The Relationship Between Social Media Use and Self-Esteem in Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: There is growing interest in the role of social media (SM) in the mental health (MH) and well-being of neurodivergent people, with evidence of both potential harms and benefits to engagement. Here, we undertook a scoping review to explore existing research into links between SM use and self-esteem in Autistic people and/or people with ADHD, with a focus on potential commonalities and differences in experiences. Method: We conducted a systematic search of four electronic databases. Two of us screened and coded records independently and conducted a narrative synthesis. We registered the protocol on the Open Science Framework (doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/T5ZHG ) and followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines throughout. Results: We identified 16 reports, based on 16 studies, that met inclusion criteria. Eleven focused on children/adolescents, and five on adults. Five focused on autism, 10 on ADHD, and 1 on both. Studies of people with ADHD focused largely on addictive/problematic SM use and cyberbullying, whereas studies of Autistic people focused on cyberbullying and online connection/community. Cyberbullying and problematic use were associated with lower self-esteem, whereas online community was linked to (Autistic) identity, connection, and higher self-esteem. Studies were predominantly quantitative, cross-sectional, and based on self-report data. Furthermore, population samples were limited in terms of diversity. Conclusion: The current literature highlights the negative impacts of cyberbullying and problematic use on self-esteem for Autistic people and people with ADHD. We also found benefits to self-esteem in studies of Autistic people through opportunities for online community and connection. Future work is needed to explore underlying causality between SM use and self-esteem, as well as directions thereof, incorporating a broad range of constructs beyond problematic use and cyberbullying.