Understanding adolescent students’ use of Facebook and their subjective wellbeing: a gender-based comparison

Abstract

Adolescence is marked by many changes, and adolescents seek peer support to compensate for the concomitant psychological and social challenges they face. In this respect, Facebook has become one of the primary tools adolescents use to build and maintain social relationships. The current study examines the determinants of Facebook use and its relationship with adolescents’ subjective wellbeing, stratified by gender. Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1,121 adolescent students (aged 12–17 years) consisting of 625 boys and 586 girls. The results indicated that the total number of Facebook friends, the need to belong and the perceived waste of time were correlated with adolescents’ use of Facebook; in turn, Facebook use was positively related to the subjective wellbeing of both male and female students. Gender differences were also observed; the need to belong and the positive relationship between Facebook use and subjective wellbeing were both stronger for male students than female students.