The Role of Active vs. Passive Social Media Use on Mental Health

Weiqing Tian

doi:10.54254/2753-7048/2026.HT29949

Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public MediaOpen access

The Role of Active vs. Passive Social Media Use on Mental Health

Research Article

Open Access

The Role of Active vs. Passive Social Media Use on Mental Health

Weiqing Tian ^1*

¹ The Chinese University of Hong Kong

^*Corresponding author: weiqingtian999@163.com

Published on 26 November 2025

LNEP Vol.122

ISSN (Print): 2753-7056

ISSN (Online): 2753-7048

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-553-0

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-554-7

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Abstract

Social media use (SMU) has become a popular topic in the field of examining its inner properties in social interactions and exploring people’s perceived happiness. Existing literature suggested a clear correlation between different types of social media use (SMU) and mental health status, with passive SMU being negatively correlated with mental well-being. The study aimed to research this relationship with the potential related factors of social comparison and gender differences. The study was conducted in online survey questionnaires, and 150 participants were recruited. The survey consisted of parts of social media activities, social comparison orientation, and DASS-21 to measure participants’ mental well-being. In the results, active SMU was negatively related to social comparison and positively related to mental health status, and passive SMU was opposite. The study also reported gender as a small but significant factor for passive SMU and anxiety level, that female participants were more closely correlated with passive use of social media and were more inclined to show symptoms of anxiety.

Keywords:

Active/Passive Social Media Use, Social Comparison, Mental Well-being

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References

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[2]. CEIdata. (2025). https: //ceidata.cei.cn/

Cite this article

Tian,W. (2025). The Role of Active vs. Passive Social Media Use on Mental Health. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,122,30-36.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceeding of ICSPHS 2026 Symposium: Critical Perspectives on Global Education and Psychological Development

ISBN: 978-1-80590-553-0(Print) / 978-1-80590-554-7(Online)

Editor: Nafhesa Ali, Enrique Mallen

Conference website: https://www.icsphs.org/Huntsville.html

Conference date: 15 January 2026

Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media

Volume number: Vol.122

ISSN: 2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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