Do Mindsets Really Matter? A Closer Look at Social Media Perceptions and Well-Being

Building on the idea that subjective evaluations of social media use (SMU) may shape well-being effects, this study investigated how two “social media mindsets”—agency (perceivedcontrol over SMU) and valence (perceived effects of SMU)—relate to self-reported and loggedSMU, and four well-being indicators (depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction) in a SouthAfrican sample of young adults (N = 1,858; M = 21.01). Agency mindsets were negativelycorrelated with SMU and positively with well-being, while valence mindsets were associatedwith higher SMU but not to well-being. Logged SMU showed weaker associations with mindsetsand well-being than self-reported SMU, suggesting differences between perceived and actualbehaviour. The findings replicate, extend, and in some cases contradict prior research,emphasizing how users’ sense of control is more important for well-being than SMU duration orperceptions of its effects, and that more work is needed to understand whether the “mindsets”concept is fruitful.