Childhood Predictors of Social Media Use: A Cross-National Analysis (in the Global Flourishing Study)

Prior research documents associations between problematic social media use and increased mental distress. However, less is known about candidate childhood antecedents that shape social media use in adulthood. We will use data from a diverse, and international sample of 200,000 individuals across 22 countries, to evaluate 16 childhood candidate predictors of social media use in adulthood. We hypothesize that these childhood experiences, personal attributes, and familial or social circumstances will have meaningful and varied associations with adulthood social media use. Additionally, we anticipate the strength of these associations will differ by country, reflecting diverse societal influences. Using multivariate regression analysis and E-values for robustness check against potential unmeasured confounding. Our study aims to provide comprehensive insights into early-life experiences that contribute to social media use in adulthood. The findings will enhance our understanding of early-life predictors of adult outcomes and provide valuable evidence for informing policy and practice aimed at promoting healthy social media use as people age.