17077R2m-2 A Systematic Scoping Review of Factors Associated with Social Media Dependence among College Students

Abstract

The number of social media users has increased in the recent years especially in the surge of COVID-19 pandemic. It became an instant savior when strict social distancing and lockdowns were implemented globally, offering a way of people to stay connected and informed during the challenging times. This scoping review aims to determine the factors associated with social media dependence among college students. The scoping review was guided by PRISMA-ScR and PICo method while Google Scholar and PubMed was used in order to collect the articles. A total of 54 articles were included in the review based on the set criteria. Majority of the research articles utilized cross-sectional in quantitative type. China on the other hand dominated the most published research from 2020 to 2024 with 2020 having the highest number of published research where COVID-19 is on rise. There were 16 categories and 53 subcategories on the factors associated with social media dependence.  Among the listed categories, well-being ranked first with mental health, depression, psychological well-being, subjective well-being, and self-esteem as subcategories. Other associated factors are anxiety, stress-related condition, academics, support, sleep, behavioral addiction, behavioral issues, social dynamics, decision-making, self-regulation and motivation, digital dependency, body image, socio-demographic characteristics, other positive emotion, and other negative emotions. With the listed factors, it was found out that positive and negative effect of social media are present. Thus, this calls for medical and public awareness to propose a program on how to properly manage social media use to lessen its negative impact on person’s life. Mental health professionals should concentrate on the risk factors to make preventive measures on its potential negative outcomes.