Correlation between Suicidal Ideation and Addiction to Various Social Media Platforms in a Sample of Young Adults: The Benefits of Physical Activity

Liliana Mendes (), Levi Leonido and Elsa Morgado
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Liliana Mendes: Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Levi Leonido: Center for Research in Arts Sciences and Technologies, Portuguese Catholic University, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Elsa Morgado: Research Center in Basic Education, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal

Societies, 2023, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: The rise in suicide death rates has become a major public health concern, which has led to increased addiction to internet and social media platforms. Despite the limited research available on the relationship between suicidal ideation and addiction to social media such as Instagram and TikTok, this study aims to examine this connection. The study design is cross-sectional, quantitative, comparative, and correlational, with a quasi-experimental approach. The sample includes 315 young adults aged 20 to 30 who were surveyed through the administration of the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ) and the Social Media Disorder Scale-Short Form (SMDS-SF) surveys. The results showed differences in addiction levels based on the type of social media, specifically between TikTok and other social media platforms. The study found that female participants who engage in physical activity (PA) four times a week had lower levels of suicidal ideation than those who did not; there were no differences compared to male participants. This suggests that PA may be a potential strategy for preventing and reducing suicide-related phenomena. The results also indicate that addiction to social media was a statistically significant predictor of suicidal ideation, after controlling for gender and PA.

Keywords: young adults; social media addiction; suicidal ideation; physical activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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