Exploring the Relationships Between Different Types of Facebook Use, Perceived Online Social Support, and Adolescents’ Depressed Mood

This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the relationships between different types of Facebook use, perceived online social support, and boys’ and girls’ depressed mood. To address this aim, this study ( N = 910) developed a comprehensive model that (1) differs between specific types of Facebook use, (2) examines the mediating role of perceived online social support, and (3) takes adolescent users’ gender into account. Structural equation modeling showed that the harmful impact of Facebook use exclusively occurs among girls who passively use Facebook and among boys who actively use Facebook in a public setting. Girls, however, who actively use Facebook, either in a public setting or in a private setting and subsequently perceive online social support, benefit from actively using Facebook, as perceived online social support negatively predicted girls’ depressed mood. The discussion focuses on the explanation and understanding of these findings, key limitations, and directions for future research.