A Stress-Induced Digital Escapism Framework for Understanding the Link Between Stress and Problematic Social Media Use

Given that stress is a significant risk factor for problematic social media use, understanding the underlying psychological mechanisms is essential. We introduce the Stress-Induced Digital Escapism (SIDE) framework, which posits that negative internal emotional responses to external stressors may increase reliance on maladaptive emotion regulation strategies that fail to alleviate distress. These processes may, in turn, strengthen escapism motives that lead to seeking emotional relief through compulsive social media use. Using structural equation modeling (N = 238), we examined three integrated psychological pathways—negative stress reactions, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and escapism motives—as sequential mediators linking external demands to problematic social media use. Consistent with the proposed framework, external demands showed significant indirect associations with problematic social media use through negative emotional responses, maladaptive interpersonal emotion regulation strategies (venting, reassurance-seeking), and escapism motives as sequential mediators. Sensitivity analysis supported the robustness of the serial mediation model over alternative models with reversed pathways. These findings support the SIDE framework as a unified account of the psychological mechanisms underlying stress-related problematic social media use.