Mediating effect of self-control on self-esteem
and Instagram use in adolescents. Relationships with academic
performance and technological stress
Efecto mediador del autocontrol sobre
la autoestima y el uso de Instagram en adolescentes. Relaciones con el rendimiento académico y el estrés tecnológico
Dr. Francisco José Rubio-Hernández.
Universidad Internacional de Valencia. España
Dra. Adoración
Díaz-López. Universidad Internacional de la Rioja. España
Dra. Vanessa Caba-Machado.
Universidad Internacional de la Rioja. España
Dña. Elena González-Calahorra.
Universidad de Nebrija. España
Recibido:
2024/07/29 Revisado 2024/09/23 Aceptado: :2024/11/02 Online First: 2024/12/04 Publicado: 2025/01/07
Cómo citar este artículo:
Rubio
Hernández, F. J., Díaz López, A., Caba Machado, V. ., & González-Calahorra,
E. (2025). Efecto mediador del autocontrol sobre la autoestima y el uso de
Instagram en adolescentes. Relaciones con el rendimiento académico y el estrés
tecnológico [Mediating effect
of self-monitoring on self-esteem and Instagram use
in adolescents. Relationships with
academic performance and technological stress]. Pixel-Bit. Revista
De Medios Y Educación, 72,
87–101. https://doi.org/10.12795/pixelbit.110171
ABSTRACT
The interrelationships between Instagram use,
self-control, self-esteem, technological stress and academic performance in
adolescents were explored. A quantitative, cross-sectional, non-experimental
design with correlational-exploratory approach was conducted. A total of 158
high school students participated through snowball sampling. Correlation tests
and structural equation models were used to analyze the data. The main results
were: a) the frequency of use of social networks was associated with worse
academic performance, self-esteem and expectations of improvement; b)
technological stress and the use of Instagram were linked to lower self-esteem;
c) wanting to dedicate more time to study was related to expecting better
grades; d) reducing time online made one think of increased academic
performance; d) when self-control was considered as an intermediate factor, it
was observed that it did have an impact on the relationship between Instagram
and self-esteem. In conclusion, although using Instagram and having good
self-control do not seem to be directly related to self-esteem on their own,
the ability to control oneself when using Instagram does influence how we feel
about ourselves, which should be taken into account in future socio-educational
interventions.
RESUMEN
Se exploraron las interrelaciones entre el uso de
Instagram, el autocontrol, la autoestima, el estrés tecnológico y el
rendimiento académico en adolescentes. Mediante un diseño cuantitativo
transversal, con enfoque correlacional-explicativo, se encuestó a 158
estudiantes de educación secundaria. Se aplicaron técnicas de análisis
correlacional y ecuaciones estructurales. Los principales resultados revelaron lo
siguiente: a) una mayor frecuencia de uso de redes sociales se
asoció con un peor desempeño académico y una menor autoestima; b) el estrés
tecnológico y el uso específico de Instagram se vincularon con una disminución
de la autoestima; c) la intención de dedicar más tiempo al estudio se relacionó
con expectativas de mejores calificaciones; d) reducir el tiempo en línea se
asoció con la percepción de un mejor rendimiento académico. Además, se observó
que el autocontrol actuaba como mediador en la relación entre el uso de
Instagram y la autoestima. En conclusión, aunque usar Instagram y tener un buen
autocontrol no parecen estar directamente relacionados con la autoestima por sí
solos, la capacidad de control al usar dicha red social sí que parece influir,
lo cual debe tenerse en cuenta en futuras intervenciones de carácter
socioeducativo.
KEYWORDS· PALABRAS CLAVES
Instagram, self-esteem, sefl-monitoring, academic
performance, technological stress.
Instagram, autoestima, autocontrol, rendimiento
académico, estrés tecnológico.
1. Introduction
Technological advances have brought with them new
opportunities for communication and participation in society. They have
transformed how people appreciate and value life, the family, love and
sexuality, and education, significantly affecting adolescents’ perspectives on
these aspects (Garzón et al., 2019).
Social networks have become an important communication
channel. Nonetheless, despite these advantages, these digital contexts entail
risks and dangers, especially for younger people who use internet-connected
electronic devices continuously and on a massive scale (Trillo & Rubio,
2024).
