{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T09:17:57Z","timestamp":1788254277595,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100009103","name":"Fund for Major Project of the Shaanxi Provincial Teacher Development Research Program","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["SJS2022ZZ008"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SJS2022ZZ008"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100009103","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>While existing research on active social media use and well-being has yielded inconsistent findings, this study introduces a refined typology distinguishing between public (e.g., posting broadly on social networks) and private (e.g., one-on-one messaging) active use to clarify these effects. It further examines the moderating role of perceived online social support. Study 1 (N = 689) used a cross-sectional survey design to analyze the relationships among public versus private active social media use, perceived online social support, and well-being in a population of Chinese adolescents. Building upon these findings, Study 2 (N = 158) used a scenario-based experiment to further validate the findings of Study 1. Both studies found that public active social media use had a stronger effect on well-being than private active social media use. Perceived online social support moderated the relationship between public active social media use and well-being. Specifically, under the public active social media use condition, participants in the low online social support group were less likely to report well-being than those in the high online social support group. However, under the private active social media use condition, there was no difference between the high and low support groups. This study provides new insights into the relationship between active social media use and well-being. However, the moderation effect was modest in magnitude, and Study 2 relied on a single-item well-being measure; the directional conclusions should therefore be interpreted with appropriate caution.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16091543","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T08:31:13Z","timestamp":1788251473000},"page":"1543","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Differential Effects of Public and Private Active Social Media Use on Adolescents\u2019 Well-Being: Insights from a Cross-Sectional and Experimental Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Jing","family":"Qiao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Teacher Development College, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710062, China"},{"name":"Affiliated High School of Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Ming","family":"Ji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Teacher Development College, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710062, China"},{"name":"School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710119, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"578","DOI":"10.1080\/0144929X.2018.1545049","article-title":"The relation between use intensity of private and professional SNS, social comparison, self-esteem, and depressive tendencies in the light of self-regulation","volume":"38","author":"Brandenberg","year":"2019","journal-title":"Behaviour & Information Technology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1111\/jcc4.12162","article-title":"The relationship between Facebook use and well-being depends on communication type and tie strength","volume":"21","author":"Burke","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"734","DOI":"10.1037\/bul0000198","article-title":"Do the socially rich get richer? A nuanced perspective on social network site use and online social capital accrual","volume":"145","author":"Cheng","year":"2019","journal-title":"Psychological Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2809","DOI":"10.1007\/s11136-014-0726-4","article-title":"Assessing the validity of single-item life satisfaction measures: Results from three large samples","volume":"23","author":"Cheung","year":"2014","journal-title":"Quality of Life Research"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cobo-Rend\u00f3n, R., L\u00f3pez-Angulo, Y., P\u00e9rez-Villalobos, M. V., and D\u00edaz-Mujica, A. (2020). Perceived social support and its effects on changes in the affective and eudaimonic well-being of Chilean university students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.590513"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"310","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.98.2.310","article-title":"Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis","volume":"98","author":"Cohen","year":"1985","journal-title":"Psychological Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"456","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2016.11.058","article-title":"Online social support for young people: Does it recapitulate in-person social support; can it help?","volume":"68","author":"Cole","year":"2017","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Biswas-Diener, R., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi, D. W., and Oishi, S. (2009). New measures of well-being. Assessing well-being: The collected works of Ed Diener, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-90-481-2354-4"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.3758\/BF03193146","article-title":"G* Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences","volume":"39","author":"Faul","year":"2007","journal-title":"Behavior Research Methods"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2014.11.070","article-title":"The impact of daily stress on adolescents\u2019 depressed mood: The role of social support seeking through Facebook","volume":"44","author":"Frison","year":"2015","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1177\/0894439314567449","article-title":"Exploring the relationships between different types of Facebook use, perceived online social support, and adolescents\u2019 depressed mood","volume":"34","author":"Frison","year":"2016","journal-title":"Social Science Computer Review"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"701","DOI":"10.1177\/0093650215617506","article-title":"Toward