Effect of Social Media Addiction on Life Satisfaction: Mediating Role of Multidimensional Perceived Social Support

The present study aimed to examine the effect of social media addiction on life satisfaction among young adults, with multidimensional perceived social support serving as a mediating variable. A sample of 300 university students was selected through a convenient sampling technique. Participants completed three standardized instruments: The Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MPSS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Descriptive statistics, correlation, and mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS. Results revealed that social media addiction had a significant negative relationship with life satisfaction, indicating that higher levels of addiction were associated with reduced life satisfaction. Conversely, multidimensional perceived social support demonstrated a significant positive association with life satisfaction, highlighting its buffering effect against the detrimental consequences of excessive social media use. Mediation analysis further confirmed that perceived social support partially mediated the relationship between social media addiction and life satisfaction, suggesting that individuals who perceive higher levels of social support experience greater life satisfaction even when social media addiction is present. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening social support networks and promoting healthy digital behaviors to enhance psychological well-being among young adults.