# Adolescents' Social Media Management Strategies: Bidirectional Links to Objective Social Media Use and Mental Health Outcomes

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2024 · $638,705

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The past decade has witnessed exponential surges in social media use among U.S. adolescents. Meanwhile,
as mental health problems increase for all ages, the adverse trend is particularly striking among adolescents.
Despite vigorous discussion about the contribution of social media to worsening mental health in adolescents,
little objective data exist about how adolescents use social media and how it affects mental health. Few studies
have examined strategies adopted by adolescents to regulate and manage their social media use; few have
used detailed and objective measures of social media use and content exposure; and almost no longitudinal
studies exist incorporating the strategies, social media use, and mental health. To fill these critical gaps, we
propose a 2-year longitudinal mixed-method study with a national sample of 400 adolescents aged 13-17
years. Phase 1 will collect preliminary data from 100 adolescents to establish measure feasibility and optimize
research procedures (Aim 1a). In Phase 2, a full-scale longitudinal data collection will be completed with 300
adolescents. Phase 1 will focus on one 14-day-long epoch where we will (1) collect daily diary reports of social
media management strategies (SMMS; targeted at access, duration, timing, risky content, and risky social
relations) and the social sources and approaches/tools for SMMS implementation, (2) administer baseline and
end-of-epoch surveys on mental health, and (3) conduct semi-structured interviews among a subsample.
During Phase 1, we will also use our existing pilot data of 154 adolescents to establish algorithms for
processing data from Phase 2 (Aim 1b). Phase 2 will involve a baseline survey and 8 14-day epochs (2 years
X4 quarterly epochs/year). During each epoch, in addition to the SMMS daily diary reports and end-of-epoch
mental health survey, we will also use the Screenomics approach to continuously capture screenshots of
adolescents' phone screens every 5 seconds to measure multiple granular objective indicators of social media
use. Screenomics was IRB-approved, implemented, and proven secure and feasible in our pilot study. Annual
semi-structured interviews will also be conducted among a Phase 2 subsample. The Phase 2 design will
enable the examination of daily reciprocities between the multiple SMMS domains and social media use
indicators (Aim 2), and the bidirectional dynamics associating SMMS, social media use, and their reciprocities
with mental health (Aim 3). This highly innovative project will provide urgently needed information regarding
how adolescents manage their social media use on a daily basis, which strategies influence actual social
media use, and how the strategies and social media use captured through objective data influence and are
influenced by mental health. Findings will offer informative solutions for healthier and safer use of social media
to educators, practitioners, parents, policy makers, technology companies, and adolesce...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11045466
- **Project number:** 1R01MH138929-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Xiaoran Sun
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $638,705
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-06 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11045466

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11045466, Adolescents' Social Media Management Strategies: Bidirectional Links to Objective Social Media Use and Mental Health Outcomes (1R01MH138929-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11045466. Licensed CC0.

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