The relationship between social media addiction and emotional appetite: a cross-sectional study among young adults in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE

The present study focused on the relationship between addiction to social media (SM) and emotional appetite in young adults.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional online survey.

SETTING

The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) were used, and the duration and frequency of SM tools usage were analysed.

PARTICIPANTS

Five hundred and twenty-four participants (144 men and 380 women) aged between 18 and 25 years.

RESULTS

The mean of SM usage duration of participants was 3·2 ± 2·2 h per d along with a mean of BSMAS score of 16·1 ± 5·9. Concerning emotional appetite, the mean scores for positive and negative aspects of EMAQ were 4·4 ± 1·9 and 3·1 ± 1·2, respectively. The predominant SM tools were YouTube (92·6 %) and Instagram (90·3 %). Notably, a significant association was observed between SM addiction and the frequency of access to YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, with addiction levels increasing as access frequency rose ( < 0·01).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated a possible relationship between SM addiction and emotional appetite among young adults. However, further research with more prominent participants and a lengthier follow-up duration is necessary to elucidate how SM tools affect eating behaviour.