“Social Media Sport (SMS) Study”: An effective measure to protect (mental) health in the age of digital transformation!?
The use of social media (SM; e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) is an integral part of many people’s everyday lives. In the longer term, online activity can be detrimental to mental and physical health. Among other things, there is an increase in depression and anxiety symptoms, sleep disorders and suicidal behaviour, while life satisfaction decreases. The research project will test an experimental approach to protect (mental) health from the negative consequences of SM use in the longer term. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups for a fortnight: 1. SM group: reduction of SM use time; 2. sport group: increase of physical activity; 3. combination group: combination of 1. and 2.; 4. control group: no specific instruction. Data on SM use and health will be collected from all participants over several months. The empirical approach allows for short- and longer-term causal conclusions. The results of the study provide evidence for an effective, time- and cost-efficient preventive measure for the long-term protection of (mental) health in the age of the digital revolution.
Research focus
- (Pathological) media use
- mental health
- Suicide
- Personality
- cross-cultural comparisons
Curriculum Vitae
- Since 02/2014: Research assistant at the Research and Treatment Centre for Mental Health, Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum
- 11/2019 and 12/2019: Habilitation and inaugural lecture (private lecturer; Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
- 10/2012 to 01/2015: Doctorate (Dr. phil.; Social Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum)
- 10/2010 to 09/2012: Master of Science Clinical Psychology (M. Sc.; Ruhr-University Bochum)
- 10/2007 to 08/2010: Bachelor of Science Psychology (B. Sc.; Ruhr-University Bochum)
Publications
- Brailovskaia, J., & Margraf, J. (2021). The relationship between burden by Coronavirus (Covid-19), addictive social media use, sense of control and anxiety. Computers in Human Behavior, 106720. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2021.106720
- Brailovskaia, J., Margraf, J., & Teismann, T. (2021). Repetitive negative thinking mediates the relationship between addictive Facebook use and suicide-related outcomes: A longitudinal study. Current Psychology. doi:10.1007/s12144-021-02025-7
- Brailovskaia, J., Ozimek, P., & Bierhoff, H.-W. (2021). How to prevent side effects of social media use (SMU)? Relationship between daily stress, online social support, physical activity and addictive tendencies – A longitudinal approach before and during the first Covid-19 lockdown in Germany. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 5, 100144. doi:10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100144
- Brailovskaia, J., Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I., Kazlauskas, E., & Margraf, J. (2021). The patterns of problematic social media use (SMU) and their relationship with online flow, life satisfaction, depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Lithuania and in Germany. Current Psychology. doi:10.1007/s12144-021-01711-w
- Brailovskaia, J., & Bierhoff, H.-W. (2020). The Narcissistic Millennial Generation: A Study of Personality Traits and Online Behavior on Facebook. Journal of Adult Development, 27(1), 23-35. doi:10.1007/s10804-018-9321-1
- Brailovskaia, J., & Margraf, J. (2020). Decrease of well-being and increase of online media use: cohort trends in German university freshmen between 2016 and 2019. Psychiatry Research, 290, 113110. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113110
- Brailovskaia, J., Schillack, H., & Margraf, J. (2020). Tell me why are you using social media (SM)! Relationship between reasons for use of SM, SM flow, daily stress, depression, anxiety, and addictive SM use – An exploratory investigation of young adults in Germany. Computers in Human Behavior, 113, 106511. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106511
- Brailovskaia, J., Ströse, F., Schillack, H., & Margraf, J. (2020). Less Facebook use-More well-being and a healthier lifestyle? An experimental intervention study. Computers in Human Behavior, 108, 106332. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106332
- Brailovskaia, J., Teismann, T., & Margraf, J. (2020). Positive mental health mediates the relationship between Facebook Addiction Disorder and suicide-related outcomes: A longitudinal approach. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 23(5), 346-350.doi:10.1089/cyber.2019.0563
- Brailovskaia, J., Rohmann, E., Bierhoff, H.-W., Margraf, J., & Köllner, V. (2019). Relationships between addictive Facebook use, depressiveness, insomnia and positive mental health in an inpatient sample: A German longitudinal study. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 8(4), 703-713. doi:10.1556/2006.8.2019.63
