Scrolling, confused, and disconnected: Exploring links between passive social media use, identity confusion, offline friendships, and life satisfaction

Abstract

In recent years, concerns have grown about how social media use (SMU) affects the well-being of adolescents. The present study focuses on Dutch adolescents and explores whether passive SMU intensity is associated with lower life satisfaction. It also examines whether this relationship is explained by feelings of identity confusion, and whether the intensity of meeting with friends offline buffers negative feelings adolescents experience from passive SMU. A cross-sectional design was used, including 2052 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years. Participants from three secondary schools in the Netherlands completed questionnaires from the Digital Youth and Identity Project, assessing passive and active SMU intensity, life satisfaction, identity confusion, and intensity of meeting with friends offline. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to tests for direct effects, mediation and moderation. The results showed that higher passive SMU intensity was associated with lower life satisfaction. However, identity confusion and the intensity of meeting with friends offline did not explain or buffer this relationship. These findings suggest that other mechanisms or contextual factors may be more relevant in explaining how passive SMU relates to adolescents’ life satisfaction. Future research is encouraged to explore beyond the traditional passive-active SMU distinction, and investigate broader aspects of adolescents’ social experiences, both online and offline. Additionally, future studies should explore alternative explanatory pathways, such as other mediators, and consider the distinction between intensity and problematic use in relation to their associations with life satisfaction. Such insights could help develop more effective strategies to support adolescent well-being in this digital age.