How does COVID-19-related social media usage influence disordered eating? A daily diary study among Chinese adults during lockdown

Background: Despite previous studies highlighting the benefits of social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly under lockdown, limited research has identified the potential detrimental consequences of social media use during lockdown. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social media on mental health in particular situations and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Methods: A daily diary protocol was adopted. A total of 96 adults (M_age = 25.90 ± 8.32 years) were recruited from Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. COVID-19-related social media use, psychological distress, COVID-19-related stress and anxiety, and disordered eating were measured each day for a week. Multilevel path analyses for the nested data were conducted. Results: Daily COVID-19-related social media use was positively related to daily disordered eating (r =.13 p <.001). Furthermore, the multilevel path analysis showed that psychological distress and COVID-19-related stress and anxiety mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related social media use and disordered eating at the within-person level. However, only COVID-19-related-anxiety mediated the relationship at the between-person level. Conclusions: Our findings contribute to the understanding of social media’s impact during lockdown and provide implications for social media users, social media platform providers, mental health professionals, and governments regarding the correct and sustainable use of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic and in future public health emergencies.