At the present time, adolescence is regarded as a
crucial stage marked by changes of different types, and social networks, in
particular Instagram, have become very important in this population group
(Camacho-Vidal et al., 2023). Therefore, it is necessary to understand the
relationship between use of Instagram, self-esteem and self-control in
adolescents owing to its psycho-socioeducational
implications. This knowledge could contribute to their psychological
well-being, healthy development and academic performance and to socioeducational interventions that promote positive use of
these tools in the digital era, especially when it is possible that comparison
with other information or with other people, owing to a lack of self-control in
use of social networks (and the idealised image projected in them) causes a
drop in self-confidence or self-esteem (Alodia & Suryadi,
2021).
Self-esteem refers to a series of negative and
positive feelings, thoughts and beliefs about oneself. It also includes
intrapersonal perceptions regarding expectations, skills, intelligence and
social relations, which express the extent to which subjects feel that they can
be successful or are deserving of something. These assessments can be affected
by feedback from the subjects themselves on their own actions, as well as by
social feedback by means of external commentaries on the individual’s performance.
Nonetheless, self-esteem can undergo changes throughout life, and so is not
immutable, being at the mercy of day-to-day experiences (Sánchez-Villena et
al., 2021). It is a variable that can allow the person to set in motion actions
that are successful or unsuccessful in their immediate context, and it plays a
fundamental role in adolescent’s personal development (Usán
et al., 2023).
Self-control has been defined as individuals’ force of
will to regulate their own behaviours when attempting to achieve objectives
that are valuable in the long term (instigating factor), as well as to be
capable of restraining themselves when facing temptations or immediate
gratifications (inhibiting factor). This self-regulation competence, which is
developed during the early stages of life, is necessary to regulate emotions,
thoughts and behaviours, as well as to inhibit or withdraw socially unacceptable
impulses (Oliva et al., 2019). Individuals’ efforts to modify their reactions
and actions can negatively or positively influence their environment.
Therefore, low self-control in adolescence could lead to a constant need to
pick up electronic devices that are connected to the internet and use their
applications and social networks, presenting less capacity to inhibit this
impulse (Álvarez & Moral, 2020).
Instagram is a very popular social network among
adolescents, where users share photos videos along with short texts
(Camacho-Vidal et al., 2023). Through Instagram, adolescents explore large
amounts of visual and textual information, often making comparisons between the
information they see and themselves. This social network also allows users to
modify or embellish images by using different filters, presenting something
that is not entirely real and creating a personal story that they can consider
their own world even when it is a fairytale (Alodia & Suryadi,
2021). Accordingly, many adolescents edit videos and photos before sharing them
to make them as near to perfect as possible (Widiastuti
et al., 2023).
Consequently, academic literature has identified the
existence of a negative association between use of Instagram and self-esteem,
which could mean that people with low levels of self-esteem use these means of
communication to escape from the emotions and feelings generated by Instagram,
or to achieve higher levels of self-esteem (Andreassen et al., 2017). However,
Torres-Serrano (2020) did not find proof of these relationships between
variables in her research. Additionally, other studies have shown that intensive
use of Instagram is associated with social comparisons that can negatively
affect individuals’ self-esteem (Jiang & Ngien, 2020; Sherlock &
Wagstaff, 2019) and provoke stress in young people (García et al., 2014;
López-Sáez et al., 2024). For example, exposure to idealised images on
Instagram can lead users to make unfavourable comparisons with others, which
can in turn lead to reduced self-esteem (Sherlock & Wagstaff, 2019; Lo
Destro, 2024; Siddiqa et al. 2024), depression (Kim et al.,2021), distorted
body image (Camacho-Vidal et al., 2023) and even eating disorders
(García-Puertas, 2020).
Furthermore, Zheng et al. (2022) found that
self-control is a protective factor in adolescents’ mental health, influencing
their levels of self-esteem. On the same line, Suparman (2024) found a positive
association between self-esteem and self-control in adolescent subjects, with
self-control directly and indirectly affecting their resilience through
self-esteem.
Regarding the intersection between self-control and
use of Instagram, Hasanah and Halimah (2023) found that self-control had a
significant effect on what they called social media disorder with regards to
the use of Instagram. Sari and Purwaningtyas (2023)
found a moderate association between compulsive use of Instagram and lack of
self-control in students. Similarly, Rahmanissa et
al. (2023) confirmed the existence of a negative correlation between subjects’
self-control and their addiction to Instagram, with the first variable making a
contribution of 60% with regards to the second considering the coefficient of
determination (R2).
