Daily social media use time, mindful self care, and coping with stress as the predictors of secondary traumatic stress of adult social media users

This research aims to study the levels of secondary trauma in social media users due to such traumatic events. It was aimed to investigate whether average daily social media usage hours, level of coping with stressful situations, and mindful self-care skills have a predictive effect on secondary traumatic stress in adult social media users. The sample consisted of 405 adult social media users from the last four generations (Baby Boomers, X, Y, and Z), 179 males and 226 females. The participants were administered the 10-question Demographic Information Form, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations Short Form (CISS-21), Mindful Self-Care Scale (MSCS), and Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale for Social Media Users (STSS-SM). As a result of the study, coping with stressful situations, mindful self-care, and average daily time spent on social media were found to be low predictors of secondary traumatic stress in social media users. The level of secondary traumatic stress in social media users is affected by variables such as gender, psychosocial support status, income status, reason for using social media, and the most frequently used social media platform. In light of these findings, the prevention of secondary traumatic stress in social media users in Turkey and the world, the treatment of individuals and society suffering from secondary traumatic stress, and the organization of new policies can make a significant contrubition.