The mediating role of problematic social media use in the relationship between social avoidance/distress and self-esteem

The number of social media users in Bangladesh is increasing in every year. Young people – mainly college and university students – are the heavy users of it. Problematic social media use (PSMU) has received increasing research attention over the past decade. However, there are very few studies concerning PSMU in Bangladesh. The present study examined the role of PSMU in the relationship between social avoidance/distress and self-esteem. The study comprised a sample of 370 university students from the University of Chittagong (Bangladesh). Participants were administered a survey including questions regarding socio-demographics, the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS). Results showed that PSMU partially mediated the relationship between social avoidance/distress and self-esteem, while social avoidance/distress predicted the level of self-esteem. However, PSMU had a non-significant influence on the relationship between these two variables while self-esteem predicted social avoidance/distress.