The relationship between social media addiction and rejection sensitivity with social anxiety in adults

Social anxiety, characterized by a fear of negative evaluation, is a condition observed in individuals with high rejection sensitivity. This cognitive sensitivity reinforces the tendency to avoid face-to-face social interactions, leading individuals to turn to virtual environments, which can pave the way for the development of social media addiction. The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between social media addiction and rejection sensitivity and social anxiety. The study was conducted with 503 adults over the age of 18 living in Mersin. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Form, the Social Media Addiction Scale, the Rejection Sensitivity Scale, and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to determine the relationship between continuous variables. Findings revealed a low-level positive relationship between social media addiction and rejection sensitivity, while a moderate-level positive relationship existed between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety. As a result of the regression analysis, it was determined that rejection sensitivity significantly predicted the level of social anxiety, while social media addiction did not predict the dependent variable.