Investigating the Role of Anxiety, Cognitive Emotion Regulation, and Basic Psychological Needs in Social Media Addiction Among Adolescent

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor in Psychology, Department of Psychology and Education, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran.

2 MSc in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology and Education, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/jmpr.2024.60616.6096

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between anxiety, cognitive emotion regulation, basic psychological needs, and addiction to social networks among adolescents. The study employed a correlational research design, and the statistical population consisted of all teenagers studying at the second secondary level in Tehran city during the academic year of 2022-2023. A sample of 226 individuals was selected using an available sampling method. Data collection involved the use of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), the Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Addiction to Mobile-based Social Networks Scale (AMQBSN). The collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multivariate regression. The findings revealed significant relationships between anxiety and addiction to social networks, cognitive regulation of emotion and addiction to social networks, and basic psychological needs and addiction to social networks among adolescents. Furthermore, anxiety, cognitive emotion regulation, and basic psychological needs were found to predict addiction to social networks among teenagers (p > 0.05). In conclusion, anxiety, cognitive regulation of emotion, and basic psychological needs are important factors contributing to addiction to social networks among teenagers. Adolescents with high levels of anxiety, inconsistent cognitive emotion regulation, and unmet basic psychological needs are at a higher risk of developing social network addiction. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of more effective prevention and treatment programs targeting social network addiction among adolescents.

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