The relationship between university students' use of social media, psychological well-being, and self-esteem

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between university students' use of social media, psychological well-being, and self-esteem. This study also aims to examine whether use of social media, psychological well-being, and self-esteem differs from according to demographic variables (gender, age, daily duration of social media usage, and the social media platforms they most frequently use). The study employed a correlational survey method and collected data from 310 undergraduate students (Nfemales= 171, Nmales=139) attending foundation and state universities through convenient sampling. Research data were collected using a Demographic Information Form, Social Media Behaviors Scale (Dikbaş Torun, 2019), Psychological Well-Being Scale (Telef, 2013), and Arıcak Self-Esteem Scale (Arıcak, 1999). Independent T-test was employed to compare two independent groups like gender, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used for comparing three or more independent groups, Tukey post-hoc test was utilized for further examining group differences, and finally, Pearson Correlation Analysis was conducted to assess the relationships between the variables. According to the research findings, strong and consistent relationships were found among the sub-dimensions of social media usage and the levels of psychological well-being among university students. Particularly, it was indicated that consumption, creation, and sharing behaviors on social media were interrelated and these interactions might be associated with the overall psychological well-being levels of university students. The high correlation between self-worth and confidence suggests that these two concepts are closely related to students' self-perceptions, while depressive affect is inversely proportional to this positive self-image. Achievement and productivity, by demonstrating strong relationships with levels of psychological well-being, indicate that how university students perceive and feel about themselves could have significant effects on their tendencies to be successful and productive. Keywords: Social Media Usage, Psychological Well-Being, Self-Esteem, University Students