The Comprehensive Assessment of Social Media Use: Development and Validation Study

Abstract Background Nearly all youth use the internet daily, with many maintaining several social media accounts. As increasing numbers of young people engage online and the ways we communicate fundamentally change, it is increasingly important to ask: how do these shifts influence youth mental health? To better understand how social media may affect mental health, researchers require validated tools that capture young people’s heterogeneous experiences with social media. However, few available measures evaluate the full range of positive and negative behaviors associated with its use, limiting our ability to meaningfully advance interventions promoting online hygiene. Objective This study aims to develop and validate the Comprehensive Assessment of Social Media Use (CASM). The CASM is a self-report survey measure that moves beyond simple duration or frequency of use and captures how young people engage with social media. Importantly, the CASM assesses both the positive and negative dimensions of social media engagement. Methods Two studies are outlined in this paper. Study 1 outlines the process of item generation and exploratory factor analysis. Study 2 outlines confirmatory factor analysis and validity testing. Both studies were conducted online and enrolled a convenience sample of college-aged young adults. Study 1 enrolled 260 participants (mean age 19.73, SD 2.91; n=172, 66.2% female; n=164, 63.1% White; n=38, 14.6% lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, and queer [LGBTQ]). Study 2 enrolled 508 participants (mean age 18.99, SD 1.17; n=323, 63.6% female; n=272, 53.5% White; n=58, 11.4% LGBTQ). Results Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a 29-item CASM scale that assesses 7 distinct aspects of young adult social media use: self-branding, compulsive use, disruptive use, impulsive sharing, social engagement, induce negative emotions, and induce positive emotions. This model accounted for 61% of the variance in responses. The chi-squared test of model fit was significant (χ²356=941, P<.001; root mean square error of approximation=0.064; comparative fit index=0.855; Tucker-Lewis index=0.848; standardized root mean squared residual=0.060). Factor internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.699 to 0.817. Validity testing suggested moderate discriminant, convergent, and criterion validity. Conclusions The CASM measures a broad range of social media behaviors, enabling researchers to more effectively examine associations between online engagement and mental health outcomes. We hope the CASM will help researchers better understand how young people interact with social media, and that this knowledge will inform the development of more targeted interventions promoting healthy online habits.