Associations Between Problematic Social Media Use and Psychological Adjustment in Turkish Adolescents: Mediating Roles of Family Relationships

Problematic social media use has emerged as a significant threat with adverse impacts on the mental health and well-being of individuals worldwide. The primary objective of this study is to examine the potential mediating role of family relationships, specifically characterized by family cohesion, family expressiveness, and family conflict, in the relationship between problematic social media and psychological adjustment. The study included a sample of 567 Turkish adolescents (64% girls, mean age = 15.63 ± 1.46) who completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Brief Psychological Adjustment Scale-6, and Brief Family Relationship Scale. The results revealed that problematic social media use was a significant predictor of family cohesion, family expressiveness, family conflict, and psychological adjustment. Also, family cohesion and family conflict significantly predicted psychological adjustment. Furthermore, problematic social media use had indirect effects on psychological adjustment through family cohesion and family conflict. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mediating mechanisms underlying the association between problematic social media use and psychological adjustment. The implications of these findings are relevant in tailoring interventions and implementing protective approaches to mitigate the psychological consequences of problematic social media use.