Examining the relation of social media usage habits and social media addiction with social anxiety in adults aged 18 – 65 years

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between social media usage habits and social media addiction and social anxiety in adults aged 18-65 years. A second aim of the study is to examine the social media usage habits and social anxiety of individuals according to their demographic characteristics. The universe of the research consists of 400 participants, consisting of adult individuals between the ages of 18-65 in Aydın Province. The data obtained from the research were analyzed with the help of SPSS 20 package program. Information on research variables and socio-demographic characteristics of participants; presented using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation values. Participants in the research; 53.3% are mostly women, 50.3% are single, and 48% are mostly between the ages of 26-33. 34.8% of the participants have an associate degree and 25.8% have a high school or below education level. Occupations of the participants, 19.5% are mostly private sector employees, 18.3% are workers. According to the results of the research, it has been determined that social anxiety and avoidance are associated with social media addiction. It has been concluded that as the level of social anxiety and avoidance increases, the social media addiction of individuals will increase, but as the social media addiction increases bilaterally, the social anxiety and avoidance levels of individuals will also increase. In order to prevent or reduce social media addiction, it can be recommended to teach media literacy to users of all ages and to take measures to prevent social media addiction.