Purpose: The utilization of recent methodological and technological advancements has enhanced the assessment of social media use (SMU)’s impact on adolescent health behaviors (HB). Specifically, mobile device-assisted ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a novel assessment tool, holds potential to minimize recall bias and participant burden while maximizing ecological validity. However, less is known about characterizing the use of EMA in examining social media’s influence on adolescent HB. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to examine the existing literature on the relationship between SMU and health-risk behaviors among adolescents using an EMA approach.
Methods: We searched Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL Ultimate, Health Policy Reference Center, MEDLINE Ultimate, APA PsychInfo, APA PsychArticles, and Sociology Source Ultimate, for peer-reviewed, English articles with quantitative methodology published between January 2017 and July 2024. Articles utilizing the EMA approach to examine the impact of SMU on adolescent HB (e.g., substance use, eating, physical activity, etc.) were included. Data were extracted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The quality of the study was assessed using the Checklist for Reporting EMA Studies.
Results: Ten studies met all inclusion criteria, involving a total of 1,433 adolescents. Half were conducted in the U.S. (N=5), while the remainder were conducted in European countries (N=3) or Australia (N=2). Participants’ ages ranged from 11 to 18 years, with most studies reporting a mean participant age between 14 and 16 years (N=7). Across all studies, mobile phones were used to deliver EMA prompts, with the majority using text or email (N=6). EMA duration varied from 4 to 28 days, with 1 to 9 prompts daily. Only two studies included a follow-up component, both of which were brief. Of the ten studies reviewed, four (40%) reported that increased screen time and SMU negatively impacted sleep duration, while one (10%) suggested that lower physical activity time combined with higher levels of SMU had a negative impact.
Conclusion: This review demonstrates that EMA approach is feasible for use in social media research among adolescents, has the potential to reduce participants’ recall bias and increase ecological validity. Furthermore, the results provide the foundational insights into examining the relationship between SMU and adolescent health in an EMA setting.