Social Media Addiction among Turkish Young Adults Is Partially Mediated by Automatic Thoughts and Social Problem-Solving Skills.

Objective: This study aimed to reveal a process model of the relations between automatic thoughts, dysfunctional attitudes, social problem-solving skills, and social media addiction. In this context, the aim was to investigate the mediating effect of automatic thoughts and social problem-solving skills in the relationship between intermediate beliefs and social media addiction.

Methods: This study included 56 male and 107 female young adults aged 18-25 years who were referred to the psychiatry outpatient clinic of Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. The participants completed sociodemographic data form, social problem-solving inventory revised form, social media addiction scale, dysfunctional attitudes scale short form, and automatic thoughts questionnaire. In the data analysis, the effect and mediation were tested by the process method.

Results: Dysfunctional attitudes positively affected social media addiction and automatic thoughts and negatively affected social problem solving. According to this, the effect of dysfunctional attitudes on social media addiction was mediated by automatic thoughts and social problem solving.

Conclusion: In this sense, both cognitive and behavioral processes can be useful in the treatment of social media addiction, and cognitive behavioral therapies can be an effective option.