The negative mental health consequences of social media use in South Africa: the role of smartphone addiction

Abstract

The use of smartphones and social media has become an increasing feature of daily life among university students. Although technology use can offer benefits, growing evidence links heavier engagement to poorer mental health outcomes. This study examined the associations between social media use and indices of psychological distress among South African university students, and it tested whether smartphone addiction represents a pathway linking social media use to distress. Participants (n = 491) were students who completed the Social Media Use Integration Scale, the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale-10, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, the Beck Hopelessness Scale-9, and the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-5. Mediation analyses with the PROCESS macro was conducted to examine smartphone addiction as a possible pathway between social media use and indices of psychological distress. The results of the mediation analysis indicated that social media use and smartphone addiction had significant positive direct effects on depression, PTSD, and anxiety, but not on hopelessness. In addition, social media use had significant indirect effects via smartphone addiction on depression, PTSD, and anxiety, pointing to the partial mediating role of smartphone addiction. The results highlight the importance of incorporating targeted support within student mental health services. Interventions aimed at reducing distress may benefit from targeting problematic smartphone engagement alongside broader efforts to promote healthier social media practices.