SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC MODERATORS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SOCIAL ANXIETY IN UNDERGRADUATES

Abstract

This rapid increase in the use of social media among young adults has increased scholarly concern about its psychological effects, especially among undergraduates who are struggling to find their academic footing and self-identity with high social evaluation. Existing evidence suggests that excessive engagement can trigger maladaptive comparison processes, distorted self-appraisal, and behavioural dependency, thereby escalating vulnerability to social anxiety. However, the moderating role of socio-demographic characteristics in these associations remains insufficiently explored, especially within the Nigerian context. This study thereforeinvestigated how socio-demographic variables shape the relationships among social media addiction, self-esteem, and social anxiety among undergraduates in Ekiti State. A cross-sectional design was adopted, and data were obtained from 450 students selected through random sampling across three universities. Standardised instruments, including the Social Media Addiction–Student Form (SMA-SF), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), were administered. Results demonstrated that self-esteem significantly predicted social anxiety (β = .50, R² = .25, p < .05), indicating that lower self-esteem corresponded with higher social anxiety levels. Joint regression analysis further showed that social media addiction and self-esteem significantly predicted social anxiety (R² = .31, F = 55.03, p < .05), with significant independent contributions from social media addition (β = .28, p<0.05) and self-esteem (β =- .37, p<0.05). Moderation analysis indicated that gender and religion significantly influenced some of the relationships, such that the effects of social media addition and self-esteem on social anxiety were stronger among female students and attenuated among highly religious students, but age did not exert a significant moderating effect.