Online Social Anxiety in the Digital Age: Transitions, Predictors, and Mental Health Associations in Emerging Adulthood.

Ao Liu; Zheng Zhang; Xintian Hong; Rumiao Pan; Zhihao Ma; Yuanyuan Wang

doi:10.1177/21522715261475288

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Online Social Anxiety in the Digital Age: Transitions, Predictors, and Mental Health Associations in Emerging Adulthood.

Ao Liu·Zheng Zhang·Xintian Hong·Rumiao Pan·Zhihao Ma·Yuanyuan Wang

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Online social anxiety (OSA), a multidimensional form of social evaluative anxiety in online social contexts, disproportionately affects emerging adults who constitute the largest active group of media users and face heightened psychological sensitivity due to growing pressures and immature sociocognitive regulation during the transition to adulthood. However, its heterogeneity, transitions, and longitudinal associations with mental health outcomes remain underexplored. METHODS: This study utilized data from two waves of a three-wave longitudinal survey, with 849 Chinese participants (Meanage = 21.6 years; 50.4 percent female) assessed at 4-month intervals. Individuals were classified using latent profile analysis and the stability and changes of profiles were assessed via latent transition analysis (LTA). Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted separately at baseline and follow-up to identify correlates of profile membership. Predictors of profile transitions were examined using manual three-step LTA models, and associations between latent transition patterns and follow-up mental health outcomes were examined using BCH-LTA distal outcome analyses controlling for the corresponding baseline symptom level. RESULTS: Four profiles of OSA were identified: low, privacy-sensitive, moderate-high, and high OSA. Extreme profiles (low/high OSA) showed high stability (80.4 percent and 79.1 percent), while privacy-sensitive OSA exhibited the lowest stability (55.1 percent). Profile memberships were influenced by social-cognitive biases and digital interaction, particularly fear of negative evaluation and online interpersonal trust, whereas profile transitions were mainly associated with anxiety. Transitions toward less severe OSA profiles were generally associated with better subsequent mental health, whereas transitions toward more severe profiles corresponded to poorer outcomes, particularly for offline social anxiety. CONCLUSION: OSA was heterogeneous in its manifestation, severity and transitions. Personalized and early interventions targeting profile-specific vulnerabilities are critical to prevent the worsening of OSA and mitigate its psychological burden.

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Humans Female Male Longitudinal Studies Young Adult Anxiety Phobia, Social Digital Media Mental Health Adult Adolescent China Social Media emerging adults latent transition analysis mental health online social anxiety Journal Article

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Ao Liu, Zheng Zhang, Xintian Hong, Rumiao Pan, Zhihao Ma, Yuanyuan Wang. 2026-08-06. Online Social Anxiety in the Digital Age: Transitions, Predictors, and Mental Health Associations in Emerging Adulthood.. https://doi.org/10.1177/21522715261475288

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Journal Article resource Adolescent subject Adult subject Anxiety subject China subject Digital Media subject Female subject Humans subject Journal Article subject Longitudinal Studies subject Male subject Mental Health subject Phobia, Social subject

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