On a different line, excessive or inappropriate use of
social networks in adolescence can result in a distorted perception of reality,
encouraging social isolation, mental health problems, such as anxiety and
depression, and negatively affecting academic performance owing to
procrastination and difficulty concentrating (Díaz-López et al. 2021; Caba-Machado
et al., 2023). So, while digital competence makes it possible to take full
advantage of the opportunities offered by digital technologies, it is crucial to
be aware of the risks associated with their use and adopt safe practices (Rubio
et al., 2024).
Therefore, a gap has been identified in the academic
literature relating to the analysis of the direct effects of use of Instagram
on self-esteem when self-control is involved. Moreover, how frequency of use of
social networks in general affects both self-esteem and self-control will be
investigated. As far as the researchers are aware, apart from the approach of
Oliva et al. (2019), no study has yet tackled this specific aspect. These
authors found that subjects with higher social network addiction scores displayed
lower self-control levels, suggesting that it is important to promote
self-control in adolescents to prevent internet addiction.
Consequently, the following research questions were
formulated: How does self-control influence use of Instagram and levels of
self-esteem in adolescents? Is there a relationship between levels of
self-esteem, self-control, use of Instagram and perceived academic performance
in adolescents?
From these questions, a series of objectives were
derived:
1. To analyse the
direct effect of use of Instagram on self-esteem
2. To assess the
mediating role of self-control in the relationship between use of Instagram and
self-esteem.
3. To identify
relationships between frequency of use of social networks and levels of
self-control, self-esteem and technological stress.
4. To detect
relationships between perceived technological stress and levels of
self-control, self-esteem and use of Instagram.
5. To explore
relationships between perceived academic performance and levels of
self-control, self-esteem and use of Instagram.
2. Methodology
2.1. Design
Following the lines of Ato et al. (2013), this study
is based on empirical non-experimental research. A quantitative focus with a
descriptive, correlational, explanatory strategy was used with a transversal
data collection design.
2.2. Sample
A total of 158 students from compulsory secondary
education (ESO) participated in the study having voluntarily responded to the
data collection instrument. Non-probability snowball sampling was used to
recruit the participants.
The sample comprised 57.6% females (n = 91) and
42.4% males (n = 67). With regards to their academic year group, 48.7% (n
= 77) of the participants were in year 2 of compulsory secondary education
(ESO), 26.6% (n = 42) in year 1, 15.2% (n = 24) in year 4 and
9.5% (n = 15) in year 3.
The majority of the adolescents (84.8%, n =
134) attended public schools, followed by state assisted private schools (8.2%,
n = 13) and private schools (7%, n = 11). With regards to the
Autonomous Region (AR), 56.9% (n = 90) of the sample came from Madrid,
while 8.2% (n = 13) were from Castilla-La Mancha. There were also
responses from adolescents from the Basque Country (5.7%, n = 9),
Extremadura (5.1%, n = 8), Castilla y León (13.9%, n = 22) and
Murcia (10.1%, n = 16).
The subjects had a mean age of 14.02 years, with a
standard deviation of 2.403 years, a minimum of 12 years and a maximum of 17
years.
2.3. Instrument
The instrument used for data collection had four
dimensions: 1) sociodemographic-educational elements (9 items: sex, age, school
year, type of school, locality, perceived academic performance, expectations of
improved grades, expectations of devoting more time to study, stress from
absence of internet). These elements were assessed through dichotomous,
polytomous or open numerical responses; 2) frequency of use of social networks
in general (10 items) and Instagram in particular (Rubio et al., 2024b) (5 items)
(both aspects were assessed through a 4-point Likert scale, from always to
never); 3) self-esteem (Rosenberg et al., 2000) (10 items assessed through a
4-point Likert scale, from strongly agree to strongly disagree); 4)
self-control (Del Valle et al., 2019) (11 items assessed through a 5-point
Likert scale, from a lot to nothing).
The reliability of the instrument was calculated with
Cronbach’s alpha (α). A score of α = .85 was obtained for the use of
Instagram dimension, α = .72 for self-esteem and α = .75 for
self-control. All of the scales had good internal reliability. The reliability
of the instrument as a whole gave a figure of α = 0.78, which is
considered to be acceptable.
2.4. Data analysis
The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS
v29) program was used to carry out a descriptive analysis of the variables,
using measures of central tendency (means), dispersion (standard deviations),
skew and kurtosis to comprehend the characteristics of the data.
