This longitudinal study examined the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media use and its impact on psychiatric symptoms and well-being of 3,697 Israeli children and adolescents aged 8 to 14. Data were collected from October 2019 to June 2023, covering four school years and five measurement points prior to, throughout and post- COVID-19. Social media usage, psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, somatization, and general distress), as well as subjective well-being (positive and negative emotions, and life satisfaction) were assessed. The analysis also probed the extent to which social support and extracurricular activities moderated the associations between social media use and mental health outcomes. The results of the growth mixed-effects models indicated a significant increase in social media use and psychiatric symptoms, and a significant decrease in subjective well-being over time. Greater social media use was related to more psychiatric symptoms and negative emotions, but also to more positive emotions and life satisfaction. Social support buffered the negative effects of excessive social media use on mental health, whereas extracurricular activities increased positive emotions, but also psychiatric symptoms related to social media use. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to regulate social media usage, given its lasting consequences on the mental health of children and adolescents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: Adolescents; COVID-19; Mental health; Social media; Social support; Well-being.
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