Abstract Background: As more people engage with online platforms, understanding the factors behind social media addiction is crucial for researchers and policymakers, particularly for vulnerable groups like students. This study investigates the prevalence of social media addiction among young adults in Saudi Arabia and explores the relationships between social media addiction, self-esteem, and loneliness. Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study of 2309 adults residing in Saudi Arabia using an electronic online self-administered questionnaire was conducted. The questionnaire assessed socioeconomic characteristics, the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the UCLA loneliness scale (ULS-8). Regression models were developed to determine the independent association between the study variables. Results: Females constituted 82.7% of the participants and utilized various social media platforms, including WhatsApp (87.1%), Twitter (85.5%), Snapchat (83.5%), Instagram (71.6%), and TikTok (62.4%). This online survey demonstrated that one-third of approached Saudis were social media addicts (35.9%, 297 out of 829), with 30.4% of them preferring online activities over sleeping, 23.3% neglecting household chores, and 21.6% choosing social media over family time. In addition, 18.7% (155 out of 829) of social media addicts acknowledged impairment in their work due to social media use, and 17.5% experienced feelings of depression, moodiness, or nervousness when offline, which alleviated on resuming online activity. Social media addiction was more prevalent among participants with low self-esteem compared to those with high self-esteem (44.1% vs. 30.5%). Conversely, as levels of loneliness increased, social media addiction exhibited an upward trend. The prevalence was lowest (16%) among those with the least loneliness and peaked at 59.8% among individuals experiencing the highest level of loneliness. The study found significant associations between social media addiction and physical inactivity (Odds ratios OR = 1.9, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.57–2.30), lower self-esteem scores (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.86–0.94), and higher loneliness scores (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.10–1.15). Conclusion: This study enhances understanding of social media addiction in young adults in Saudi Arabia, showcasing its high prevalence and links to low self-esteem, loneliness, and physical inactivity. This study advocates for targeted interventions promoting digital well-being, like encouraging physical activity and creating psychological support programs.
Alateeq et al. (Tue,) studied this question.