Mapping the symptom-level network between problematic social media use and depression among university students

Abstract

This study examined symptom-level associations between self-reported indicators of problematic social media use (PSMU) and depressive symptoms among university students. Because PSMU is a contested construct and depression is a heterogeneous symptom syndrome, total-score associations offer limited insight into which specific components of each domain are connected. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 936 Polish university students (78.1% female; Mage = 21.64), who completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Symptom networks were estimated using a Graphical Gaussian Model with LASSO regularization, and community structure was evaluated using multiple detection algorithms. BSMAS indicators formed a distinct and stable community, whereas PHQ-9 symptoms showed a more heterogeneous organization, particularly in the placement of concentration difficulties and psychomotor symptoms. Within domains, tolerance emerged as the most central BSMAS indicator, while sadness and guilt were the most central depressive symptoms. Cross-domain connections were sparse and selective: only two nonzero bridge edges connected the domains. The sadness–mood modification edge indicated an affective-regulatory point of contact between depressed mood and using social media to distance oneself from personal problems, whereas the concentration problems–conflict edge indicated a functional-cognitive point of contact between attentional difficulties and the disruptive impact of social media use on studying or work. Overall, the findings support a cautious, symptom-level interpretation of PSMU–depression associations and indicate that future longitudinal and ecological momentary assessment studies should test whether these selective bridge edges reflect temporal relations, compensatory coping, or shared vulnerability factors.