Social Media Addiction Research Articles

The Association Between Social Media Addiction and Aggressive Behaviors: A Longitudinal and Gender-Specific Analysis.

Recent evidence demonstrates an association between social media addiction (SMA) and aggressive behaviors; however, the longitudinal relationship between these two variables remains not fully understood. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between SMA and aggressive behaviors (overt and relational aggression) in early adolescence and to identify gender differences in this relationship. A sample of 568 Italian early adolescents (52.3% girls; Mage = 12.59, SD = 0.87) attending middle schools in northern Italy was recruited from different schools. Participants completed an anonymous questionnaire to assess SMA and the perpetration of overt and relational aggressive behaviors. The questionnaire was completed twice with a 1-year intervals (T1 and T2). The findings showed that females were at higher risk of SMA and relational aggression, whereas males exhibited higher levels of overt aggression at both time points (T1 and T2). Longitudinal analyses revealed that SMA at T1 was associated with higher likelihoods of both overt and relational aggression at T2 across both genders and that only in females was relational aggression at T1 associated with higher levels of SMA at T2. The study suggests a relationship between SMA and aggressive behaviors and reveals gender differences in this pattern. Limitations, future directions, and practical implications of the research are discussed.

The Impact of Social Comparison, Fomo, Cyberbullying, and Social Media Addiction on Social Anxiety among Malaysian Youth

The Impact of Social Comparison, Fomo, Cyberbullying, and Social Media Addiction on Social Anxiety among Malaysian Youth

Enigma of social media use: complexities of social media addiction through the serial mediating effects of emotions and self-presentation

IntroductionExcessive social media use, though considered unhealthy, is no longer formally categorized as an addiction or disorder, leading to a lack of consensus on this behavior. It raises concerns regarding the exclusion of Internet Addiction Disorder from the DSM-5-TR due to insufficient empirical evidence. This study investigates the serial mediating effects of positive and negative affect, fear of missing out, and offline and online self-presentation in the relationship between social media use and social media addiction.MethodThe study was conducted in Hong Kong with 385 participants (84.2% F, age range = 18–60) of an online survey. This study administered the Social Media Use Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Fear of Missing Out Scale, Presentation of Online Self Scale, and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale.ResultsThe results indicate that social media use plays a significant role in predicting both positive and negative affect. The findings further reveal that positive and negative affect, fear of missing out, and offline and online self-presentation act as serial mediators in the relationship between social media use and social media addiction. In other words, these variables work together in a sequential manner to mediate the impact of social media use on addiction. Additionally, the study indicates that social media use and social media addiction are fully mediated by both positive and negative affect, fear of missing out, and offline and online self-presentation.DiscussionSocial media use can evoke both positive and negative affect. The longer individuals are immersed in social media, the more their positive affect intensifies, exacerbating FoMO and fostering inconsistent offline and online self-presentation. Conversely, extended social media engagement can heighten negative affect, leading to anxiety about others having more rewarding experiences and concurrently inducing apprehension characterized by FoMO. To prevent addiction, the development of educational tools such as SimCity video games, scenario-based learning activities, and virtual reality experiences focused on social media use and social media addiction can offer a valuable opportunity for pre-exposure to the related risks and challenges.

Impact of Social Media and Anxiety among College Students

This study aims explore the relationship between social media use and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) among students. A sample of 76 participants aged 18 to 25 was assessed using two standardized tools: the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, which measures the severity of anxiety, and the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), designed to quantify the extent of social media dependency. Data analysis revealed a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.330, with a p-value of 0.004, indicating a moderate positive correlation between social media addiction and anxiety. These findings suggest that higher levels of social media addiction are significantly associated with increased anxiety symptoms. The results imply that students who exhibit addictive behaviours related to social media are more likely to experience anxiety, potentially due to factors such as constant connectivity, social comparison, and fear of missing out (FOMO). Given the moderate correlation, this study underscores the importance of addressing excessive social media use as a factor in mental health interventions. The findings call for the development of strategies that can help students manage their social media habits and reduce the psychological distress associated with its overuse. Future research could further investigate the causality of this relationship and examine additional variables, such as self-esteem, emotional regulation, or sleep patterns, that may mediate the link between social media addiction and anxiety. Keywords: Social Media Use, Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Exploration of the association between social media addiction, self-esteem, self-compassion and loneliness

Exploration of the association between social media addiction, self-esteem, self-compassion and loneliness

The effect of grandparental care on social networking sites addiction in college: mediated by social anxiety and loneliness

