Social media addiction and life satisfaction: The mediator role of character strengths

Social media addiction is a type of addiction that has become widespread in recent years and can have negative effects on individuals. The aim of this study is to determine the mediating roles of character strengths in the relationship between social media addiction and life satisfaction. Within the scope of the research, 248 people were reached via the snowball sampling method. Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS) and VIA Character Strengths Scale (VIA-120) were administered to the participants. As a result of the correlation analysis, while social media addiction levels are increasing, life satisfaction levels are decreasing. In addition, while individuals' levels of curiosity, zest, love, gratitude, hope, creativity, judgment, love of learning, perspective, bravery, honesty, perseverance, kindness, social intelligence, leadership, prudence, self-regulation, appreciation of beauty and excellence and spirituality character strengths are increasing, life satisfaction levels are also increasing. Participants' levels of fairness, teamwork, forgiveness, humility and humor character strengths were not related with their life satisfaction levels. As a result of the correlation analysis, it was also found that as individuals' levels of bravery, honesty, perseverance and zest character strengths are decreasing, social media addiction levels are increasing. As a result of the regression analysis, having a high economic status, being married, not having a psychiatric diagnosis history, not having an Instagram account, and having high levels of love and hope character strengths predicted their life satisfaction. As a result of the mediation analysis, it was found that the character strengths of judgment, perspective, courage, honesty, perseverance, enthusiasm for life, love, caution, self-management and hope mediated the relationship between social media addiction and life satisfaction. Identifying character strengths that mediate the relationship between social media addiction and life satisfaction is believed to be the first step to develop character strength-based intervention programs for social media addiction.