Disentangling the Relationship Between Social Media Use, Psychological Well-Being, and Academic Performance Among Chinese University Students

Abstract

Background: With the increased use of social media, it is also said to influences students' psychological health and academic achievement. It is also responsible for raising psychological issues, such as increased possibility of stress, anxiety, and depression. This study targeted the Chinese university students to investigate the impact of social media usage and psychological well-being on the academic performance of students. It also incorporated the catalytic role of smartphone addiction and phubbing which is the skipping of all the surrounding interactions to stay active on social media platforms. Method: Based on the study's focus, a quantitative research designwas implemented. In this regard, primary data was gathered for the evaluation of designed associations. The data was collected from 216 respondents and was incorporated into the regression analysis. Results: The results highlighted that positive and constructive use of social media and healthy psychological well-being are beneficial for enhancing the student's academic performance indicators but when the negative factors like phubbing prevail, this healthy relationship gets negatively disturbed. Implications: The present study hold immense theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, this research enriches the literature regarding social media usage within the context of psychological health of university students. Practically, this study provides beneficial insights regarding the way social media is influencing academic performance along with psychological health of students.