Social media use and negative emotions: a survey of university students

Abstract

This study examines how university students experience negative emotions due to social media use and also provides initial validation of the Social Media Negative Emotion Questionnaire. Findings show that the degree to which this population experiences negative emotions during social media use varies widely, but most college students report an experience that is in the middle. The platforms most associated with negative emotions were dating apps, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, and the activities most associated with negative emotions involved dating and posting and reading posts among one’s peer group. Statistically significant differences were found by gender, with male university students reporting lower degrees of negative emotions attached to social media use in general. When examined by platform, these significant differences were found among Instagram, TikTok, and dating app users.