The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds
Published in the journal Child and Adolescent Mental Health, the study found that teens who messaged a wider circle of friends they knew in person several times a day reported better well-being. Teens who messaged friends they had met only through the internet, often called virtual friends, at least weekly reported worse well-being. Both patterns survived adjustments for gender, family wealth, and family structure.
Intense Messaging With Wider Friend Groups Stayed Linked to Higher Teen Mental Well-Being
More than 7 in 10 teens who answered (71%) messaged close friends intensely. Compared with teens who rarely or never messaged close friends, they scored about 1.6 points higher on the well-being scale. That edge shrank to about 1 point after adjustments, leaving enough uncertainty that chance could not be ruled out. Intense messaging with a wider friend group held firm, with a boost of just under 1 point after adjustments.
Girls (77%) were more likely than boys (65%) to message close friends intensely. Teens from the most affluent households, measured by things like cars, computers, and family trips abroad, were also more likely to do so (82%, versus 62% in the least affluent group).
Moderate and Intense Messaging With Virtual Friends Was Linked to Lower Well-Being
Among all teens surveyed, 29% messaged virtual friends at a moderate level, and 19% did so intensely, though about a quarter skipped that question. Both groups scored lower than teens who rarely or never messaged virtual friends, by about 1 point for moderate contact and 0.6 points for intense contact, and the gaps persisted after adjustments. Boys and girls, and wealthier and less wealthy families, messaged virtual friends at similar rates.