Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research

• Agarwal, R., & Karahanna, E. (2000). Time flies when you’re having fun: Cognitive absorption and beliefs about information technology usage. MIS Quarterly, 24(4), Article 665. https://doi.org/10.2307/3250951
• Akkuş Çutuk, Z. (2021). Investigating the relationship among social media addiction, cognitive absorption, and self-esteem. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 9(2), 42-51. https://doi.org/10.52380/mojet.2021.9.2.211
• Andersen, A. I. O., Finserås, T. R., Hjetland, G. J., Bøe, T., Sivertsen, B., Colman, I., Hella, R. T., & Skogen, J. C. (2024). Can social media use be more health-promoting? Description and pilot evaluation of a school-based program to increase awareness and reflection on the use of social media. SAGE Open, 14(2), Article 21582440241249538. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241249538
• Balamurugan, G., & Vijayarani, M. (2025). Filtering reality: Navigating Instagram’s influence on adolescent mental health. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_483_24
• Brailovskaia, J., & Margraf, J. (2023). Less sense of control, more anxiety, and addictive social media use: Cohort trends in German university freshmen between 2019 and 2021. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences, 4, Article 100088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbeha.2022.100088
• Brailovskaia, J., Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I., Kazlauskas, E., & Margraf, J. (2023). The patterns of problematic social media use (SMU) and their relationship with online flow, life satisfaction, depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Lithuania and in Germany. Current Psychology, 42(5), 3713-3724. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01711-w
• Cannito, L., Annunzi, E., Viganò, C., Dell’Osso, B., Vismara, M., Sacco, P. L., Palumbo, R., & D’Addario, C. (2022). The role of stress and cognitive absorption in predicting social network addiction. Brain Sciences, 12(5), Article 643. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12050643
• Cary, K. M., Maas, M. K., Greer, K. M., & Meshi, D. (2024). Observed Instagram use and satisfaction with life: Associations with received communications and exploration of others’ content after posting a selfie. PLoS ONE, 19(3), Article e0297392. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297392
• Chan-Olmsted, S. M., Cho, M., & Lee, S. (2013). User perceptions of social media: A comparative study of perceived characteristics and user profiles by social media. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 3(4), 149-178. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2451
• Cingel, D. P., Carter, M. C., & Krause, H.-V. (2022). Social media and self-esteem. Current Opinion in Psychology, 45, Article 101304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101304
• Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385-396. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404
• Deaton, S. (2015). Social learning theory in the age of social media: Implications for educational practitioners. I-Manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, 12(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.26634/jet.12.1.3430
• Denizci Nazligul, M., Kocyigit, O., & Merdan Yildiz, E. D. (2022). Problematic social media use for mood modification: Its associations with shame, guilt, anger, and difficulties in emotion regulation. ADDICTA: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 9(1), 84-93. https://doi.org/10.5152/addicta.2021.21009
• Erfani, S. S., Abedin, B., & Blount, Y. (2016). Social support, Social belongingness, and psychological well-being: Benefits of online healthcare community membership. In Proceedings of the Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems.
• Galanakis, M. J., Palaiologou, A., Patsi, G., Velegraki, I.-M., & Darviri, C. (2016). A literature review on the connection between stress and self-esteem. Psychology, 7(5), 687-694. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2016.75071
• Gao, Q., & Chen, Y. (2021). Human factors in social media. In G. Salvendy (Ed.), Handbook of human factors and ergonomics (pp. 1143-1186). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119636113.ch45
• George, D. A. S., George, A. S. H., Baskar, D. T., & Shahul, A. (2023). Screens steal time: How excessive screen use impacts the lives of Young people. Partners Universal Innovative Research Publication, 1(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10250536
• Griffiths, M. D., & Kuss, D. (2017). Adolescent social media addiction (revisited). Education and Health, 36(3), 49-52.
• Halkos, G., & Bousinakis, D. (2010). The effect of stress and satisfaction on productivity. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 59(5), 415-431. https://doi.org/10.1108/17410401011052869
• Hökby, S., Alvarsson, J., Westerlund, J., Carli, V., & Hadlaczky, G. (2025). Adolescents’ screen time displaces multiple sleep pathways and elevates depressive symptoms over twelve months. PLOS Global Public Health, 5(4), Article e0004262. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004262
• Huff, C. H. (n. d.). Media overload is hurting our mental health. Here are ways to manage headline stress. APA. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/strain-media-overload
• Jan, M., Soomro, S. A., & Ahmad, N. (2017). Impact of social media on self-esteem. European Scientific Journal, 13(23), Article 329. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2017.v13n23p329
• Jones, B. M., & Omar, M. (2023). Studying the effects of social media content on kids’ safety and well-being. In Proceedings of the 2023 Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, & Applied Computing (pp. 1876-1879). https://doi.org/10.1109/csce60160.2023.00309
• Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2020). A systematic review: The influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851
• Li, Z.-S., & Hasson, F. (2020). Resilience, stress, and psychological well-being in nursing students: A systematic review. Nurse Education Today, 90, Article 104440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104440
• Lim, A. J., Lau, C., & Li, N. P. (2021). The moderating role of social network size on social media use and self-esteem: An evolutionary mismatch perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.734206
• Lin, L. Y., Sidani, J. E., Shensa, A., Radovic, A., Miller, E., Colditz, J. B., Hoffman, B. L., Giles, L. M., & Primack, B. A. (2016). Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults. Depression and Anxiety, 33(4), 323-331. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22466
• Liu, X., Liu, T., Zhou, Z., & Wan, F. (2023). The effect of fear of missing out on mental health: Differences in different solitude behaviors. BMC Psychology, 11(1), Article 141. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01184-5
• Marciano, L., Lin, J., Sato, T., Saboor, S., & Viswanath, K. (2024). Does social media use make us happy? A meta-analysis on social media and positive well-being outcomes. SSM–Mental Health, 6, Article 100331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100331