ObjectiveGrandparental care has become a common phenomenon, yet there is still limited research on the long-term psychological effects on children raised by their grandparents. This study aims to explore the impact of early grandparental care experiences on university students’ social networking sites addiction, social anxiety, and loneliness.MethodsA random cluster sampling method was employed to select college students from a medical school in Jiangxi for a questionnaire survey. The study measured social networking sites addiction, social anxiety, and loneliness using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Interaction Anxiety Scale (IAS), and Loneliness Scale (ULS-6) respectively. Additionally, grandparental care was assessed through individual questions. Data analysis was conducted using mediated effects modeling.ResultsIn total, 4318 participants were recruited. 45.2% of participants were male and 54.8% were female. The study found a significant positive association between grandparental care experience and social networking sites addiction, social anxiety, and loneliness. The study revealed that social anxiety mediated 20.0% of the effect between grandparental care experiences and social networking sites addiction, while loneliness mediated 16.0% of this effect. Moreover, social anxiety and loneliness together mediated 12.0% of the chained effects between grandparental care experiences and social networking sites addiction.ConclusionGrandparental care has no direct impact on social networking sites addiction in adulthood. Social anxiety and loneliness play a mediating role between grandparental care and social networking sites addiction. Therefore, schools and families should prioritize efforts to enhance the physical and mental well-being of individuals receiving grandparental care. This can be achieved through targeted health promotion initiatives.

Relationship between anxiety, loneliness, and sleep-disorders with social media addiction among adolescent

In the digital era, social media usage has become an integral part of daily life, particularly among adolescents. This study investigates the relationship between anxiety, loneliness, sleep disorders, and social media addiction among adolescents. A cross-sectional study involving 290 X and XI-grade students utilized standardized instruments: the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS/SRAS), UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Bivariate analysis was conducted using the Chi-square test (p<0.05). Findings revealed 10.7% severe social media addiction, 21.4% severe anxiety, 4.8% significant loneliness, and 74.5% poor sleep quality. Significant associations were found between anxiety (p=0.013), loneliness (p=0.010), sleep disturbance (p=0.033), and social media addiction. Higher anxiety, loneliness, and poor sleep quality correlate with increased susceptibility to social media addiction among adolescents. This underscores the importance of addressing psychological well-being in interventions aimed at mitigating social media addiction.

Mindful eating and orthorexia nervosa: How do they interact?

The present study explored the associations between orthorexia nervosa, social media addiction, emotion regulation difficulties, perfectionism and BMI with four facets of mindful eating, using path analysis to assess these relationships. A sample of 551 students (127 males, 424 females, mean age = 22.6 years) completed an online self-report questionnaire evaluating these constructs. Analyses revealed that mindful eating contributed to emotion dysregulation and orthorexia nervosa and was related to social media addiction. Significant indirect paths were identified from mindful eating, social media addiction and adaptive perfectionism through emotion dysregulation to maladaptive perfectionism. While no direct paths were observed between mindful eating and perfectionism, a direct path was found between adaptive perfectionism and orthorexia nervosa. These findings suggest a more nuanced understanding of eating behaviours is required. Individuals susceptible to eating disorders should approach mindful eating with caution and seek support from healthcare providers to ensure it is used in a way that supports overall wellbeing. Future research should aim to replicate and further clarify these associations to reveal the long-term effects of mindful eating.

Relationship between Social Media Addiction and Psychological Resilience among University Nursing Students

Relationship between Social Media Addiction and Psychological Resilience among University Nursing Students

The Mediating Role of Attitudes Towards Eating in the Relationship Between Compulsive Instagram Use and Orthorexia in Adults.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between compulsive use of social media and orthorexia, with a focus on the mediating role of eating attitudes. The study involved 255 participants between the ages of 18-65 who did not have any psychiatric disorders or developmental disabilities. The participants completed a Sociodemographic Information Form, Orthorexia Nervosa Inventory, Social Media Addiction Scale, and Eating Attitudes Test. The results showed a positive correlation between orthorexia and all other scales and sub-scales. Multiple regression analyses revealed that eating attitudes were a significant predictor of all sub-dimensions of orthorexia. Additionally, the sub-dimension of Conflict on the Social Media Addiction Scale was found to predict the Impairments sub-dimension of orthorexia. Further analysis using the PROCESS macro showed that compulsive use of social media not only directly predicted orthorexia, but also indirectly through eating attitudes. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing both compulsive use of social media and eating attitudes when working with individuals who exhibit orthorexic symptoms in clinical settings.

