies, 13 studies were identified after shortlisting and full-text reviews of the studies, and finally 10 studies were included in the full review. Associations between SNUD, depression, and anxiety were reported in 10 studies. In eight (of the 10) studies, symptom severity of SNUD was associated with depression. Four studies reported associations between SNUD and anxiety. Most studies had utilized cross-sectional survey designs. Conclusions: Most associations were found between SNUD and depression symptoms, but effect sizes were higher between SNUD and anxiety symptoms. The results have the potential to inform prevention and interventions on SNUD in Eastern cultures, although we explicitly state that our work focuses on China, the transfer of the present observations to other Asian countries (and their cultures) still needs to be established

The Multipurpose Application WeChat: A Review on Recent Research

With currently over one billion monthly active users, the Chinese social media and multipurpose application WeChat (, Wēixìn, micro-message) has become one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. Despite its enormous number of users in Asia, WeChat is still not well known in Western countries. Against this background, the present review aims to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview on the functionality of this application, comparison with other popular applications such as Facebook/WhatsApp and previous research. Although WeChat has become an integral part of everyday life for many users, research has only recently begun to examine the impact of this development on the societal and individual levels. The present review summarizes the literature on this topic with a focus on the motives to engage in using the app and potential detrimental effects of excessive use. In the context of the growing popularity and increasing usage times of the app – in particular in Asian countries – future research seems warranted to examine systematically how social media platforms such as WeChat will affect interpersonal communication behavior, well-being, and mental health. The direct comparison of WeChat’s influence on the mentioned variables compared with its competitors Facebook and WhatsApp often used in Western countries will also be of high importance

How does the world google the Internet, anxiety and happiness?

This paper investigates how the world uses Google, the most popular search engine, to look for information about the “Internet” as well as two symptoms of emotional well-being, namely, “anxiety” and “happiness.” Data corresponding to 202 countries were collected for a period of five years from 2013 to 2017 using Google Trends, a free surveillance tool that reports data from the search engine. The search volume of “Internet” was positively correlated with that of “anxiety” as well as “happiness.” Furthermore, the paper analysed if the search volumes correlated with actual emotional well-being measured using the World Happiness Index provided by the United Nations (UN), and the Life Satisfaction Index provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The search volume of “anxiety” showed positive correlations with both the indices. The results are discussed, and new directions for future research are identified

Problematic Internet Use: a concern for student wellbeing and academic performance

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) has been linked to student loneliness, wellbeing and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Thus, there is a need to investigate the use of the internet and the impact of that use in universities. Reliance on self-assessment to identify PIU has generated concern in previous research, the need for measures that include assessment of actual behavior has been highlighted. This research used a method which is innovative in psychology, to gather and analyse objective data on internet activity in a university over an academic year. Student self-assessment data on PIU subtypes (general PIU, problematic smartphone use, problematic social media use, problematic internet gaming, and problematic pornography use), wellbeing, loneliness and FOMO were also gathered. The data were used to understand actual internet behavior, student assessment of that behavior and relationships with wellbeing, loneliness and FOMO. The first and third study examined the Wifi digital traces of approximately 13,000 users at a university for an academic year. Principal component analysis identified patterns in the users’ engagement with the internet. Machine learning identified clusters of users with the same pattern of activity and enabled prediction of education activity. In the second study, the self-assessment data from 834 university students explained how users of the university WiFi assessed their internet usage behavior, wellbeing, loneliness and FOMO. A partial correlation network and variance partitioning clarified relationships between PIU subtypes, wellbeing, loneliness and FOMO. The I-PACE model (Brand et al., 2019) was used to illuminate the findings in a model of behavioral addiction. This research contributes to understanding PIU in students and links to loneliness, wellbeing and FOMO with: (i) objective measures of actual behavior; (ii) identification of patterns of internet behavior; (iii) prediction of activity on the internet using objective data; and (iv) use of partial correlation networks, variance partitioning and the I-PACE model to clarify the relationships between PIU subtypes and wellbeing, loneliness and FOMO

