Rumination is more important than other variables in the association between social media use and depression: A multi-method study.

The relationship between social media use (SMU) and mental health, particularly depression, remains inconclusive. The present study recruited 925 college students from two universities in Chongqing, China, to further address this issue using multiple analytical approaches. Data on active and passive SMU, social media envy, social media burnout, social media overload, social media addiction, rumination, and depression were collected via self-report questionnaire. Key findings include:(1) The machine learning analysis indicated that rumination, envy, social media addiction, and social media burnout showed significant associations with depression among college students. Rumination demonstrated the strongest association with depression based on variable importance rankings. (2) Network analysis revealed the highest connection strength between rumination and depression within the network. (3) Substantial heterogeneity in SMU patterns was identified, with students categorized into three latent profiles: a low-level use group, a moderate-level use group, and a high-level use group. Moreover, high-level use group exhibit highest levels of depression. These findings highlight the complexity of the relationship between SMU and depression among college students, offering implications for prevention and intervention strategies targeting depressive symptoms in college students.