Perceptions of Agency Over Social Media Use Are Better Predictors of Well-Being Than Logged Usage Time

There is substantial concern that social media use (SMU) negatively impacts well-being. Building on the idea that subjective evaluations of SMU can shape well-being effects, this study examined how two social media mindsets—agency and valence—relate to self-reported and logged SMU, and four well-being indicators (depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction) among a sample of young adults (N = 1858, M = 21.01, SD = 3.14) in South Africa. The results replicate, extend and sometimes contradict previous findings in this regard. Agency mindsets (perceptions of control over SMU) negatively correlated with SMU and positively with well- being, while valence mindsets (perceptions about SMU effects) were associated with higher SMU but not to well-being. Logged SMU showed weaker associations with mindsets and well- being compared to self-reported SMU, suggesting differences between perceived and actual use. These findings highlight the importance of users' sense of control, more so than SMU duration or valence mindsets, in predicting well-being.