Pupils’ Use of Social Media and Its Relation to Mental Health from a School Personnel Perspective: A Preliminary Qualitative Study

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 18; no. 17; p. 9163
• Main Authors: Hjetland, Gunnhild Johnsen, Schønning, Viktor, Aasan, Bodil Elisabeth Valstad, Hella, Randi Træland, Skogen, Jens Christoffer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 31-08-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Codes; Data analysis; Digital media; Focus groups; Health problems; Interviews; Mental disorders; Mental health; Qualitative research; Schools; Social networks; Social research; Teenagers; User behavior; User generated content
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18179163

The extent of mental health problems among adolescents seems to be on the rise, and this observed trend has often been linked to a coinciding increase in social media use. The goal of the current preliminary study was to investigate how senior high school personnel experience the role of social media in relation to the mental health of their pupils. Two focus group interviews (total n = 11) were completed and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, resulting in 4 themes and 11 subthemes. The results illustrate that school personnel experience social media as a tool for communication, but also as a potential cause of mental health issues and reduced academic performance among pupils. The participants called for schools to become better equipped to meet the opportunities and challenges of social media.