This article discusses the relationship between risk and protective factors affecting general mental health (GMH), focusing on the impact of seeking external validation through online interactions and the role of perceived social support (PSS) as a protector. Emeralda et al. (2025) state that perceived social support, unconditional self-acceptance (USA), and interpersonal mattering (IPM) positively contribute to general mental health (GMH).
New media literacy (NML) plays a role as a factor that strengthens this relationship. Individuals with good media literacy tend to have higher PSS, better self-acceptance, and a stronger sense of meaning. These findings emphasize the importance of media literacy in the digital era for maintaining mental health.
Emeralda et al. (2025) also demonstrate practical applications of these findings, such as the importance of integrating NML into the educational curriculum. This can help students think critically about digital media and reduce the negative effects of unhealthy online interactions.
In conclusion, the development of digital literacy skills is crucial for enhancing social support as a protective factor against mental health issues. Educational stakeholders, both government and private, are advised to encourage the development of NML skills in society. This step becomes an important strategy to address the negative impact of seeking online validation.
General mental health and new media literacy among Malaysian adult urbanites
This study investigates the multifaceted interplay of risk and protective factors influencing general mental health (GMH), focusing on the impact of external validation seeking through online interactions and the protective role of perceived social support (PSS) against GMH problems, mediated by unconditional self-acceptance (USA) and PSS with new media literacy (NML) is introduced as a moderator variable, affecting the interplay between PSS, USA, and interpersonal mattering (IPM) in predicting GMH. A moderated serial mediation model was proposed and tested with 380 purposively recruited adult urbanites from Malaysia. The results reveal that individuals with high NML perceive greater social support, leading to higher self-acceptance and mattering, enhanced GMH protection. This study highlights the critical role of NML in the digital age’s impact on GMH.
Dee Emeralda, Abdul Hadi Che Hasan, Yi Ming Ho, Kususanto Ditto Prihadi
