Mediating roles of self-esteem and positive childhood experiences in the relationship between problematic social media use and loneliness

BACKGROUND: Problematic social media use has been linked to increased loneliness among university students, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: The study examines the mediating roles of self-esteem and positive childhood experiences in the relationship between problematic social media use and loneliness among university students. METHODS: A total of 464 university students aged 18 to 28 years (M = 22.71, SD = 2.71; 58% women) participated in the study. Data were collected via an online survey using standardized measures of positive childhood experiences, social media addiction, self-esteem, and loneliness. RESULTS: The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between problematic social media use and loneliness, as well as significant negative associations between problematic social media use and both self-esteem and positive childhood experiences. Mediation analyses indicated that problematic social media use significantly predicted loneliness, accounting for 6% of its variance, while the combined influence of problematic social media use, self-esteem, and positive childhood experiences explained 37% of the variance in loneliness. Notably, both self-esteem and positive childhood experiences partially mediated the relationship between problematic social media use and loneliness. CONCLUSION: This study provides important evidence for designing and implementing interventions that aim to enhance self-esteem and foster positive childhood experiences to mitigate the negative effects of problematic social media use on loneliness.