Impact of Social Media Use in Adolescence on Excessive Reassurance Seeking and Social Comparison/Feedback-Seeking Behavior in Early Adulthood

This study examined the relationship between the amount of social media usage in adolescence and excessive reassurance seeking behavior and social comparison/feedback seeking behavior in early adulthood by those classified as Generation Z (those born between 1996 to 2010). Participants were classified according to when they first began using social media in order to make these comparisons. A total of 96 students, between the age of 19 to 25, completed self-report questionnaires on their social media usage during adolescence and their current social media usage. They also completed questionnaires regarding their excessive reassurance seeking and social comparison/feedback seeking behaviors. Consistent with the hypotheses, positive correlations were found between the amount of social media usage in adolescence and excessive reassurance seeking and social comparison/feedback seeking behavior in early adulthood. Those who started using social media before 6th grade or in middle school scored significantly higher on excessive reassurance seeking and social comparison/feedback seeking measures compared to those who started using social media in high school. Overall, the study provides the novel insight into the possible retrospective effects of social media use in adolescence