The Impact of Social Media on Resilience in College Students

Abstract

This quantitative study examined the relationship between social media usage motivations and psychological resilience among college students during emerging adulthood. Using a non-experimental survey design, 198 college students aged 19-25 completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25) and the Motives to Use Social Networking Sites Scale (MOTUS). Multiple regression analysis revealed that passive entertainment usage significantly predicted higher resilience scores (β = .206, p = .015), while passive social comparison approached a significant negative association (β = -.184, p = .054). Belonging motives demonstrated positive correlations with resilience, with active belonging with friends showing the strongest relationship (r = .315, p < .001). Comparative analyses indicated that both active and passive social media use positively predicted resilience outcomes, though active use showed stronger effects (R² = .064) compared to passive use (R² = .047). When examined together, active engagement emerged as the primary driver of the relationship. Exploratory analyses revealed significant gender differences, with women demonstrating higher resilience and greater engagement in social connection-focused behaviors. Students at 4-year institutions showed higher resilience than those at 2-year institutions. These findings suggest that the manner of social media engagement—particularly active participation involving social connection—may be more important for resilience development than simply the amount of use among college students.