Social Media Addiction and Academic Engagement: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem among University Students

Abstract

The fast growth of social media has significantly altered the academic and social life of university students; however, overindulgence in the sphere has caused justified fears about the psychological and academic health. Using the prism of the social comparison theory and self-esteem theory, the current question examines the complex of social media addiction and academic performance, making self-esteem an intermediate variable. The quantitative design was chosen, and the information was collected with the help of structured questionnaires among university students. The analytical stage used the IBM SPSS and the PROCESS Macro. Findings show that there is a negative correlation between social media addiction and self-esteem, and self-esteem has a positive predictive value on academic engagement. Mediation analyses establish that self-esteem moderately mediates the correlation between social media addiction and academic involvement. The outcomes of these studies highlight the urgency of adopting healthy social media behaviors and strengthening the self-esteem of the students to enhance their academic activities.