Abstract

The study examined the relationship between social media use and depressive thoughts among undergraduate students at Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria. The study sought to assess the relationship between the use of social media and depressive symptoms; types of social media content that induces depressive symptoms and the symptoms of depression that social media use can induce. The theories used to support this study are displacement theory and the agenda setting theory. The sampling technique adopted for this study is the purposive sampling technique. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) was used to analyse the data obtained. Findings showed that the use social media plays a mild role in inducing depressive symptoms in undergraduate students at Bowen University. The study also discovered that user-generated content found on social media is most capable of inducing depressive thoughts. The common depressive symptoms resulting from social media use are sadness, loss of confidence, self-consciousness, and self-loathing. The study recommended that young social media users approach social media content with a sense of scepticism and that they should remain constantly aware of the feelings they experience when they use social media platforms.

Key Words: Social Media, Social Media Use, Media Content, Depressive Symptoms, Bowen University, Undergraduates

JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 13, No. 1, April 2021, pp. 121 – 130

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

About the authors

* Victor Oluwanifemi Ogunsesan is of the Mass Communication Programme, Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State. Nigeria.

** Oluwatomi Caleb Adeniji is of the Mass Communication Programme, Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State. Nigeria.

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Article Citation

Ogunsesan, V. O. & Adeniji, O. C. (2021). Relationship between social media use and depressive thoughts among students of a Nigerian university. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 13 (1): 121 – 130.