The invisible impact of social media use on university students: An analysis of body dissatisfaction and stress.

OBJECTIVES

The research aims to investigate the effects of social media use on body dissatisfaction and stress among university students.

METHODS

This study used a descriptive and cross-sectional design. Data were collected online from 717 students in Türkiye through the Personal Information Form, the Social Media Addiction Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Body Image Scale.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 90.8 % were aged 18-25 and 82.3 % were female. Younger students had higher Social Media Addiction and Perceived Stress scores, while Body Image scores increased with age. Female students scored higher on Social Media Addiction and Perceived Stress than males (p < 0.010; p < 0.000), with no gender difference in Body Image. Educational level was unrelated to Social Media Addiction or Perceived Stress, but Body Image scores were significantly higher among undergraduate and graduate students (p < 0.000). Phone use was more frequent than computer use. Increased phone use was associated with higher Social Media Addiction and Perceived Stress (p < 0.000; p < 0.005), while greater computer use was associated with higher Perceived Stress and Body Image scores (p < 0.005; p < 0.020). Social Media Addiction was higher among TikTok, Snapchat, and multi-platform users, whereas Body Image scores were higher among Twitter and Facebook users (p < 0.000). Social Media Addiction correlated positively with Perceived Stress (r = 0.289, p < 0.01) and negatively with Body Image (r = -0.124, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Social media use increases addiction and stress while impairing body image among university students. These results highlight the importance of developing preventive mental health initiatives related to social media use.