Exposure to ethnic discrimination in social media and symptoms of anxiety and depression among Hispanic emerging adults: Examining the moderating role of gender

Abstract

Method Two hundred Hispanic emerging adults from Arizona (n = 99) and Florida (n = 101) completed a cross‐sectional survey, and data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses. Results Higher social media discrimination was associated with higher symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety. Moderation analyses indicated that higher social media discrimination was only associated with symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety among men, but not women. Conclusion This is likely the first study on social media discrimination and mental health among emerging adults; thus, expanding this emerging field of research to a distinct developmental period.

Online racism, psychological distress, and alcohol use among racial minority women and men: A multi-group mediation analysis.

“…Coupled with the trend that men seem to be more confrontative and aggressive in hostile online interactions than women (Ang & Goh, 2010; Erdur-Baker, 2010), racial minority men may engage in either an avoidant or retaliative strategy to externalize the immediate stress resulting from online racism and reduce the need to engage in alcohol-related coping. However, Cano et al (2020) recently found that higher social media discrimination was associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms only among Hispanic men but not women. Although alcohol use was not examined in this study, depression and anxiety symptoms are highly comorbid with risky alcohol use (Grekin, 2012).…”

“…In light of this, growing research has demonstrated that online racism is significantly linked to poorer mental health among racial minority adults (Cano et al, 2020; Keum & Miller, 2017). Even after accounting for offline experiences of racism, Keum and Miller (2017) found that online racism uniquely predicted psychological distress over and above offline racism experiences among racial minority young adults.…”

Changes in flourishing from adolescence to young adulthood: An 8‐year follow‐up

“…The high school dropout rate is 18.3% among Hispanics, compared with 9.9% among Blacks and 4.8% among non‐Hispanic Whites and the proportion of Hispanic adults with less than 7 years of elementary school education is 20 times that of non‐Hispanic Whites (DeNavas‐Walt et al, 2010; Taylor et al, 2011). However, protective factors such as resilience, social support, bicultural identity integration and bicultural self‐efficacy are associated with lower levels of psychosocial distress among Hispanic emerging adults (Cano et al, 2020; Cano, Marsiglia, et al, 2021). Attention to both risk and protective factors is needed to better promote flourishing among Hispanic and Latino young adults.…”

“…Additionally, extensive evidence documents the role of racism and daily discrimination experienced by Hispanics, African Americans and other ethnic minorities (Williams et al, 2003), with research finding associations with poor psychological and physical health outcomes among adolescents (Huynh & Fuligni, 2010; Sirin et al, 2015) and emerging adults (Cano, Schwartz, et al, 2021). We found that a higher frequency of everyday discrimination was related to 7% lower odds of flourishing, even when controlling for demographic characteristics, adolescent flourishing and multiple indicators of healthy development, which support Lei et al's recent findings (2021).…”

“…We found that a higher frequency of everyday discrimination was related to 7% lower odds of flourishing, even when controlling for demographic characteristics, adolescent flourishing and multiple indicators of healthy development, which support Lei et al's recent findings (2021). The relationship between Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, everyday discrimination and flourishing warrants further exploration, particularly given the relationship others have found between ethnic discrimination and mental health disorders among Hispanic emerging adults (Cano, Schwartz, et al, 2021).…”