%0 Journal Article
%T The Reciprocal Relationship Between Passive Social Networking Site (SNS) Usage and UsersĄŻ Subjective Well
%A Detlef H. Rost
%A Douglas A. Gentile
%A James Gaskin
%A Jin-Liang Wang
%J Social Science Computer Review
%@ 1552-8286
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/0894439317721981
%X Prior studies have found an inconclusive relationship between social networking site (SNS) usage and usersĄŻ subjective well-being. Passive SNS usage may be detrimental to subjective well-being, because it cannot provide social support and may evoke envy and jealousy. Conversely, it is also possible that lower subjective well-being may predict higher passive SNS usage, which can be used as a means to relieve stress. To examine this reciprocal process, a two-wave study among a sample of Chinese college students was conducted (N = 350 at Time 1, 265 at Time 2). Data were analyzed with structural modeling. Cross-lagged analysis indicated that passive SNS usage at Time 1 predicted a decrease in subjective well-being at Time 2. Lower subjective well-being at Time 1 also predicted an increase in passive SNS usage at Time 2. These findings deepen our understanding of the complicated association between SNS usage and well-being and has implications for how to help individuals use SNS healthily
%K SNS usage
%K subjective well-being
%K reciprocal relationship
%K social network
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0894439317721981