Adolescents’ engagement with social media

Social media plays an increasingly important role in the daily lives of adolescents. Yet evidence of its effects are mixed, and the field lacks underlying theory to guide more nuanced research.

This study explored the psychosocial processes underpinning adolescent engagement with social media. Adolescents (n = 28) were interviewed regarding their experiences of social media, and interview transcripts were analysed using grounded theory methodology. The emergent theory describes a cyclical process of evaluating the risks vs rewards of social media use, experimenting, learning from experiences, and re-calibrating one’s stance towards social media. Two styles of use, active and passive, became apparent, each maintained and defended by numerous strategies employed consciously and unconsciously, with the overarching goal of maintaining a sense of safety regarding their sense of self and status within their social hierarchy. This study depicts a complex, nuanced picture of adolescent engagement with SM, one that encompasses both positive and negative experiences. The model points to the importance of identity and social identity theories, and raises important questions about identity development in this evolving context.