A Survey Dataset on the Associations between Social Media Use Behaviors and Mental Health among Adolescents and Young Adults

The data were collected using a structured questionnaire, comprising over 5,700 responses from adolescents and young adults.The dataset includes the following core variable modules:Demographics: Age, Gender.Social Media Use Behaviors: Daily screen time, frequency of passive browsing, intensity of viewing others' posts, level of scrolling without interaction, and frequency of nighttime passive use.Psychological and Cognitive Variables: Concern about online image, pressure to appear perfect online, fear of negative online judgment, online impression management stress, tendency to compare lifestyle and physical appearance with others, feeling inferior after browsing, and upward comparison tendency.Mental Health and Well-being Indicators: Depressive mood index, anxiety symptom score, stress and exhaustion level, and overall mental health well-being.Social Media-Specific Risk Factors: Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) score, rumination after social media use, self-esteem stability, emotional regulation ability, academic performance satisfaction, sleep quality after online use, perceived social support, loneliness after using social media, frequency of checking notifications, exposure to idealized content, social anxiety in online interactions, and confidence in offline communication.This dataset is valuable for analyzing how social media usage patterns (especially passive use) impact mental health through mediating variables such as social comparison and emotional regulation.

It supports research in educational interventions, clinical psychology, and the formulation of public health policies.