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Social media dependency, depression and self-esteem for Cymraeg and English-speaking adolescents

RICHARD JONES, Irene Reppa Orcid Logo, Phil Reed Orcid Logo

Behaviour & Information Technology, Pages: 1 - 14

Swansea University Authors: RICHARD JONES, Irene Reppa Orcid Logo, Phil Reed Orcid Logo

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Abstract

The current study examined the effects of speaking a minority language (i.e. speaking the Welsh language in Wales) on the relationship between social media usage, social media dependency [SMD], depression and self-esteem for adolescents using both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. 1709 pupil...

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Published in: Behaviour & Information Technology
ISSN: 0144-929X 1362-3001
Published: Informa UK Limited 2025
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68677
Abstract: The current study examined the effects of speaking a minority language (i.e. speaking the Welsh language in Wales) on the relationship between social media usage, social media dependency [SMD], depression and self-esteem for adolescents using both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. 1709 pupils (844 primary Cymraeg-speakers [i.e. people who primarily speak the Welsh language]; 865 primary English-speakers) at secondary schools in Wales were compared. Moderation analysis found depression exerted a stronger influence upon the relationship between social media usage and self-esteem for primary Cymraeg-speakers than for primary English-speakers. A longitudinal analysis over 9 months found the association between earlier SMD and later worse self-esteem was greater than that between earlier lower self-esteem and later SMD for primary Cymraeg-speakers, which was true for lower-depressed and higher-depressed participants. However, for English-speakers, earlier lower self-esteem was related to later greater SMD for lower-depressed participants. For higher-depressed primary English-speakers, this pattern became more pronounced, and there was a positive relationship between earlier SMD and later self-esteem. Implications are discussed within a linguistic context.
Keywords: Self-esteem; social media dependency; minority language; Welsh; depression; longitudinal
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Funders: Swansea University
Start Page: 1
End Page: 14