The effect of social media use on happiness and life satisfaction in adolescents

Aim: This study aims to investigate the impact of social media use on happiness and life satisfaction in adolescents. Material and Method: The study sample of this descriptive and correlational research consisted of 414 students randomly selected from three secondary education institutions affiliated with the Erzincan Provincial Directorate of National Education between October 2022 and June 2023. The research data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents, Life Satisfaction Scale, and Adolescent Happiness Scale. SPSS 26 was used for statistics, and descriptive findings were presented using numbers, averages, and percentages. Correlation analysis was used to look for relationships, regression analysis was used to predict between variables, and differences between variables were examined using the t-test and ANOVA. Results: Of the students who participated in the study, 64.5% were female, 49.3% had a high level of achievement, and Instagram was the most preferred social media tool by 56.5%. The mean score for the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents was 19.7±7.2. The mean score for the Life Satisfaction Scale was 15.1±4.8, and the mean score for the Adolescent Happiness Scale was 49.9±13.5 points. The research found that social media addiction levels among adolescents do not vary based on gender, grade, family income level, or maternal and paternal education level. Conclusion: Research results showed that as the level of social media addiction increases, the level of student achievement decreases. Social media addiction is a variable that affects the happiness and life satisfaction of students. As social media addiction increases, happiness and life satisfaction decrease. School nurses have a critical importance in reducing students' social media addiction.