Social Anxiety and Its Relationship with Social Media Addiction Among Adolescents and Young Adults

Lidya Lolo Marimbunna; Jusuf Tjahjo  Purnomo

Lidya Lolo Marimbunna Program Studi Psikologi, Fakultas Psikologi, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, Salatiga, Indonesia
Jusuf Tjahjo Purnomo Program Studi Psikologi, Fakultas Psikologi, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, Salatiga, Indonesia

Keywords: Social Anxiety, Social Media Addiction, Adolescents Young Adults

Abstract

This study is motivated by the increasing use of social media among adolescents and young adults, which may be associated with social anxiety. Individuals with social anxiety tend to avoid direct social interactions and prefer online communication, which may increase the risk of social media addiction. This study aims to examine the relationship between social anxiety and social media addiction among adolescents and young adults. This research used a quantitative method with a correlational design. The participants consisted of 434 adolescents and young adults who actively use social media. Data were collected using social anxiety and social media addiction scales and analyzed using correlation analysis. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between social anxiety and social media addiction with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.161 and a significance value of p < 0.05, indicating a weak relationship. In addition, most participants were categorized at a moderate level for both variables. These findings indicate that higher levels of social anxiety are associated with higher tendencies toward social media addiction, although the relationship is not strong. The implication of this study highlights the importance of individuals’ awareness in managing social media use to maintain a balance with direct social interactions.

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