Before carrying out the analysis of correlation, the
Kolmogorov–Smirnov test (K–S) was used to establish whether the variables
fulfilled the assumption of normality. As this assumption was not satisfied, it
was decided to use a non-parametric correlation coefficient, in this case that
of Spearman.
Next, the AMOS (V29) program was used. A measurement
model was used to test the factor structure of the Instagram variable as a
latent variable. This latent variable comprised four measurement components.
The relationships between use of Instagram, self-control and self-esteem were
then modelled to test their relationships with one another. The fit of the
model was assessed using the most reliable fit indexes (Hu & Bentler,
1999), namely, the relative chi-squared statistic (χ2), root mean square
error of approximation (RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker–Lewis index
(TLI) and the standardised root mean squared residual (SRMR). The models are
considered to fit the data adequately with values of χ2/df ≤ 2 to 3, ≤. 08 for RMSEA (Browne
& Cudeck, 1993), ≥. 90 for CFI and TLI with
values greater than .95 preferred (Bentler & Bonett, 1980), and values of
≤. 08 preferred for SRMR.
A critical step in structural equations modelling
(SEM) is to establish an appropriate sample size, although there is no
consensus in the literature on what a sufficient sample size would be (Wang
& Wang, 2012). However, the minimum sample size for carrying out SEM is
usually held to be N = 100–150 (Anderson & Gerbing, 1988; Ding et
al., 1995; Tabachnick & Fidell, 2007; Tinsley & Tinsley, 1987).
2.5. Procedure
Students from various regions of Spain were contacted.
They were sent the questionnaire through instant messaging apps and were asked
to spread it around their fellow students. Prior to its administration, the
instrument was digitised using Google Forms. Data collection took place between
8 May and 6 August 2023. The research complied strictly with Spain’s Organic
Law 3/2018, of 5 December, regarding the Protection of Personal Data and
Guaranteeing Digital Rights (2018) and the ethical principles in the social
sciences published by the European Commission (2018).
3. Analysis and
results
3.1. Correlations between the variables of analysis
Statistically significant negative correlations were
found between perceived general academic performance and frequency of use of
social networks (p ≤ .05), between frequency of use of social
networks and self-esteem (p ≤ .01), between the expectation of
improved academic results if spending less time on the internet and perceived
general academic performance (p ≤ .01), between technological
stress and self-esteem (p ≤ .05) and between use of Instagram and
self-esteem (p ≤ .01). The correlations were positive and
statistically significant between
the expectation of dedicating more time to academic tasks if spending less time
on the internet and the expectation of improving academic results if spending
less time on the internet (p ≤ .01); between technological stress
and frequency of use of social networks (p ≤ .01) and the
expectation of improving academic results if spending less time on the internet
(p ≤ .05); between self-esteem and perceived general academic
performance (p ≤ .01); as well as between the expectation of
achieving better results if spending less time on the internet (p
≤ .05) and technological stress (p ≤ .01) (Table 1).
Table 1
Correlation, descriptive statistics and reliability of
variables
|
|
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
(6) |
(7) |
(8) |
|
FUSN (1) |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PAP (2) |
-.191* |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EABR (3) |
.092 |
-.229** |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EDMTS (4) |
-.089 |
-.111 |
.665** |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
TS (5) |
.319** |
-.121 |
.165* |
.140 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
SE (6) |
-.375** |
.310** |
-.143 |
-.013 |
-.191* |
1 |
|
|
|
SC (7) |
-.078 |
.023 |
.022 |
.083 |
-.016 |
.021 |
1 |
|
|
IG (8) |
.520** |
-.148 |
.159* |
.031 |
.407** |
-.290** |
-.026 |
1 |
|
Mean |
3.28 |
3.92 |
2.76 |
2.70 |
2.07 |
28.67 |
35.59 |
8.18 |
|
SD |
1.150 |
.849 |
.870 |
.826 |
.945 |
6.054 |
6.38 |
3.51 |
|
α |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
.72 |
.75 |
.85 |
|
Skew |
.193 |
-.867 |
-.216 |
-.290 |
.410 |
-.125 |
-.661 |
.251 |
|
Kurtosis |
-.919 |
1.395 |
-.645 |
-.369 |
-.852 |
-.423 |
1.448 |
-1.067 |
Notes. (1) FUSN =
frequency of use social networks; (2) PAP = perceived general academic
performance; (3) EABR = expectation of achieving better results; (4) EDMTS =
expectation of dedicating more time to studying; (5) TS = technological stress;
(6) SE = self-esteem; (7) SC = self-control; (8) IG = Instagram: SD =
standard deviation; α = Cronbach’s alpha coefficient *p ≤
.05; **p ≤ .01.
