Wong Tracy K, Hamza Chloe A
Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
J Youth Adolesc. 2025 Apr;54(4):997-1013. doi: 10.1007/s10964-024-02109-0. Epub 2024 Nov 27.
Although social media provides a crucial platform for self-development in emerging adulthood, the link between online self-presentation and mental health outcomes remains unclear. Thus, the associations among real self, ideal self, different types of false self-presentations, and depressive symptoms were examined over time (T1-T3) in the present study, along with the mediating role of self-concept clarity. Participants (N = 1,217, Mage = 18.14, 71% female-identifying) completed a survey three times over one year. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel modelling indicated that individuals presenting themselves authentically tended to demonstrate stronger self-concept clarity and fewer depressive symptoms. Those engaging in false-deceptive, compare/impress, and ideal self-presentation tended to have weaker self-concept clarity and more depressive symptoms. A within-person bidirectional association was found between false-deceptive self-presentation and depressive symptoms. Within-person increases in false-explore self-presentation predicted increases in depressive symptoms, whereas increases in compare/impress self-presentation predicted decreases in depressive symptoms. Self-concept clarity was not a significant mediator. The findings suggest that promoting authentic online self-presentation may support self-concept clarity and reduce risk of mental health challenges in emerging adults. However, engaging in false-deceptive online self-presentation (both greater than typical levels and compared to others) may increase risk of mental health challenges, and vice versa.
尽管社交媒体为成年初期的自我发展提供了一个关键平台，但在线自我展示与心理健康结果之间的联系仍不明确。因此，本研究在一段时间内（T1 - T3）考察了真实自我、理想自我、不同类型的虚假自我展示与抑郁症状之间的关联，以及自我概念清晰度的中介作用。参与者（N = 1217，年龄中位数 = 18.14，71% 自我认定为女性）在一年时间内完成了三次调查。随机截距交叉滞后面板模型表明，真实展现自己的个体往往表现出更强的自我概念清晰度和更少的抑郁症状。那些进行虚假欺骗、比较/炫耀和理想自我展示的个体往往自我概念清晰度较弱且抑郁症状更多。在虚假欺骗性自我展示和抑郁症状之间发现了个体内部的双向关联。个体内部虚假探索性自我展示的增加预示着抑郁症状的增加，而比较/炫耀性自我展示的增加预示着抑郁症状的减少。自我概念清晰度不是一个显著的中介变量。研究结果表明，促进真实的在线自我展示可能有助于增强自我概念清晰度，并降低成年初期心理健康挑战的风险。然而，进行虚假欺骗性的在线自我展示（无论是高于典型水平还是与他人相比）可能会增加心理健康挑战的风险，反之亦然。
