Student Well-being in Relation to Time Spent on Social Media and the Way They Are Used

Mirzeta Brkić, Amela Dautbegović

Abstract


Social networks represent an important part of students’ everyday life and a significant space for their social communication and academic networking. However, research findings on their connection with the well-being of young people are not unambiguous. Therefore, the aim of this research is to determine whether there are differences in the well-being of students with regard to the time spent on social networks and the way they are used. 402 students of the first and second cycle of studies from eight public universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the research, where 75.4% were female students, and the average age was 22.48 years (SD = 3.63). Data were collected from May to October 2025 online through the SurveyMonkey platform using a general data questionnaire and the Short Mental Health Scale. The results of the two-factor analysis of variance showed that the time spent on social networks is not statistically significantly related to the well-being of students, while the way of their use showed a statistically significant effect, F(2, 384) = 8.49, p < .001, η² = .042. Students who use social networks or in an engaged manner achieve higher levels of well-being compared to passive and occasional users. The findings suggest that it is not only the time spent online, but the way of participating in digital communication that is crucial for understanding the relationship between social network use and student well-being. Research results can be useful in designing educational and counseling programs aimed at developing healthier patterns of digital communication and supporting student well-being.

Keywords


student well-being, social media, time spent, social media use patterns

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.51558/2490-3647.2026.11.1.893

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