The relationship between Social Problem Solving, Cognitive Factors and Social Media Addiction in Young Adults: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the analysis of automatic thinking, intermediate beliefs and fundamental beliefs of individuals using social media within the framework of cognitive theories and comparison of cognitive structures according to their addiction levels. In addition, it was aimed to determine the addiction levels and behaviors of individuals using social media in terms of their social problem solving skills. Method: The study included a total of 35 male and 49 female young adults aged 18-25, who did not meet the diagnostic criteria for mood disorder, psychotic disorder or anxiety disorder and who were literate and volunteered for the study, were included. After giving consent to participate in the study, participants were given a Sociodemographic Data Form, Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised Form (SPSI-R), Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale Short Form (DAS-SF), Social Comparison Scale (SCS) and Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ) as self-test. Results: According to our findings, we found a significant relationship between social media addiction and social problem solving. Particularly, there was a significant relationship between social problem solving, negative problem orientation, avoidance style subscales and social media addiction. Negative cognition was found to be inversely related to positive social problem solving behavior. Conclusion: We think that evaluating negative cognitions and social problem-solving skills may be beneficial in managing social media addiction.