The Mediating Role of Loneliness in the Relationship Between Social Media Addiction and Aggression

Abstract

The pervasive use of social media has sparked concern regarding its psychological impacts, particularly the development of addictive use patterns and their potential link to adverse outcomes like aggression. Loneliness is theorized to be a critical mechanism in this relationship, yet an integrated examination of these variables is lacking. This study investigated the impact of social media addiction on aggression and tested the hypothesis that loneliness mediates this relationship. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 200 social media users (100 male, 100 female). Participants completed three validated scales: the Social Media Addiction Scale (Şahin, 2018), the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (1992), and the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3; Russell, 1996). Data were analyzed using correlation and regression-based mediation analysis. Preliminary analyses confirmed significant positive correlations between social media addiction, loneliness, and aggression. The mediation analysis revealed that while social media addiction had a substantial direct effect on aggression, its impact was also significantly and indirectly exerted through loneliness. This indicates that loneliness functions as a partial mediator in the relationship between social media addiction and increased aggressive tendencies. The findings suggest that social media addiction contributes to aggression both directly and indirectly by exacerbating feelings of loneliness. This highlights the complex role of emotional distress in digital wellbeing. Interventions aimed at reducing aggression linked to social media use should prioritize strategies that mitigate loneliness and foster genuine social connection.