Beyond Screentime: Linking Adolescents’ Use of Likes, Comments, Self Presentation Strategies, and Social Anxiety

Part of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Seminar Series

Adolescent social media use is often framed as a risk linked to screentime; however, research indicates that the meaningful processes lie in how young people engage with online platforms. This talk outlines three studies examining how adolescents’ social media behaviours, including their use of reactions (likes and comments) and self presentation strategies, relate to social motivations and levels of social anxiety. Findings show that reactions such as likes and comments reflect offline social and cognitive processes, including cognitive biases, impression management motivations, and attentional and behavioural differences among individuals with higher social anxiety.

Gemma Rides is a Senior Research Associate at the University of East Anglia, contributing to a large‑scale proposal evaluating a sleep‑based intervention for adolescent depression and anxiety. She recently completed her PhD at Royal Holloway, examining adolescents’ social‑cognitive development on social media and mechanisms linking online behaviours with mental health.

This seminar is open to all members of the University of Oxford. If you are not a member of the University but would like to attend, please contact us at oxchildpsych@psych.ox.ac.uk.

Hybrid seminar:
Attend in person at Department of Psychiatry - Seminar Room |  Attend online via Zoom (link here via SSO Login or email oxchildpsych@psych.ox.ac.uk to request the link)