The Brief Social Media Fatigue Scale (BSMFS): A New Short Version Through Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling and Associations with Trait Anxiety, Fear of Missing Out, Boredom Proneness, and Problematic Use

This study examines the psychological impact of social media use through the psychometric validation of the Social Media Fatigue Scale (SMFS). Using a sample of 329 Italian social media users, the dimensionality of the scale was assessed using Exploratory Factor Analysis, subsequently corroborated by comparing Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM). The refined brief scale comprised three factors within the ESEM framework (RMSEA = .046, p = .54; CFI = .984; TLI = .967, and SRMR = .033) and showed good reliability ( ω F 1 = . 75; ω F 2 = . 89; ω F 3 = . 73). The research further explores the associations between social media fatigue (SMF) and trait anxiety through path analyses, examining the mediating role of the fear of missing out (FoMO) and the influence of boredom proneness on SMF, with problematic social media use serving as a moderator. The results, supporting the hypothesized roles of FoMO and problematic social media use, are discussed in relation to the relevant literature.

Are we too connected to social media? An explanatory research the problematic social media use in self-esteem, phubbing and procrastinating behaviour

ABSTRACT Indonesia is in the first position in the category of users with the highest screen time duration, which triggers problematic social media use (PSMU). Previous research has consistently proven PSMU to be related to dysfunctional behavior and harmful daily life activities, which affects academic. Therefore, this research aimed to measure the PSMU procrastination level of youths, phubbing behavior, and self-esteem. Generalized Structured Component Analysis (GSCA) was used to identify the structural relationships relevant to a multivariate dataset of 770 cross-sectional convenient samples aged 17 to 30 collected through an online questionnaire. The result obtained four hypotheses with a significant positive effect, and two negative impacts. This showed that PSMU will cause procrastination, including worse academic performance on mental and physical health. In addition, the higher the PSMU, the greater the possibility of phubbing in relation to friendship quality, and weakening communication within the family. An increase in PSMU tends to affect self-esteem leading to inferiority due to constant comparison of achievements with other social media users.

Concurrent and prospective associations of social media usage with binge eating symptoms in early adolescence.

This study investigated longitudinal relationships between social media usage and binge eating (BE) in early adolescence and explored potential moderating effects of sex and BMI. Data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, including 1940 participants aged 11 to 12 years at Wave 1, were analyzed over three annual waves. Social media addiction (SMA) scores and time spent on social media were calculated from self-report questionnaires. BE symptoms were evaluated using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS-5) through self-reports and parent reports. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate associations, adjusting for demographic and behavioral covariates. SMA symptoms, but not time on social media, were cross-sectionally and prospectively associated with BE. Prospective associations were stronger in male adolescents and differed by baseline body weight. The consistently high SMA group showed the strongest association with follow-up BE compared with the consistently low SMA group, whereas decreased and increased SMA groups showed similarly positive associations. SMA scores predict BE in early adolescence, with differentiation in the relationship by sex and weight status. Further observational and interventional research could illuminate underlying mechanisms and test the value of targeting social media-addictive behaviors to mitigate the risk of disordered eating.

I Don't matter anyway. Will more Instagram change that? Anti-mattering and Instagram Feed vs. stories addiction symptoms: The moderating roles of loneliness and life satisfaction

The present study examined the relations between two facets of Instagram addiction symptoms (i.e., Instagram Feed Addiction – IFA and Instagram Stories Addiction – ISA), anti-mattering, loneliness, and life satisfaction. More specifically, we explored the potential moderating roles of loneliness and life satisfaction on the link between anti-mattering and Instagram addiction symptoms. The sample involved 280 Romanian adults aged 18 to 57 (M = 22.58, SD = 4.62, 72.86% females, mostly from rural residential areas. Findings showed that the higher the age, the lower the scores on both IFA and ISA. Male participants reported higher IFA and ISA than females. Anti-mattering was positively associated with loneliness, Instagram feed, and stories addiction symptoms and negatively associated with life satisfaction. A moderated linear regression with residual centering suggested that both loneliness and life satisfaction moderated the links relations between anti-mattering and Instagram feed and stories addiction symptoms. These findings are discussed in relation to their practical implications for preventing and managing digital addictions among adults.

