Weak Effect of Strong Ties: Social Media Use Negatively Linked to Well-being of Croatian Adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Background Most existing research indicates that social media use negatively affects the well-being of children and adolescents. Some studies suggest that more religious communities with strong social ties may buffer these negative effects. This study examined the link between social media use and adolescents’ well-being in Croatia. Croatia is considered a relatively collectivistic country according to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory, in contrast to the mainly North American and Western European contexts of prior research. Methods We used data from the 2022 Croatian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey (N = 5338) to examine the association between time spent on social media and general well-being, assessed through six indicators covering psychological (WHO well-being, life satisfaction, loneliness, body image) and physical components (self-rated health, health complaints). Analyses were conducted on the total sample and separately for boys and girls. Results Pearson correlation analysis showed that greater time spent on social media was associated with poorer general well-being. Significant correlations in the total sample were observed for all psychological (WHO-5: r = - 0.247; life satisfaction: r = - 0.198; loneliness: r = 0.213; body image: r = -0.208, all p < .01) and physical components (self-rated health: r = - 0.156; health complaints: r = 0.307; p < .01). Tests of differences between correlation coefficients revealed that, except for body image, associations were significantly stronger among girls than among boys. Conclusions Even in societies with strong social ties, the negative effects of social media on children’s and adolescents’ well-being are evident. These effects are significantly stronger among girls than among boys, pointing to important gender differences in vulnerability. This adds to the growing body of evidence calling for urgent regulation of social media use among adolescents. Key messages • Even in protective societies, greater time spent on social media is associated with lower general well-being. • Girls appear more vulnerable than boys to the negative associations between social media use and well-being.