Şaban YALTYIRK, Ece BEKAROĞLU
Addicta The Turkish Journal On Addictions - 2026;13(2):234-246
This study aims to explore the underlying mechanisms in the association between teenage problematic social media usage and social anxiety, specifically emotion regulation difficulties. A total of 188 females and 125 males aged between 10 and 18 years participated in the study. Data were gathered between September 2022 and January 2023 using the convenience sampling method. The Social Media Addiction Scale Short Form for Adolescents (SMAS-SF), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, and a demographic information form were given to the participants. Correlational, Hierarchical Regression, and multiple mediation analyses were conducted. Findings showed that difficulty in emotion regulation plays a significant mediating role in the association between problematic social media use and social anxiety. This link was mediated specifically by difficulties in emotional clarity and goal-directed behavior, as well as non-acceptance of emotional reactions. In addition, there was a significant direct effect of problematic social media use on social anxiety. Problematic social media use may harm emotional regulation, which could lead to a decline in emotional clarity, making it more difficult to accept and manage emotional reactions and cope with unpleasant emotional experiences. This, in turn, may exacerbate social anxiety.