Nursing students' personality traits, sleep quality, social media addiction, and academic performance: A multi-site structural equation model analysis

BackgroundThe associations between personality traits, sleep quality, social media addiction, and academic performance have been well-reported across the literature among university students. However, the interaction among these variables remains understudied among nursing students of underdeveloped countries like the Philippines. PurposeThis study investigated the interrelationships of personality traits, sleep quality, social media addiction, and academic performance among Filipino nursing students. MethodsA correlational, cross-sectional design and convenience sampling was used to recruit nursing students (n = 823) from five nursing colleges in the Philippines. Three standardized instruments (10-item Personality Inventory, 19-item Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and 6-item Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale) were used to collect data from June to August 2023. Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) was employed to analyze the data. STROBE checklist guided in reporting study results. ResultsThe emerging model demonstrated satisfactory model fit parameters. Nursing students reported high levels of extraversion (x̅=6.13, SD = 2.08) with low scores in emotional stability (x̅ =6.76, SD = 2.30) and openness to experiences (x̅ =8.80, SD = 2.09). The majority had poor sleep quality (x̅=8.35, SD = 3.12) and were at low risk for social media addiction (x̅=17.73, SD = 5.61). Conscientiousness (β = −0.13, p = 0.031) and emotional stability (β = −0.35, p = 0.002) inversely influenced sleep quality. Agreeableness (OR = 1.13, p = 0.007) and openness to experiences (OR = 1.11, p = 0.050) had a positive effect, while conscientiousness (OR = 0.84, p = 0.006) had a negative effect on high-risk social media addiction. Conscientiousness (β = 0.12, p = 0.010) significantly and positively influenced academic performance. Conscientiousness and emotional stability were able to measure 15.00 % of sleep quality's total variance. ConclusionPolicymakers, nursing college administrators, and nurse educators could use these findings to evaluate students' personality traits and create programs that will promote better sleep quality and prevent social media addiction. Hence, enhancing academic performance.

Investigating the indirect effects of appearance-related anxiety on instagram addiction: A sequential mediation analysis

Investigating the indirect effects of appearance-related anxiety on instagram addiction: A sequential mediation analysis

On the edge of the social media landscape: associations with adolescent substance use and moderation by parental rules.

Adolescent problematic social media use (PSMU) has been increasing. Digital engagement has been associated with substance use, but little is known about the potential protective role of parents. We investigated whether screen and substance-related parental rules moderated the associations between (problematic) SMU and intake of tobacco, alcohol, hashish/marijuana, and laughing gas. We used data from the Amsterdam Born Children and Development study (N=1787; Mage=15.86years; SD=0.36). Both frequent and problematic SMU in relation to tobacco, alcohol, hashish/marijuana, and laughing gas intake levels; and moderation by perceived parental rules (screen/substances), was tested with ordinal logistic regression models. PSMU was associated with higher chances of higher substance use levels. Hashish/marijuana use and heavy drinking were less prevalent in adolescents reporting the presence of parental rules on alcohol/drugs, compared to adolescents reporting no rules. Although parental rules on alcohol/drugs, but not screen time, moderated the relationship between PSMU and both hashish/marijuana use and heavy drinking, the moderation effect was modest, especially in mitigating substance use at higher PSMU-scores. PSMU was positively associated with a wide range of substance use behaviours. The potential significant role of parental rules (alcohol/drugs) mitigating these associations are highlighted.

Social media addiction and employees’ innovative behavior: a moderated mediation model of work engagement and mindfulness

Social media addiction and employees’ innovative behavior: a moderated mediation model of work engagement and mindfulness

Social Media Addiction and ESL Learners’ Motivation as Mediated by Academic Achievement Goal Orientation

Social Media Addiction and ESL Learners’ Motivation as Mediated by Academic Achievement Goal Orientation

Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance and Social Networking Addiction among Young Adults

The present study investigated the possible relationship between sociocultural attitudes toward appearance and social networking addiction among young adults. It also looked at how young persons' sociocultural views on looks and their addiction to social networking differed by demography (gender and age). Convince sampling strategy was used to choose the sample of 384 young adults from Post Graduate College Mansehra and Hazara University Garden Campus Mansehra. Data was gathered using a demographic sheet, the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire 4 Revised (SATAQ-4R), and the Social Media Addiction Scale Student Form (SMAS-SF). Young adults' social networking addiction and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance were found to be significantly positively correlated by the correlational analysis. A significant age-based difference was found in social networking addiction and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance. Sociocultural attitudes towards appearance and addiction to social networking were higher among young adults under the age of twenty. This research will help young individuals use social networking more productively because they use it more frequently. Furthermore, this study will help young people manage and cope with the social views that surround beauty.