Date
3-21-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Angela Rathkamp
Keywords
social media use, adolescents, subjective wellbeing, social media literacy
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Virone, Miranda L., "The Impact of a Social Media Literacy Program on Adolescent Subjective Well-Being" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6569.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6569
Abstract
This study examined the impact of a Social Media Literacy (SML) program on adolescent subjective well-being. The research was conducted in a public middle school in rural western Pennsylvania, with 102 eighth-grade students participating in a six-week SML intervention as part of regular educational practices. The study utilized pre- and post-intervention assessments to measure changes in both SML and subjective well-being. Data analysis included paired samples t-tests to assess within-group effects and Pearson’s r correlation to evaluate associations between variables. Results indicated no statistically significant effect of the SML program on subjective well-being, leading to the rejection of the first research hypothesis. However, a second paired samples t-test revealed a statistically significant improvement in SML among participants, supporting the second hypothesis. Additionally, Pearson’s r correlation found a significant positive association between age and SML post-test scores, suggesting that older adolescents demonstrated greater improvements in social media literacy. No significant association was found between gender and SML post-test scores. These findings suggest that while the SML program did not enhance subjective well-being, it effectively improved social media literacy among adolescents. The results provide empirical evidence to support educational initiatives, advocacy efforts, and policy recommendations aimed at integrating SML programs in schools. Future research should enhance methodological rigor through improved sampling strategies, increased demographic diversity, a true control group, and an extended intervention period to better evaluate the long-term effects of SML programs on adolescent well-being and behavior.
