Impact of Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic on the Social Networking Sites Usage and Psychological Distress among University Students

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to determine the purpose of social networking sites (SNS) usage and the severity of psychological distress among university students after experiencing a prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A total of 112 university students completed the questionnaire adapted from the Social Networking Usage Questionnaire (SNUQ) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 items (DASS-21). Descriptive results showed that the university students use SNS actively for entertainment purposes, followed by academic, social, and information purposes. The students also suffered from immense psychological distress, with anxiety being the highest, followed by depression and stress. The results indicated the potential of integrating SNS in instruction and urgency in resolving the critical psychological distress issue among university students.