A Systematic Review of User Characteristics Moderating the Relationship between Use of Social Networking Sites and Mental Health

The relationship between use of social networking sites (SNS) and mental health varies acrosspersons. However, which user characteristics explain this variance? To examine how this issue has been studied in the literature, we conducted a systematic review. We provide an overview of (a) user characteristics that have been examined as moderators of the relationship between (overall, active, or passive) SNS use and mental health (well-being or ill-being), and (b) methodological and theoretical features of these studies. We found 30 journal articles testing 24 unique moderators. Most studies were atheoretical, cross-sectional, and relied on convenience samples. Most moderators (67%) were examined in a single journal article only and for the other moderators results were often mixed. However, experimental studies revealed that social comparison orientation aggravates the negative consequences of passive SNS use on mental health. We outline four recommendations for future studies on conditional effects of SNS on mental health.