The Psychosocial Effects of Social Networking Sites on Mental Health of Kenyan Youth: A Case of Daystar University

Abstract

The study sought to find out the psychosocial effects of social networking sites on mental health among Kenyan youth. The target population was Daystar University students who are based in Athi River campus. A total of 236 respondents formed the sample size. A descriptive survey research design was used. Opportunity sampling was used to select the respondents where data was collected by use of questionnaires which adopted and modified the DASS tool, Life satisfaction scale and the Reviled UCLA scale. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS version 23.0 and presented using graphs, tables and charts for the descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation and chisquare for the inferential statistics. The prevalence of social network sites (SNS) usage among Daystar University students was at 97.5% where WhatsApp and Facebook had the highest number of users at 99% and 95% respectively. It was found that there was a statistically significant moderate correlation (r = 0.492, p = 0.019) between the frequency of accessing SNS and depression as well as the relationship between anxiety and the frequency of accessing SNS, with a statistically significant moderate correlation (r = 0.627, p = 0.007). There was a statistically significant high correlation (r = 0.818, p = 0.009) between SNS usage and social isolation (loneliness). The study concluded that increased and regular use of the social network sites led to increased symptoms of depression, meaning there is a significant relationship between social media use and depression. The researcher recommends that the government through the communication commission of Kenya could limit the length of time one spends on social media sites per day to stem the psychological effects of social media.