Exploring Psychosocial Correlates of Social Media Addiction among Adolescents

Damanjit Sandhu and Lalita
Punjabi University, Patiala

Pages: 315-324

The usage of social media has significantly increased and has been linked to problems
with social media addiction (SMA). There is currently a lack of knowledge regarding
the elements that contribute to young people’s addiction to social media. This study’s
main goal is to determine whether online oversharing, social interaction anxiety, and
need for popularity are indicators of social media addiction and use. The research
cohort comprises 184 university students (86 males and 98 females) enrolled at Punjabi
University, Patiala, during the academic year 2023-2024. The methodology employed
in this study involved simple random sampling and a descriptive survey approach. The
data collection instruments utilized include the Bergen social media addiction scale,
social interaction anxiety scale, need for popularity scale, and online oversharing
inventory. Pearson product-moment correlation, multiple regression analysis, and
independent t-tests were conducted to assess the hypotheses. The results show that
social media addiction is positively correlated with social interaction anxiety, need for
popularity, and online oversharing. The total model explains 18.9% of the variance in
social media addiction. The findings show that, while social interaction anxiety does
not significantly contribute to social media addiction, the need for popularity and
oversharing online are noteworthy predictors of social media addiction. Furthermore,
the data shows that there are variations in social media addiction based on relationship
status, but no significant gender differences in social media addiction. Adolescents
who are committed are more likely to become addicted to social media than single
teens because they use these platforms to build or maintain relationships.