A study has found that when users participate in the use of vaguebooking it can be seen as a predictor for loneliness and suicidal thoughts. It holds up with the notion that it is not the use of social media that leads to mental health issues but instead how social media is used that leads to the identification of preexisting mental health problems. In other words, vaguebooking can potentially serve as an identifiable risk marker for mental health issues.

Vaguebooking as a predictor for mental health issues

This refers to social media post that are vague and include little to no clear information but are worded in a way that would solicit attention and concern from the reader (e.g. “Sometimes I just feel like… I dunno, sigh…”)

Pepperdine University

There has been a lot of concern about the use of social media and its impact on mental health. The problem is that the studies that have come out have been mixed in results as well as been criticized for their validity. From the studies that were done, they found that the mere exposure of social media was not what attributed to mental health issue but rather the quality of interactions within social media. In one study, they found that the use for social media for negative social comparison lead to later depression. On the other hand. another study found that the positive well being of social media users is associated with the positive use of social media. An example of positive use is authentic self-presentation.

Impact of Social Media on Young Adult 

Berryman, C., Ferguson, C. J., & Negy, C. (2018). Social media use and mental health among young adults. Psychiatric quarterly, 89(2), 307-314.

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