Social networking sites addiction and depression among Chinese college students: The mediating role of cognitive flexibility and the moderating role of chronotype

With the greater availability of mobile social networking sites (SNS), SNS addiction has been considered to be related to depression among college students in China. However, the underlying mechanisms of this relation remain to be further explored. Based on the Social-Ecological Diathesis-Stress Model of depression, this study examined the association between SNS addiction and depression among college students, as well as the mediating role of cognitive flexibility and the moderating role of chronotype. Four hundred and twenty-nine college students (Mage = 19.88, SD = 1.52) voluntarily filled out questionnaires regarding SNS addiction, cognitive flexibility, chronotype, and depression. The results indicated that SNS addiction was positively correlated with depression, and cognitive flexibility partially mediated the association between SNS addiction and depression. Moreover, the mediating effect of cognitive flexibility was moderated by chronotype, with the association between SNS addiction and cognitive flexibility being stronger among college students with morning type than those with evening type. The present study provides some implications for education professionals to take effective interventions targeted at cognitive flexibility to reduce depression among students suffering from SNS addiction, and pay attention to those college students with morning type.