COVID-19 Outbreak and Beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed our lifestyle when, on 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Since then, many governments have introduced unprecedented containment measures, hoping to slow the spread of the virus. International research suggests that both the pandemic and the related protective measures, such as lockdown, curfews, and social distancing, are having a profound impact on the mental health of the population. Among the most commonly observed psychological effects, there are high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic symptoms, along with boredom and frustration. At the same time, the behavioral response of the population is of paramount importance to successfully contain the outbreak, creating a vicious circle in which the psychological distress impacts the willingness to comply with the protective measures, which, in turn, if prolonged, could exacerbate the population’s distress. This book includes: i) original studies on the worldwide psychological and behavioral impact of COVID-19 on targeted individuals (e.g., parents, social workers, patients affected by physical and mental disorders); ii) studies exploring the effect of COVID-19 using advanced statistical and methodological techniques (e.g., machine learning technologies); iii) research on practical applications that could help identify persons at risk, mitigate the negative effects of this situation, and offer insights to policymakers to manage the pandemic are also highly welcomed

Self-esteem and Social Media Dependency: A Comparative Analysis of Welsh- and English-Medium Pupils’ Perceptions

Despite not being officially recognized as an addiction, studies suggest social media dependency [SMD] retains similar traits as substance-based addictions and that adolescents are a group particularly at risk. Studies have shown significant positive correlations between SMD and depression, loneliness, and social anxiety. SMD has also shown a significant negative association with self-esteem. Research has yet to explore these relationships within a minority versus majority language comparative context, which is the objective of the thesis. The thesis used cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses (three equally-spaced timepoints over nine-months) incorporating quantitative and qualitative designs. There were 1,709 participants (Welsh/Bilingual-medium schools = 844; English-medium schools = 865) aged 12- to 15-years with a mean age of 13.61 years (standard deviation ±.933). All schools were State-maintained and located within Wales. At timepoint one, five Welsh/Bilingual- and four English-medium schools took part. Two Welsh/Bilingual-medium schools dropped out after timepoint one. SMD analysis (Chapter Four) showed a difference between school types but no difference between Welsh/Bilingual-medium attending first language Welsh- [FLWs] and English-speakers [FLEs]. The suggested reason for the difference between the school types was a marginalization of Welsh/Bilingual-medium FLWs’ and FLEs’ first languages within the social media and school environments, respectively. A difference in self-esteem (Chapter Five), depression, loneliness, and social anxiety (Chapter Six) scores was shown for FLWs and FLEs, also, with FLEs showing the poorer scores. The suggested reason was FLWs benefiting in terms of social identification processes and close affiliation to the Welsh language, culture, and community. Structural equation modeling [SEM] (Chapter Seven) indicated that first language mattered whenever SMD predicted self-esteem, depression, loneliness, and social anxiety. Longitudinal analyses (Chapter Eight) showed no difference in FLWs’ and FLEs’ SMD representation at low, medium and high levels over time, but a greater number of FLEs were represented at low self-esteem levels over time. Qualitative analysis (Chapter Nine) suggested FLWs identified a greater array of technical barriers to using Welsh on social media. In conclusion, the suggestion is an individual’s first language matters regarding self-esteem, depression, loneliness, and social anxiety, but not SMD. However, whenever SMD acts as a predictor variable, an individual’s first language appears to play a pivotal role

Research on Protection of Minors: A literature Review and Interconnected Frameworks Implications for VSP Regulation and Beyond

Ofcom commissioned the Institute for Connected Communities at the University of East London (UEL) to conduct this research in order to help inform VSP guidance. The particular areas of interest identified by Ofcom were:Which risks of harm are most prevalent among minors on VSPs (considering both quantitative and qualitative evidence)? How do these harms manifest on VSPs? Are different VSP characteristics relevant to protecting users from harms

Migration, Resilience, Vulnerability and Migrants’ Health

In recent times, particularly during the 21st century, there have been significant increases and changes in international migration and resettlement patterns due to factors such as people’s ability to travel, ease of communication and technology, and civil unrest and conflicts. Global populations have increased and integrated across settings, challenging the differentiation between types of migrants, such as refugees (those migrating because of factors such as civil unrest, wars, persecution, or other vulnerability) and economic migrants. This mixture of migration and resettlement patterns will continue for generations due to these diverse, multicultural, and complex communities and we will need more research to provide evidence to inform nations and global responses to any emergences. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health focused on the migration, resilience, and vulnerability and general migrants’ health accepted original research papers, case reports, reviews, and conference papers. Articles dealing with new approaches to address issues, including migration (opportunities, challenges, and vulnerability), migrants’ health, settlement, and migrant health-care service access and specific migrants’ subgroups were also accepted. Other manuscript types including methodological papers, position papers, policy briefs and reports, and commentaries were sought. We accepted manuscripts from different disciplines, including public health, social and behavioural sciences, anthropology, epidemiology, psychology, and demography. This reprint compiles 30 publications