Patterns of social media use in Vietnamese youths: status and associations with psychological well-being

BackgroundVietnam ranked 18th globally in internet users and among the top 10 countries with the highest number of social media users, with 78.6% of the population using the internet and 73.7% active on social media. Despite the high prevalence of social media users, there remains a paucity of studies investigating social media usage and its impact. This study aims to examine social media usage patterns and their impact on the psychological well-being of Vietnamese youths.MethodsA cross-sectional study utilized a convenience sampling method to recruit 1,477 participants aged 14 to 24 from five provinces in Vietnam. The primary outcomes of interest were health-related quality of life and psychological well-being, assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Key predictors included socio-demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and patterns of social media usage, which were systematically examined to explore their associations with the primary outcomes.Results50% of participants who used social media met the criteria for the existence of underlying psychological distress. Communicating with friends and staying updated with news were the main purposes of using social media among the participants. The study also revealed the significant correlations between Vietnamese youths' psychological distress and social media usage patterns and sociodemographic traits.ConclusionsThis study is perhaps the first study to have examined and explored the patterns of social media use amongst Vietnamese youths and to explore the psychological impact of their social media usage. The findings underscores the critical need for a multifaceted approach involving the participation of school and family to foster healthier social media habits and protect mental well-being among youth as well as prepare strategies to early coping with psychiatric consequences.