Students using social media to cope with COVID-19, research finds

University students are increasingly turning to social media as a way to cope with social isolation and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Carleton University researcher says.

Professor Kim Hellemans, chair of the neuroscience department, has been studying how the pandemic has influenced cannabis use, stress and mental health among students taking university courses.

She told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morningthatsurvey results haveshown a clear trend of higher scores on a problematic social media scale a psychological tool based on a similar scaleused to measure substance use.

"For a lot of [the pandemic], we've had to remain relatively physically isolated from our other friend groups. Students, unlike others, are using these tools to try to connect with people," said Hellemans.

"But like everything, it has a dark side."

Overuse of social media causing anxiety

That "dark side," Hellemans said, comes when people spend more time using social media thanintended, havedifficulty cuttingdown their time online or experiencewithdrawal symptoms like anxietywhen not using the apps.

Hellemans had already been studyingstudent mental health at the beginning of the year, surveying students to learn more about the relationship between mental health, cannabis use andacademic outcomes.

When the pandemic hit Canada, she added new questionnairesspecific to the pandemic. So far, herteam has conducted three phases of the study with different sets of participants.

Her survey asks students whether they use social media to combat negative feelings or moods, if they neglect friends and other social activitiesand if they're preoccupied when they're not using it.

In research conductedfromMay to June,81 per cent of participants said they'd been using social media as a coping mechanism more since the pandemic began.

Hellemans said female students were more likely to report problematic social media use than male students, partly because women are typically more active usersand are more likely to want to feel connected to their friend groups.

Other coping strategies: cannabis, food

Students are also turning to substancesto cope with their stress, Hellemans said, fromsweets and desserts tocannabis and alcohol.

Hellemans said data collected during the first phase of the studyshowed a risein problematic cannabis and alcohol use among students after March 30, about two weeksafter public health officials encouraged people to stay at home and classes moved online.

Use of both substances thendeclined during the summer,Hellemanssaid.

"What we think is happening is that the students electing to take courses in the summer are the ones that have the financial means to do so, and are in a better mental position to do so as well," said Hellemans.

As post-secondarystudents head back to school, Hellemans said universities and professors need to make sure they are supporting them.

"It's back to normaland yet we're still in a global pandemic," said Hellemans. "I suspect we're really going to need to keep an eye on and make sure our students are doing well."