Question

Ways young people could use social media to promote participation in recreational activities across all gender

Answer 1

Answer:

Objectives. We investigated the relationship between selected types of screen-based media (SBM) use, total SBM use, sports participation, and markers of well-being.

Methods. Data came from the youth panel (n = 4899) of Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study, conducted in 2009. Well-being was measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and markers of happiness in different life domains.

Results. The majority of young people used multiple types of SBM for at least 1 hour per day; only 30% participated in sports every day. Overall, young people with heavy SBM use were less happy than moderate users and more likely to have socioemotional difficulties. Chatting on social networking Web sites and game console use were associated with higher odds of socioemotional problems. Higher total SBM use was associated with lower odds of happiness and higher odds of socioemotional difficulties. Greater participation in sports was associated with higher odds of happiness and lower odds of socioemotional difficulties.

Conclusions. Further longitudinal research could inform future interventions to reduce sedentary behavior and encourage healthy lifestyles among young people.

Adolescence is a critical period for the development and establishment of behaviors and attitudes that continue into adult life.1 Active behaviors can help to reduce poor health in later years, and sedentary behaviors may increase the risk of poor health. The association between sedentary behavior and markers of physical health is well established, but the relationship between sedentary behaviors and markers of mental well-being in young people has not been as extensively explored. Studies have found that more screen-based media (SBM) use was associated with lower likelihood of contentedness, poorer self-image, and physical aggression.2–4 However, these studies did not take into account Internet use. Young people often use social networking Web sites as venues for socializing and communicating,5 and research has found positive associations between depressive symptoms and social networking.5–7