Psychosomatic symptoms and attainment of flow state among adolescents: Role of social networking usage

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the role of social media usage in the ‘psychosomatic’ symptoms and flow state of adolescents. The data was collected from 200 participants (94 males and 106 female) with the age range of 16 to 19 years (mean age 18,58) from Haryana and Delhi-NCR region of India. The sample was selected using convenient sampling method. Measures of Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15), Flow State Questionnaire and Social Networking Usage Questionnaire were used to collect the data. Findings indicated a significant positive correlation of social media usage with the psychosomatic symptoms and negative correlation with the flow state of the adolescents. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that social networking usage (socialization, informativeness & entertainment) contributed significantly to the psychosomatic symptoms of adolescents. In addition, social networking usage and their dimensions negatively predicted the flow state of adolescents. Health care professionals and government may use the findings of the study to regulate the use of social media especially for adolescents to alleviate the ill effects of social networking usage and promote health related behavior among adolescents. © 2025, Giunti Psychometrics. All rights reserved.