• Marzo, R. R., Jun Chen, H. W., Ahmad, A., Thew, H. Z., Choy, J. S., Ng, C. H., Chew, C. L. A., Heidler, P., King, I., Shrestha, R., Rahman, F., Rana, J. A., Khoshtaria, T., Matin, A., Todua, N., Küçük Biçer, B., Faller, E., Tudy, R. A., Baldonado, A., … Elsayed, M. E. G. (2024). The evolving role of social media in enhancing quality of life: A global perspective across 10 countries. Archives of Public Health, 82(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-023-01222-z
• Maurya, C., Muhammad, T., Dhillon, P., & Maurya, P. (2022). The effects of cyberbullying victimization on depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults: A three year cohort study from India. BMC Psychiatry, 22(1), Article 599. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04238-x
• McComb, C. A., Vanman, E. J., & Tobin, S. J. (2023). A meta-analysis of the effects of social media exposure to upward comparison targets on self-evaluations and emotions. Media Psychology, 26(5), 612-635. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2023.2180647
• Miljeteig, K., & Von Soest, T. (2022). An experience sampling study on the association between social media use and self-esteem. Journal of Media Psychology, 34(6), 373-382. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000333
• Nakshine, V. S., Thute, P., Khatib, M. N., & Sarkar, B. (2022). Increased screen time as a cause of declining physical, psychological health, and sleep patterns: A literary review. Cureus, 14(10), Article e30051. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.30051
• Naslund, J. A., Bondre, A., Torous, J., & Aschbrenner, K. A. (2020). Social media and mental health: Benefits, risks, and opportunities for research and practice. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 5(3), 245-257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-020-00134-x
• Nick, E. A., Cole, D. A., Cho, S.-J., Smith, D. K., Carter, T. G., & Zelkowitz, R. L. (2018). The online social support scale: Measure development and validation. Psychological Assessment, 30(9), 1127-1143. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000558
• Ostic, D., Qalati, S. A., Barbosa, B., Shah, S. M. M., Galvan Vela, E., Herzallah, A. M., & Liu, F. (2021). Effects of social media use on psychological well-being: A mediated model. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678766
• Reinecke, L., & Trepte, S. (2014). Authenticity and well-being on social network sites: A two-wave longitudinal study on the effects of online authenticity and the positivity bias in SNS communication. Computers in Human Behavior, 30, 95-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.07.030
• Roberts, J. A., & David, M. E. (2023). Instagram and TikTok flow states and their association with psychological well-being. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 26(2), 80-89. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2022.0117
• Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the self. Basic Books.
• Samra, A., Warburton, W. A., & Collins, A. M. (2022). Social comparisons: A potential mechanism linking problematic social media use with depression. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 11(2), 607-614. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2022.00023
• Shannon, H., Bush, K., Shvetz, C., Paquin, V., Morency, J., Hellemans, K. G., & Guimond, S. (2024). Longitudinal problematic social media use in students and its association with negative mental health outcomes. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 17, 1551-1560. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S450217
• Stapleton, P., Luiz, G., & Chatwin, H. (2017). Generation validation: The role of social comparison in use of Instagram among emerging adults. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20(3), 142-149. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0444
• Tellegen, A., & Atkinson, G. (1974). Openness to absorbing and self-altering experiences (“absorption”), a trait related to hypnotic susceptibility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 83(3), 268-277. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0036681
• Tellegen, A., & Atkinson, G. (2017). Tellegen absorption scale. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t14465-000
• Trifiro, B. M., & Prena, K. (2021). Active instagram use and its association with self-esteem and well-being. Technology, Mind, and Behavior, 2(3), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000043
• Truzoli, R., Magistrati, L., Viganò, C., Conte, S., Osborne, L. A., & Reed, P. (2023). Social media users potentially experience different withdrawal symptoms to non-social media users. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 21(1), 411-417. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00602-2
• Turel, O., & Serenko, A. (2012). The benefits and dangers of enjoyment with social networking websites. European Journal of Information Systems, 21(5), 512-528. https://doi.org/10.1057/ejis.2012.1
• Valkenburg, P. M., Meier, A., & Beyens, I. (2022). Social media use and its impact on adolescent mental health: An umbrella review of the evidence. Current Opinion in Psychology, 44, 58-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.08.017
• Verduyn, P., Gugushvili, N., Massar, K., Täht, K., & Kross, E. (2020). Social comparison on social networking sites. Current Opinion in Psychology, 36, 32-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.04.002
• Vidal, C., Lhaksampa, T., Miller, L., & Platt, R. (2020). Social media use and depression in adolescents: A scoping review. International Review of Psychiatry, 32(3), 235-253. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2020.1720623
• Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206-222. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000047
• Waterman, A. S. (2025). On intrinsic motivation, flow, and absorption: A new theoretical perspective. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 20(4), 644-651. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2024.2394445
• Weir, K. (n. d.). Social media brings benefits and risks to teens. Psychology can help identify a path forward. APA. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/09/protecting-teens-on-social-media
• Whiting, A., & Williams, D. (2013). Why people use social media: A uses and gratifications approach. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 16(4), 362-369. https://doi.org/10.1108/qmr-06-2013-0041
• Xu, K. Y., Tedrick, T., & Gold, J. A. (2023). Screen use and social media “addiction” in the era of TikTok: What generalists should know. Missouri Medicine, 120(6), 440-445.
• Zell, E., & Johansson, J. S. (2025). The association of self-esteem with health and well-being: A quantitative synthesis of 40 meta-analyses. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 16(4), 412-421. https://doi.org/10.1177/19485506241229308
• Zulfianti, I., Sukmarini, A. V., & Djalil, N. A. (2024). The effect of “likes, comments and share” feedback on Instagram on self-esteem of English study program. Journal la Sociale, 4(5), 469-488. https://doi.org/10.37899/journal-la-sociale.v4i5.1951

