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Observational Study
. 2024 Jan-Dec:15:21501319241228117.
doi: 10.1177/21501319241228117.

Social Media Behaviors and Lifestyle Changes in Young Adults (Ages 18-28 years) During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis From an International Cross-Sectional Study

Michelle Teresa Wiciak  1 , Omar Shazley  1 , Daphne Santhosh  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

Social Media Behaviors and Lifestyle Changes in Young Adults (Ages 18-28 years) During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis From an International Cross-Sectional Study

Michelle Teresa Wiciak et al. J Prim Care Community Health. 2024 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Screen time (ST), mainly social media (SM), has increased during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, impacting mental and physical health. This study aims to analyze SM use in young adults ages 18 to 28 years and lifestyle changes during COVID-19 to provide a baseline on pandemic habits in the younger population.

Methods: An international cross-sectional observational study was conducted from September 2020 to January 2021. Participants responded about their SM behavior, and activities they noticed they did less and more during COVID-19. A total of 183 responses were analyzed.

Results: The top reason respondents increased SM was for entertainment. Many respondents increased ST, physical activity (PA), and sleeping habits during COVID-19, while many decreased socialization, PA, and going outdoors. PA had mixed results among participants, indicating some increased PA and some decreased. Evidence suggests that timing of quarantining during the pandemic significantly influenced variables, like ST (P = .004) and socialization (P = .037).

Discussion and conclusion: Respondents generally noticed increased SM use for various reasons, including socialization, potentially explaining why respondents feel they socialize less. ST use increased; some people reported increased PA while others reported a decrease. Altogether, this provides vital context on young adults' SM and lifestyle habits, highlighting potential areas for further research.

Keywords: COVID-19; mental and physical wellbeing; pandemic; physical activity; sleep; social media; socialization; young adults.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Reasons why young adults increased social media (SM) use during the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 163).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Top 10 categories participants reported doing more since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, from least to greatest (n = 174).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Top 10 categories participants reported doing less since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, from least to greatest (n = 171).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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