The Role of Emotional Regulation in the Relationship between Social Media Engagement and Adolescent Mental Health

Abstract

The rapid rise of social media use among adolescents has flickered significant points about its effect on mental health. Some researchers suggest that the use of social media can enhance social connectivity; others highlight its association with increased mental health issues. The present study investigates the facilitating role of emotional regulation in the link between social media engagement and adolescent mental health, suggesting how adolescents manage their emotions. A correlational design was employed, involving 150 adolescents (aged 18–23) who completed validated measures of social media engagement, emotional regulation strategies and mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress). Sophisticated statistical Analyses were applied to analyze the moderation effects of emotional regulation. Results showed that excessive social media engagement was significantly correlated with poorer outcomes of mental health. However, emotional regulation played a critical moderation role: adolescents who engaged in expressive suppression exhibited better mental health despite high social media engagement. These findings suggest that adaptive emotional regulation strategies may buffer against the adverse psychological impacts of social media. The study underlines the importance of integrating emotional regulation training into interventions aimed at mitigating social media-related mental health risks.