The Role of Social Media in Shaping Emotional Regulation Among Gen Z: A Study on the Effects of Peer Pressure and Online Validation

Abstract

Background: Social media usage (SMU) has grown in popularity among young people, especially in Generation Z (Gen Z). Communicating with peers, gaining new skills and information fast, and maintaining relationships with adult mentors like parents, relatives and instructors are some of its advantages. Objective: This study aimed to investigate how social comparison and cyberbullying interact to influence emotional well-being, providing new insights into the psychological risks associated with social media usage among Gen Z. Methods: An online survey of 531 Indian social media users was carried out between January and March 2024 among 531 Indian social media users (adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 27) enlisted via convenience sampling. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using SPSS and AMOS was employed to evaluate the proposed hypotheses. Findings: The study confirmed a significant direct positive effect of social media use on emotional well-being (b [Formula: see text] 0.184, [Formula: see text]) and a significant indirect effect mediated by social comparison ([Formula: see text]). Cyberbullying emerges as a critical moderator variable, dampening the positive links between social media use (SU) and social comparison (SC) ([Formula: see text]) and between social media use and emotional well-being (EW) ([Formula: see text]). These quantitative results elucidate the nuanced influence of social dynamics on the emotional well-being of Indian Gen Z social media users.