Testing the positive youth development based structural model for the prediction of social media addiction

The aim of this research is to examine social media addiction in young people on the basis of Positive Youth Development approach. In line with this purpose, the study has focused on nurturing relationships (perceived social support), social skills, and self-esteem through Positive Youth Development. In this context, a structural model has created on the basis of the literature in examining the relationships between nurturing relationships, social skills, self-esteem and social media addiction. The participants included 986 young people (740 female-246 male). In accordance with the purpose of the study, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, and Social Skills Inventory have used within the permissions. Demographic Information Form has created by the researcher. Considering the direct effects from the findings nurturing relationship, social skill, and self-esteem levels predicted social media addiction. In addition, it was found that social skills and nurturing relationships significantly predicted self-esteem. It was reported that social media addiction decreases as the nurturing relationships, social skills, and self-esteem levels increase. Moreover, it was reported that self-esteem level increases with increasing levels of nurturing relationships and social skills. Furthermore, when the indirect effects were examined, it was concluded that self-esteem had a full mediator role in the relationship between nurturing relationships and social media addiction, and between social skills and social media addiction.