3.2. Structural equations model
The absolute value of the skew and kurtosis of each
variable was within the range of ± 1.96 and below the values for normally
distributed data of ±3 and ±10 when using SEM (Brown, 2015).
The model presented in Figure 1 was constructed by
testing the relationships between use of Instagram, self-control and
self-esteem. Before the analysis, a measurement model was used to test the
factor structure of social networks as a latent variable. The factor loadings
(≥ .4) (Stevens, 2009) supported a single factor solution. The general
model had a good fit (χ2(260) = 327.884, RMSEA = .041 (CI 90% .025–.054),
CFI = .943, TLI = .935, SRMR = .0697.
The results indicated that use of Instagram is not
significantly related through direct effects to self-control (β = -.591, p
> .05), and it is not significantly related to self-esteem (β = -,591, p
> .05). Moreover, self-control is also not significantly related to
self-esteem (β = 2.590, p > .05). Furthermore, when mediating
the relationship between use of Instagram and self-esteem, self-control (β
= -1.53) was statistically significant, as shown by the bootstrapping (95%
confidence intervals [CI]: -.1.361, -1.083, p ≤ .05) (see Table
2).
Table 2
Relationship between the model’s variables
Figure 1
SEM of the Instagram, self-control and self-esteem
variables
4. Discussion and
conclusions
The discussion around the impact of use of Instagram
on self-esteem is a matter of growing interest in psychological and educational
research. Instagram, as a platform characterised by a focus on the image and
self-representation, can affect users’ self-perception. Furthermore, poor
self-control can lead to problematic use of Instagram, exacerbating social
comparisons and their adverse effects on self-esteem (Fard et al., 2023).
Therefore, it seems to be important to explore how self-control can mediate the
relationship between use of Instagram and self-esteem, considering both the
positive and negative aspects of this interaction.
To respond fully to objectives 1 and 2 of this study,
which involve analysing the direct effect of use of Instagram on self-esteem
when mediated by self-control, the
results firstly indicated that use of Instagram did not display a direct
significant relationship with self-esteem. This means that the time or
intensity with which a person uses this social network do not seem to affect
this construct directly. On the same lines, no direct relationship with
self-control was found, which could suggest that use of Instagram might not
automatically affect people’s capacity to control impulses or behaviours. This
might be related to the fact that the influence of social networks on
self-control could depend on other contextual or individual factors, such as
the type of content consumed or the personal characteristics of the users.
These results agree with those found by Jiang and Ngien (2020) and contradict
those reported by Fagundes et al. (2020) and those of Camacho-Vidal et al.
(2023), who did find a significant relationship. Similarly, no direct
relationship was observed between self-control and self-esteem. However, when
self-control is considered as a mediating variable, it does play a significant
role in the relationship between use of Instagram and self-esteem. In other
words, self-control seems to influence how use of Instagram impacts people’s
assessments of themselves. One possible explanation for this fact might lie in
the management of social comparisons. In this sense, Instagram is a platform
that fosters social comparisons owing to the visual and curated nature of the
posts (Haller, 2020). Users tend to compare their lives with those of others,
which can lead to feelings of insufficiency and low self-esteem, and in this
situation, individuals with better self-control can be more capable of handling
these comparisons in a healthy way (Martínez-Cardama
& Gómez-López, 2023). Another explanation might be that exposure to
idealised content on Instagram can inspire negative emotions such as envy,
sadness or anxiety, and so a high level of self-control could help people
regulate their emotions effectively (Haller, 2020). Furthermore, low
self-esteem can be exacerbated by interactions on social networks, where
external validation is common and self-control is linked to greater resilience
and coping skills that enable people to confront challenges to their
self-esteem more effectively.
