IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON MENTAL HEALTH: MODERATING EFFECT OF AGE, GENDER, AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Abstract

Objectives: In recent years’ social media use has gained popularity irrespective of age, gender and generation. Physical activity has always contributed to the maintenance of not only physical health but also determinant of psychological well-being. This present study focused the potential effects of social media use and physical activity on mental health outcomes like depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue and mood. It also aimed to investigate whether age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and baseline scores moderated the relationship.

Methods: The study was based on a repeated-measures crossover design with random sampling technique was executed at different universities of Peshawar from January to April, 2025. The study included 60 students from aged 19 to 30 years. All participants were engaged in two different treatment conditions and each condition lasted for 15 minutes with in between a washout period. In physical activity participants used treadmill or cycling, in the social media use participants viewed any one of social media platforms from already given three options. All of the questionnaires including Depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21); fatigue assessment scale (FAS); and positive negative affect schedule (PANAS) were systematically administered. A Linear mixed-effects models analysis included fixed effects for treatment, period, age, gender, SES, and baseline scores, with random intercepts for individuals was done using R version 4.5.1 respectively.

Results: The results of the study revealed strong significant effects of both treatments on all outcomes. The models outcomes were significant for depression (F(9,308) = 15.65, p < .001, R² = .31), anxiety (F(9,308) = 15.17, p < .001, R² = .31), stress (F(9,308) = 15.59, p < .001, R² = .31), and FAS (F(6,311) = 8.36, p < .001, R² = .14). Social Media had consistently increased depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue and negative affect as compared to physical activity. There was no significant moderation by age, gender, or SES effects were found although baseline scores predicted outcomes.

Conclusions: It was concluded that in contrast to social media, even a small period of physical activity could decrease the potential risk of depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue and brings stability in mood. The effects of social media use were similar for all participants irrespective of demographic factors that included gender, age and socioeconomic status. However, participants with poorer baseline functioning experienced greater subsequent effects from both treatments. With the help of longitudinal studies long term effects could be understood further.