Social media sharing, psychological distress, and student well-being: a PLS-SEM and fsQCA analysis of Chinese college students
This study explores the relationship between social media sharing behavior and the mental health and well-being of college students. Based on the Digital Well-being Theory, we applied PLS-SEM and fsQCA to analyze data from 534 students across two time points. Results show that school-related (β = 0....
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1554882/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1839619541550759936 |
|---|---|
| author | Bo Shu Zhigao Dong Fang Su Zheng Wang |
| author_facet | Bo Shu Zhigao Dong Fang Su Zheng Wang |
| author_sort | Bo Shu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores the relationship between social media sharing behavior and the mental health and well-being of college students. Based on the Digital Well-being Theory, we applied PLS-SEM and fsQCA to analyze data from 534 students across two time points. Results show that school-related (β = 0.198, p < 0.05) and social-related (β = 0.234, p < 0.05) social media sharing behaviors positively impact well-being, while work-related sharing (β = 0.247, p < 0.05), though also positive, can increase psychological distress. Psychological distress significantly reduces well-being and mediates the relationship between social media sharing and well-being. However, perceived support effectively moderates this effect, reducing the negative impact of psychological distress on well-being. FsQCA analysis identified multiple combinations of factors leading to higher well-being, emphasizing the importance of considering diverse influences (fsQCA coverage = 60.01%). The study provides practical insights for educators, policymakers, and students on using social media to promote mental health and well-being. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-52fb9c895d2846b9828e7f9156fa00b5 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-52fb9c895d2846b9828e7f9156fa00b52025-07-23T05:35:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-07-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15548821554882Social media sharing, psychological distress, and student well-being: a PLS-SEM and fsQCA analysis of Chinese college studentsBo Shu0Zhigao Dong1Fang Su2Zheng Wang3School of Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou, ChinaFaculty of Health and Wellness, City University of Macau, Macau, Macao SAR, ChinaSchool of Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Public Administration, Jiangxi Administration Institute, Nanchang, ChinaThis study explores the relationship between social media sharing behavior and the mental health and well-being of college students. Based on the Digital Well-being Theory, we applied PLS-SEM and fsQCA to analyze data from 534 students across two time points. Results show that school-related (β = 0.198, p < 0.05) and social-related (β = 0.234, p < 0.05) social media sharing behaviors positively impact well-being, while work-related sharing (β = 0.247, p < 0.05), though also positive, can increase psychological distress. Psychological distress significantly reduces well-being and mediates the relationship between social media sharing and well-being. However, perceived support effectively moderates this effect, reducing the negative impact of psychological distress on well-being. FsQCA analysis identified multiple combinations of factors leading to higher well-being, emphasizing the importance of considering diverse influences (fsQCA coverage = 60.01%). The study provides practical insights for educators, policymakers, and students on using social media to promote mental health and well-being.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1554882/fullsocial media sharingpsychological distressstudents well-beingdigital well-being theoryPLS-SEMfsQCA |
| spellingShingle | Bo Shu Zhigao Dong Fang Su Zheng Wang Social media sharing, psychological distress, and student well-being: a PLS-SEM and fsQCA analysis of Chinese college students Frontiers in Psychology social media sharing psychological distress students well-being digital well-being theory PLS-SEM fsQCA |
| title | Social media sharing, psychological distress, and student well-being: a PLS-SEM and fsQCA analysis of Chinese college students |
| title_full | Social media sharing, psychological distress, and student well-being: a PLS-SEM and fsQCA analysis of Chinese college students |
| title_fullStr | Social media sharing, psychological distress, and student well-being: a PLS-SEM and fsQCA analysis of Chinese college students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social media sharing, psychological distress, and student well-being: a PLS-SEM and fsQCA analysis of Chinese college students |
| title_short | Social media sharing, psychological distress, and student well-being: a PLS-SEM and fsQCA analysis of Chinese college students |
| title_sort | social media sharing psychological distress and student well being a pls sem and fsqca analysis of chinese college students |
| topic | social media sharing psychological distress students well-being digital well-being theory PLS-SEM fsQCA |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1554882/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT boshu socialmediasharingpsychologicaldistressandstudentwellbeingaplssemandfsqcaanalysisofchinesecollegestudents AT zhigaodong socialmediasharingpsychologicaldistressandstudentwellbeingaplssemandfsqcaanalysisofchinesecollegestudents AT fangsu socialmediasharingpsychologicaldistressandstudentwellbeingaplssemandfsqcaanalysisofchinesecollegestudents AT zhengwang socialmediasharingpsychologicaldistressandstudentwellbeingaplssemandfsqcaanalysisofchinesecollegestudents |