Online Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is described by the enduring preoccupation of being judged negatively by others during a social performance or social circumstances (65). The worry of receiving unfavorable feedback is even stronger during adolescence, when the identity of the self is developing. Online activity on social media can be very attractive, especially for young people with such fears, as it is possible to share information or content in a more controllable environment. Although this allows people with social anxiety issues to overcome, even partially, the fear of being exposed to public judgment, it can lead to the development of a problematic usage of social media platforms. With regard to Facebook, a longitudinal study by Szwedo and colleagues found that at 13 years of age (Time 1), social anxiety does not explain preference for virtual communications, and at 20 years of age (Time 2), it was positively correlated with a predilection for online relations, especially for those expressing increased levels of maternal behavior undermining autonomy at Time 1 (23). Levels of social anxiety in social media young users have been shown to be positively correlated with online behavioral dimensions such as the attitude of comparing one’s appearance with other people’s pictures on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat (60). As a consequence, the approach toward social media can be conflicting: the person desires at the same time to be recognized as interesting and “liked,” but would also like to avoid being judged negatively or ridiculed. The awareness of these mechanisms might intensify pre-existing symptoms of social anxiety, leading to non-adaptive patterns of behavior (82).