Psychological Development and Education ›› 2020, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (6): 743-752.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2020.06.13

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Relationship between the Use of Different Social Networking Sites and Depression among Undergraduates: A Chain Mediation Model

TIAN Lumei, PAN Yue, DONG Xinyue, KONG Lian   

  1. School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358
  • Published:2020-11-20

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Abstract: The present study explored the relationship between the use of different social networking Sites (SNSs) (WeChat and microblog) and depression among undergraduates, as well as the possible chain mediation roles of upward social comparison and envy in this relationship. A total of 503 undergraduates with both WeChat and microblog accounts were surveyed by questionnaires. The main results indicated that: (1) The total effect of WeChat use on undergraduates' depression was not significant, while more microblog use was related to more depression. (2) WeChat use could not only directly predict depression negatively, but also indirectly positively predict it through upward social comparison and envy serially, whereas microblog use could not directly predict depression, but indirectly predict it through the chain mediation role of upward social comparison and envy positively. These findings suggest that WeChat use has different association with undergraduates' depression from microblog use and more diverse pathways to undergraduates' depression than the latter.

Key words: social networking sites, depression, upward social comparison, envy, undergraduates

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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