Another key objective of this study was to identify
the relationship between frequency of use of social networks, self-esteem,
technological stress and self-control (objective 3). As a result, this study
highlights how frequency of use of social networks is negatively related to
self-esteem. These results are in line with what Garro-Aburto et al. (2024)
reported. It also found that the frequency of use of social networks relates
positively to technological stress, results that support the conclusions of Díaz-López
et al. (2020), who noted that more frequent exposure to screens correlates
positively with greater technological stress. One striking finding is that no
relationship was found between frequency of use of social networks and
self-control. This result is consistent with the work of Álvarez-Menéndez and
Moral-Jiménez (2020), which highlights how adolescents who report problematic
use of social networks often face deficits in self-control, but this does not
imply that frequent use of social networks directly causes lower self-control
(Álvarez-Menéndez & Moral-Jiménez, 2020). From this perspective, research
also suggests that emotional regulation, which is related to self-control, is
not always negatively affected by use of social networks. This supports the
idea that the relationship between these variables is complex and possibly
indirect (Granados et al., 2020).
To respond fully to objective 4, the relationship
between perceived technological stress and levels of self-control, self-esteem
and use of Instagram were analysed. In this framework, technological stress
relates positively to use of Instagram. These findings are in line with those
reported in a review study of stress, which concluded that more frequent social
network use is related to higher stress levels (Keles et al., 2020; López-Sáez
et al., 2024) They contrast with other outcomes where there was no significant
difference in self-reported stress levels of people who use Instagram and
people who do not (Brailovskaia & Margraf, 2018).
Moreover, technological stress is negatively related to self-esteem, agreeing
with the study by Korzynski et al. (2021). However,
no relationship was found between technological stress and self-control, which
differs from what was observed by Wang et al. (2021), who reported that
technostress can indirectly harm young people’s self-control.
Finally, for objective 5, the relationships between
perceived academic performance and levels of self-control, self-esteem and use
of Instagram were analysed. It was found that expecting that spending less time
on Instagram would lead to improved academic results was related to frequency
of use of Instagram. These results are in line with what was reported by
Díaz-López et al. (2020) on the internet in general and by Muñoz-Franco et al.
(2023) on TikTok in particular. Both studies concluded that young people who
state that they would spend more time on schoolwork and studying if they spent
less time online, display a greater frequency of use of applications and lower
grades. In addition, the expectation that spending less time on Instagram would
lead to improved academic results is also related to self-esteem. One possible
explanation for this could relate to the fact that adolescents’ academic
performance directly affects their self-esteem and self-concept (Luo et al.,
2020).
This study has some limitations. First, the sample
size is not representative and the sampling was done through a non-probability
criterion with fewer males than females. This is justified by the study being
exploratory and the sampling being a first approach that led to faster data
collection. In doing so, the criteria of accessibility of the interviewers were
taken into account. This reservation can be overcome by expanding the sample to
include other schools that provide obligatory secondary education, making it
possible to reach conclusions that are more conclusive than the ones already
reported based on our data. A second limitation would relate to the scope of
the instrument and social desirability bias as self-reports were used in
research that addresses topics relating to critical analysis of behavioural
traits. With regards to the artefact, it should be noted that no pilot study
process was performed as the survey was based on previously validated scales.
It can therefore be concluded that the effect of
Instagram use on users’ self-esteem is wholly mediated by their levels of
self-control. So, while use of Instagram is not in itself directly related to
self-esteem, the presence of self-control does mediate this relationship,
enabling users to handle social comparisons better and regulate their emotions
when faced with the idealised content on the platform. It was also found that
greater frequency of use of social networks relates to an increase in technological
stress, lower self-esteem and worse perception of academic achievement.
Finally, the fact that technological stress negatively affects self-esteem is a
notable finding. These findings may have some practical implications and
present lines for further research. Accordingly, the conclusions of this
research could be taken into account when designing interventions for children
and adolescents relating to responsible use of the internet in general and
social networks in particular. Similarly, it seems appropriate to replicate
this study with other social networks, such as TikTok or Snapchat,
to see if similar results are found and be able to trace patterns of behaviour
according to the networks used. In the same way, incorporating the risks of
using social networks, such as reduced self-esteem, into the training
programmes intended for parents would seem to be worthwhile. Finally, socioeducational policies should address this question and
start to regulate the use of social networks, considering banning them at
certain ages as is already done in other settings such as Australia and
Florida.
Author
Contributions
F.J.R-H. (Conceptualisation, Data curation, Formal
analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing - original draft, Validation,
Writing – revision and editing), A.D.-L (Conceptualisation, Writing – original
draft, Validation, Writing – revision and editing), V. C.-M. (Formal analysis,
Writing – original draft, Validation, Writing – revision and editing), E.G.-C.
(Investigation, Writing – revision and editing).
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