APA

Davis, S. W., Barahmand, U., Russo, R., Antunano, M., Asamoah, J., Bernstein, C., Bass, B., & Solodar, M. (2026). Social media, absorption, and stress: Divergent paths to self-esteem. Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research, 10(1), 45-52. https://doi.org/10.29333/mjosbr/17853

Vancouver

Davis SW, Barahmand U, Russo R, Antunano M, Asamoah J, Bernstein C, et al. Social media, absorption, and stress: Divergent paths to self-esteem. MEDITERR J SOC BEH RES. 2026;10(1):45-52. https://doi.org/10.29333/mjosbr/17853

AMA

Davis SW, Barahmand U, Russo R, et al. Social media, absorption, and stress: Divergent paths to self-esteem. MEDITERR J SOC BEH RES. 2026;10(1), 45-52. https://doi.org/10.29333/mjosbr/17853

Chicago

Davis, Stanley William, Usha Barahmand, Rebecca Russo, Mauricio Antunano, Judith Asamoah, Claudia Bernstein, Bailey Bass, and Mariia Solodar. "Social media, absorption, and stress: Divergent paths to self-esteem". Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research 2026 10 no. 1 (2026): 45-52. https://doi.org/10.29333/mjosbr/17853

Harvard

Davis, S. W., Barahmand, U., Russo, R., Antunano, M., Asamoah, J., Bernstein, C., . . . Solodar, M. (2026). Social media, absorption, and stress: Divergent paths to self-esteem. Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research, 10(1), pp. 45-52. https://doi.org/10.29333/mjosbr/17853

MLA

Davis, Stanley William et al. "Social media, absorption, and stress: Divergent paths to self-esteem". Mediterranean Journal of Social & Behavioral Research, vol. 10, no. 1, 2026, pp. 45-52. https://doi.org/10.29333/mjosbr/17853