The mediating role of social media addiction in the relationship between usage time and physical activity attitudes among adolescents: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to examine the associations among social media addiction, social media platform preferences, and physical activity attitudes in adolescents. The study included 742 volunteer high school students (473 males and 269 females) aged 14–17 years attending schools in Bitlis, Türkiye, during the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Social Media Addiction Scale–Short Form (SMAS-SF), and the Physical Activity Attitude Scale for Children and Adolescents (PAAS-CA). Independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons, Pearson correlation analyses, and mediation analysis (PROCESS macro Model 4) were performed. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d and eta-squared (η 2 ). Significant differences in social media addiction and physical activity attitudes were observed based on gender, age, grade level, family income, physical activity status, platform preference, and daily usage time (p < .05). Male students reported higher social media addiction and more positive physical activity attitudes than females. TikTok users exhibited less positive physical activity attitudes, whereas YouTube and Twitter users showed more favorable profiles. Mediation analysis indicated that social media addiction statistically mediated the association between daily social media use time and physical activity attitudes however, given the cross-sectional nature of the data, this mediation model represents an associative pathway rather than a confirmed causal mechanism. Correlation analyses indicated low but significant positive associations between social media addiction and physical activity attitude scores (r = .21–.25). Social media addiction and physical activity attitudes among adolescents are associated with socio-demographic characteristics and digital behavioral patterns. The findings suggest that social media addiction is statistically linked to the association between daily social media use time and physical activity attitudes, functioning as an associative bridge within the tested model. Because of the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associative rather than causal. Future studies should incorporate objective measures of physical activity and longitudinal designs to clarify causal pathways.