Depressive Symptoms Amplify the Impact of Online Friend Support and Cyberostracism on Adolescents’ Well and Ill Being

Adolescents’ communication with friends increasingly occurs online. Research on online communication with friends in adolescence has primarily focused on the quantity rather than the quality of interactions, such as feelings of support or rejection. Since offline friend support and rejection affect adolescents’ well- and ill-being, it is essential to understand how these dynamics unfold in online contexts, particularly for adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms, who may be especially sensitive to these experiences. In this preregistered 100 day diary study, 479 adolescents (Mage = 15.98, 54.9% girls; 96.9% Dutch) reported daily on their experiences of online friend support and rejection (cyberostracism), time spent communicating online with friends, and their well- and ill-being. Results showed that time spent communicating online with friends did not relate to adolescents’ well- and ill-being. Online friend support resulted in higher well-being and lower ill-being, while cyberostracism was related to lower well-being and higher ill-being. Adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms experienced intensified effects, both positive and negative, suggesting more vulnerability to everyday online social experiences but also increased benefit from online support. Altogether, this underscores the importance for parents and clinicians to foster open conversations to help adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms navigate their digital social world.