Associations between social media addiction, peer relationships and attitudes toward violence among adolescents: a cross-sectional study

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between social media addiction, the quality of peer relationships, and attitudes towards violence in adolescents. This cross-sectional, correlational study included 450 adolescents aged 13–18 years attending high schools in a provincial center in eastern Türkiye. Data were collected using the Demographic Information Form, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Friendship Qualities Scale, and Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Violence Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Statistical significance was set at p < .05. The mean BSMAS score was 17.18 ± 5.30, the mean peer relations score was 82.15 ± 14.05, and the mean attitude toward violence score was 24.69 ± 9.05. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between BSMAS and attitudes toward violence ( r = .214, p < .001). No significant correlation was found between BSMAS and peer relations ( r = .004, p > .05). In multiple regression analysis, attitudes toward violence were significantly associated with BSMAS (β = 0.126, p < .001), whereas peer relations were not significantly associated.The regression model explained 4.2 per cent of the variance in social media addiction, indicating that the model’s explanatory power was limited (R² = 0.042). Social media addiction was positively associated with attitudes toward violence among adolescents, whereas no significant association was found with peer relationship quality. These findings suggest that problematic social media use should be considered not only within a social framework but also in relation to behavioral and psychosocial factors. School-based interventions and digital literacy programs may contribute to promoting healthier social media use among adolescents.