an integrated and differential approach to the relationships between loneliness, different types of Facebook use, and adolescents\u2019 depressed mood","volume":"47","author":"Frison","year":"2020","journal-title":"Communication Research"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"zmad055","DOI":"10.1093\/jcmc\/zmad055","article-title":"Are active and passive social media use related to mental health, wellbeing, and social support outcomes? A meta-analysis of 141 studies","volume":"29","author":"Godard","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"418","DOI":"10.1089\/cyber.2017.0709","article-title":"Privacy concerns and self-disclosure in private and public uses of social media","volume":"21","author":"Gruzd","year":"2018","journal-title":"Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking"},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., and Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis, Cengage. [8th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Hancock, J. T., Liu, X., French, M., Luo, M., and Mieczkowski, H. (, January May). Social media use and psychological well-being: A meta-analysis. 69th Annual International Communication Association Conference, Washington, DC, USA."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1108\/02756661111165435","article-title":"Building a personal brand through social networking","volume":"32","author":"Harris","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Business Strategy"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"572","DOI":"10.1037\/ppm0000583","article-title":"Investigating the effect of full and partial social media abstinence on fear of missing out and well-being outcomes: A daily diary experimental approach","volume":"14","author":"Hartanto","year":"2025","journal-title":"Psychology of Popular Media"},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach, Guilford Publications."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103606","DOI":"10.1016\/j.im.2022.103606","article-title":"The mediating role of group dynamics in shaping received social support from active and passive use in online health communities","volume":"59","author":"James","year":"2022","journal-title":"Information & Management"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2013.10.059","article-title":"A conceptual and methodological critique of internet addiction research: Towards a model of compensatory internet use","volume":"31","year":"2014","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior"},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling, Guilford Press. [4th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2087","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-018-9882-y","article-title":"The effect of adolescents\u2019 active social networking site use on life satisfaction: The sequential mediating roles of positive feedback and relational certainty","volume":"39","author":"Lian","year":"2020","journal-title":"Current Psychology"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101523","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tele.2020.101523","article-title":"Examining the links between active Facebook use, received likes, self-esteem and happiness: A study using objective social media data","volume":"58","author":"Marengo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Telematics and Informatics"},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"Mondal, M., Correa, D., and Benevenuto, F. (, January July). Anonymity effects: A large-scale dataset from an anonymous social media platform. 31st ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media, Chicago, IL, USA."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"721","DOI":"10.1089\/cyber.2012.0521","article-title":"Facebook friends with (health) benefits? Exploring social network site use and perceptions of social support, stress, and well-being","volume":"16","author":"Nabi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108455","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2024.108455","article-title":"Can online behaviors be linked to mental health? Active versus passive social network usage on depression via envy and self-esteem","volume":"162","author":"Nguyen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100070","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chbr.2021.100070","article-title":"Social media use, social anxiety, and loneliness: A systematic review","volume":"3","author":"Heimberg","year":"2021","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior Reports"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2013.07.053","article-title":"How does online social networking enhance life satisfaction? The relationships among online supportive interaction, affect, perceived social support, sense of community, and life satisfaction","volume":"30","author":"Oh","year":"2014","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1038\/s41562-018-0506-1","article-title":"The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use","volume":"3","author":"Orben","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nature Human Behaviour"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"252","DOI":"10.1556\/2006.7.2018.49","article-title":"Is smartphone addiction really an addiction?","volume":"7","author":"Panova","year":"2018","journal-title":"Journal of Behavioral Addictions"},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"Petrosyan, A. (2023). Internet and social media users in the world 2023, Statista. Available online: https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/617136\/digitalpopulation-worldwide\/."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.88.5.879","article-title":"Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies","volume":"88","author":"Podsakoff","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Psychology"},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"Sarason, I. G. (2013). Social support: Theory, research and applications, Springer Science & Business Media."