Exploring the Mental Health Effects of Social Media Usage among Undergraduates: Evidence from Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The growing popularity of social media among Nigerian youth comes with several concerning implications, including its strong association with adverse mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and addictive behaviors.
Objective: This study generally examined the mental health effects of social media usage among undergraduates in Ogun State, Nigeria, exploring how digital engagement influences psychological well-being in this specific demographic population.
Methods: The study examined the mental health effects of social media through a cross-sectional survey conducted among 395 participants selected using multistage sampling techniques to ensure representative coverage across undergraduate institutions in Ogun State, Nigeria. To identify significant predictors of mental health outcomes, regression analysis was systematically conducted, examining the relationship between social media usage patterns and psychological well-being indicators. Additionally, ANCOVA analysis was employed to explore both direct and indirect relationships among the study variables while controlling for potential confounding factors. Statistical significance was established at p ≤ 0.05, ensuring rigorous evaluation of all findings and minimizing the likelihood of Type I errors in the interpretation of results.
Results: The findings suggest a weak association between social media use duration and negative mental health outcomes (p=0.052); psychological influence from social media use significantly predicts poorer mental health outcomes (β = 0.636, p < .001), accounting for over 40% of the variance (R² = 0.404) and significant differences were noted in social media usage across academic levels (F(4, 388) = 3.15, p = 0.014), with higher usage reported among 300L students implying that increased academic stress or social validation pressures may occur as students advance academically.
Conclusions: This underscores the pressing need for institutional mental health policies that go beyond monitoring screen time to addressing the psychological dimensions of social media use among university students.