Examining the relationship between social media addiction and hopelessness in young adults

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between social media addiction and hopelessness in young adults. The sample of the study consisted of 185 females and 50 males, a total of 235 young adults between the ages of 18-30. Socio-demographic information form, Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS) were used in the study. The data obtained from the scales were analyzed using independent sample t-Test, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-Wallis H Test and Pearson correlation. As a result of the analyses conducted according to demographic variables, it was observed that male participants had significantly higher scores than female participants in the sub-dimensions of hopelessness, loss of motivation and expectations for the future. Comparisons made in terms of marital status analyses revealed that single individuals scored higher on these sub-dimensions compared to married individuals. Among age groups, the social media addiction level of the 18-24 age group is higher than the 25-30 age group. In terms of income status, the social media addiction scores of individuals whose income level is lower than their expenses are significantly higher than those of individuals whose income is equal to their expenses. According to the main findings of the study, there are positive, low-level significant relationships between social media addiction and hopelessness, feelings about the future and loss of motivation. On the other hand, no significant relationship was found between future expectations and social media addiction. This suggests that social media use may negatively affect individuals' emotional balance and intrinsic motivation; however, it does not directly harm the long-term hope system. The fact that the level of hopelessness is higher in men and single individuals makes it necessary to develop special psycho-educational programs for these groups.