PERCEPTION OF LONELINESS AND SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION IN ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

Limited physical contact and interaction can lead adolescents to experience feelings of loneliness. Additionally, there is an observed increase in social media use among this age group. The entertainment and playful aspects of these platforms tend to captivate users, sometimes leading to addiction. This research aimed to analyze the relationship between the perception of loneliness and social media addiction in adolescents. A quantitative, non-experimental and descriptive-correlational approach with a cross-sectional design was employed. The utilized instruments included the Social Media Addiction Questionnaire (SMAQ) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale, version 3. The study involved 568 adolescents aged 12 to 18, selected through non-probability convenience sampling. The analysis revealed significant differences (p<0.01) in perceptions of loneliness and lack of control over social media use among females. It also showed differences in perceptions of loneliness among public school students (p<0.05). A direct, low positive correlation was found between perceptions of loneliness and social media addiction in this population (rs = 0.203; p<0.01).