(PS7-72) Beyond the Screen: Unraveling the Link Between BPD Symptoms and Social Media Behaviors

Intro: Despite growing interest in understanding the impact of social media on mental health, literature remains sparse regarding its effect on individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). This study aims to fill this gap by investigating how various BPD symptoms (affect dysregulation, impulsive behaviors, identity disturbance, negative relationships) predict different social media use patterns classified as passive social media use (scrolling, reading, watching videos) or active social media use (posting, messaging, playing games).  

Methods: A sample of 109 undergraduate students completed measures of overall BPD symptoms (PAI-BOR) at baseline. Next, participants engaged in an online group chat task (Richmond et al., 2020) and were randomized to either a social rejection or a social inclusion condition. They then completed a follow-up questionnaire the next day that asked about their social media use since their time in the lab the previous day.  

Results: Regression analyses, using multiple linear regression, indicated that BPD symptoms were significant predictors of both passive and active social media use behaviors, namely, scrolling (passive) and gaming (active). Higher overall BPD symptoms, particularly affect dysregulation and impulsive behaviors, were associated with increased scrolling behavior and gaming, even after controlling for overall social media use and condition of the experimental task. Neither the rejection nor the inclusion condition of the task had an effect on these relationships.

Discussion: These results highlight the nuanced relationship between BPD symptoms and social media use. The significant relations with scrolling and gaming indicate that individuals with BPD may engage with social media in ways that reflect their symptomology, such as seeking emotional stimulation or coping with feelings of emptiness or impulsivity. This suggests that social media might serve various functions for those with BPD, potentially as a coping mechanism, a way to seek validation, or a method to manage feelings of loneliness or boredom. These findings underscore the importance of considering specific mental health conditions when examining social media’s psychological impacts, offering insights for both clinicians and researchers. We aim to further investigate the function of these behaviors in the lives of individuals with BPD by specifically examining their effect on emotional well-being, assessing both positive and negative outcomes.