Adolescent social media use profiles: A longitudinal study of friendship quality and socio-motivational factors

Early adolescence is a crucial period for social and emotional development, with relationships with close friends shaping individual and social well-being. Today, these interactions occur both offline and online, requiring nuanced theoretical models to capture their complexities. Using a three-wave longitudinal, person-centered approach, this study aims to: (1) identify distinct social media use profiles based on specific online activities, (2) examine socio-motivational factors predicting profile membership, and (3) test the role of profile membership in the longitudinal stability of perceived quality of close friendship. A sample of 1211 Dutch adolescents ( M age = 13.1, SD = 0.80; 53.8 % males) participated in three waves of data collection between 2016 and 2018. Four profiles of social media users emerged (1 = Low users, 2 = High self-disclosing users; 3 = High self-oriented users, 4 = All-round users), each explained by different socio-motivational factors. In particular, a low quality of perceived close friendships at T1 increased the odds of being Low social media users, characterized by lower social media activity at T2. Furthermore, both Low and All-round social media users showed stable perceived friendship quality over time, maintaining consistently low and moderate-to-high levels, respectively. These findings highlight the foundational role of peer interaction in shaping online behaviors and social experiences. While social media can reinforce friendships, its benefits largely rely on pre-existing relationships. Adolescents with weaker friendships may struggle to use social media to build meaningful relationships, missing opportunities to enhance their connections and potentially further deepening social difficulties. • Offline and online contexts where peer interactions occur are highly linked. • Adolescents are grouped into four distinct social media use profiles. • Social media use profiles are influenced by different socio-motivational factors. • The quality of close friendship drives and reflects profiles of social media use. • Low users are likely to miss the opportunities to strength their friendships.