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"486","DOI":"10.1037\/a0017074","article-title":"Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in studies of substance use","volume":"21","author":"Shiffman","year":"2009","journal-title":"Psychological Assessment"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sun, D., Lin, Y., Liao, C., and Pan, L. (2024). Online interpersonal trust and online altruistic behavior in college students: The chain mediating role of moral identity and online social support. Frontiers in Psychology, 15.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1452066"},{"key":"ref_37","unstructured":"Tabachnick, B. G., and Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics, Pearson. [7th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"535","DOI":"10.1089\/cyber.2019.0079","article-title":"Active and passive social media use and symptoms of anxiety and depressed mood among Icelandic adolescents","volume":"22","author":"Thorisdottir","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1080\/15213269.2013.838904","article-title":"Influence of social support received in online and offline contexts on satisfaction with social support and satisfaction with life: A longitudinal study","volume":"18","author":"Trepte","year":"2015","journal-title":"Media Psychology"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1027\/1864-1105\/a000222","article-title":"The relationship between use of social network sites, online social support, and well-being: Results from a six-wave longitudinal study","volume":"29","author":"Utz","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Media Psychology"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1037\/0012-1649.43.2.267","article-title":"Preadolescents\u2019 and adolescents\u2019 online communication and their closeness to friends","volume":"43","author":"Valkenburg","year":"2007","journal-title":"Developmental Psychology"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"530","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448211065425","article-title":"The associations of active and passive social media use with well-being: A critical scoping review","volume":"24","author":"Valkenburg","year":"2022","journal-title":"New Media & Society"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"62","DOI":"10.1177\/09637214211053637","article-title":"Do social networking sites influence well-being? The extended active-passive model","volume":"31","author":"Verduyn","year":"2022","journal-title":"Current Directions in Psychological Science"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copsyc.2020.04.002","article-title":"Social comparison on social networking sites","volume":"36","author":"Verduyn","year":"2020","journal-title":"Current Opinion in Psychology"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"480","DOI":"10.1037\/xge0000057","article-title":"Passive Facebook usage undermines affective well-being: Experimental and longitudinal evidence","volume":"144","author":"Verduyn","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: General"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"274","DOI":"10.1111\/sipr.12033","article-title":"Do social network sites enhance or undermine subjective well-being? A critical review","volume":"11","author":"Verduyn","year":"2017","journal-title":"Social Issues and Policy Review"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"206","DOI":"10.1037\/ppm0000047","article-title":"Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem","volume":"3","author":"Vogel","year":"2014","journal-title":"Psychology of Popular Media Culture"},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108044","DOI":"10.1016\/j.addbeh.2024.108044","article-title":"Gratification and its associations with problematic internet use: A systematic review and meta-analysis using Use and Gratification theory","volume":"155","author":"Wei","year":"2024","journal-title":"Addictive Behaviors"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3791","DOI":"10.1007\/s00520-019-05193-2","article-title":"Investigating relationships among cancer survivors\u2019 engagement in an online support community, social support perceptions, well-being, and moderating effects of existing (offline) social support","volume":"28","author":"Westmaas","year":"2020","journal-title":"Supportive Care in Cancer"},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Winstone, L., Mars, B., Haworth, C. M., and Kidger, J. (2021). Social media use and social connectedness among adolescents in the United Kingdom: A qualitative exploration of displacement and stimulation. BMC Public Health, 21.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-021-11802-9"},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.12840\/issn.2255-4165.2016.04.01.010","article-title":"Communication in health-related online social support groups\/communities: A review of research on predictors of participation, applications of social support theory, and health outcomes","volume":"4","author":"Wright","year":"2016","journal-title":"Review of Communication Research"},{"key":"ref_52","first-page":"1135","article-title":"Relationship between real and online social support and cyberbystander defending behavior: The chain mediating effect of belief in a just world and moral identity","volume":"32","author":"Xu","year":"2024","journal-title":"China Journal of Health Psychology"},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1007\/s10648-024-09886-x","article-title":"Factors associated with teacher wellbeing: A meta-analysis","volume":"36","author":"Zhou","year":"2024","journal-title":"Educational Psychology Review"},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327752jpa5201_2","article-title":"The multidimensional scale of perceived social support","volume":"52","author":"Zimet","year":"1988","journal-title":"Journal of Personality Assessment"}],"container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/16\/9\/1543\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T08:46:03Z","timestamp":1788252363000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/16\/9\/1543"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"references-count":54,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["bs16091543"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bs16091543","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-328X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-328X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]}}}