TTLV: Problematic social media use in young adults

1. Student's full name:Nguyen Huong My Hoa
2. Gender:Female
3. Date of birth:12/12/1999                                                           
4. Place of birth:Hanoi
5. Decision to recognize student number4058/2022/QD-XHNV dated December 28, 2022 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
6. Changes in the training process:Do not have
7. Thesis topic name:Problematic social media use in young adults
8. Major:Psychology (Research Orientation); Code: 8310401.
9. Scientific guidance officer: Dr. Dao Thi Dieu Linh, University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
10. Summary of thesis results:
Social media use is becoming increasingly popular and an integral part of young people's lives. However, this trend may lead to potential risks such as problematic social media use. This study opens the door to generalizing findings on problematic social media use and its association with mental health in Vietnam. The study sample consisted of 366 young adults aged 18 to 30 years (Mean age = 23.34 years; SD = 3.36; 66.1% female), who completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics, problematic social media use (PMU), loneliness, fear of missing out, social support, depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) was used to measure PMU use. The results of the study showed that 69.1% of young adults were at moderate risk for problematic social media use and 13.7% were found to be at high risk for problematic social media use, meaning they were likely to develop social media addiction. In addition, young adults in rural areas were more likely to use social media than those in urban areas, and those with lower levels of education were less likely to be affected by the risk of using social media. Further analysis showed that fear of missing out and depression were two factors that predicted social media use. In addition, as the risk level of social media use increased, it led to an increase in symptoms of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and life satisfaction. These findings provide a basis for research to develop appropriate prevention and intervention measures to reduce the risk of substance use and improve mental health among young Vietnamese adults.
11. Practical application:
Based on the Positive Psychology and Positive Behavior Support approaches, the study suggests the development of continuous intervention and prevention programs to suit each level of risk of using social media and co-occurring mental health problems. In addition, in addition to the main beneficiaries being the community of people who are using social media and are at risk of using social media, the proposed recommendations can be useful for many professional groups in implementing prevention and intervention programs, including educational institutions, community organizations, mental health centers, psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, along with managers and policy makers.
12. Further research directions:
Explore the status of MCHVĐ use in sample groups such as children or adolescents; Adapt other MCHVĐ use measurement tools; Associations between MCHVĐ use and a variety of psychosocial factors.
13. Published works related to the thesis:Do not have
 

1. Full name:Nguyen Huong My Hoa
2. Sex:Female
3. Date of birth:12/12/1999                                                       
4. Place of birth: Hanoi
5. Admission decision number4058/2022/QD-XHNV, dated December 28, 2022 from the Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
6. Changes in academic process: None
7. Official thesis title:Problematic social media use among young adults
8. Major:Psychology; Code: 8310401
9. Supervisors:Dr. Dao Thi Dieu Linh, University of Languages ​​and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
10. Summary of the findings of the thesis:
The use of social media has become increasingly popular and an indispensable part of the lives of young adults. However, this trend may lead to various potential risks, such as problematic social media use. This study provides an initial exploration of problematic social media use and its association with mental health in Vietnam. The study sample consists of 366 young adults aged 18 to 30 years (mean age = 23.34 years; standard deviation = 3.36; 66.1% female), who completed an online survey assessing demographic characteristics, problematic social media use (PSMU), loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), social support, depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) was used to measure PSMU. The results indicate that 69.1% of young adults were at moderate risk for problematic social media use, and 13.7% were identified as at high risk, suggesting a potential progression towards social media addiction. Additionally, young adults in rural areas were at higher risk of PSMU than those in urban areas, and individuals with lower educational levels were less affected by the risk of PSMU. Further analysis revealed that FoMO and depression were significant predictors of PSMU. Furthermore, as the risk of PSMU increased, there was a corresponding rise in symptoms of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and life dissatisfaction. These findings provide a foundation for developing appropriate prevention and intervention measures to reduce the risk of PSMU and improve mental health among young adults in Vietnam.
11. Practical applicability:
Based on Positive Psychology and the approach of positive behavior support, the study suggests the development of continuous intervention and prevention programs tailored to different levels of risk for problematic social media use (PSMU) and concurrent mental health issues. In addition, beyond the primary beneficiaries, who are those in the community using social media and at risk of PSMU, the proposed recommendations may also be useful for various professional groups involved in implementing prevention and intervention programs. These groups include educational institutions, community organizations, mental health care centers, psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists, as well as motivated and administrators.
12. Further research directions:
Exploring the prevalence of problematic social media use (PSMU) in sample groups such as children or adolescents; Adapting other measurement tools for PSMU; Investigating the relationship between PSMU and a variety of psychosocial factors.
13. Thesis-related publications:None