Mediating roles of self-esteem and positive childhood experiences in the relationship between problematic social media use and loneliness

Abstract Background Problematic social media use has been linked to increased loneliness among university students, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Objective The study examines the mediating roles of self-esteem and positive childhood experiences in the relationship between problematic social media use and loneliness among university students. Methods A total of 464 university students aged 18 to 28 years (M = 22.71, SD = 2.71; 58% women) participated in the study. Data were collected via an online survey using standardized measures of positive childhood experiences, social media addiction, self-esteem, and loneliness. Results The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between problematic social media use and loneliness, as well as significant negative associations between problematic social media use and both self-esteem and positive childhood experiences. Mediation analyses indicated that problematic social media use significantly predicted loneliness, accounting for 6% of its variance, while the combined influence of problematic social media use, self-esteem, and positive childhood experiences explained 37% of the variance in loneliness. Notably, both self-esteem and positive childhood experiences partially mediated the relationship between problematic social media use and loneliness. Conclusion This study provides important evidence for designing and implementing interventions that aim to enhance self-esteem and foster positive childhood experiences to mitigate the negative effects of problematic social media use on loneliness.