Social Media Engagement and Psychological Wellbeing Among Emerging Adults

Abstract

Social media engagement has become an integral aspect of modern life, with individuals increasingly using these platforms for various purposes, including social interaction, information sharing, gaming and other entertainment purposes. Psychological well-being is a state of positive mental health in which a person experiences a sense of happiness, contentment and fulfillment. A previous study showed that there is a link between social media engagement and increased mental health symptoms. This study aimed to explore the relationship between social media engagement and psychological well-being among emerging adults.  A total of 145 participants were recruited using a convenience sampling method. Social media engagement was evaluated using the social media engagement questionnaire (SMEQ) and psychological well-being was evaluated using the psychological well-being scale. The data collected through online surveys, were analyzed using a correlational research design. It was found that social media engagement strongly correlates with the three aspects of psychological well-being among emerging adults. Results indicated that social media engagement was negatively correlated with autonomy, environmental mastery and positive relation with others. These findings suggest that the nature of social media engagement plays a significant role in influencing psychological well-being. Further studies should investigate these changes in greater depth, particularly with larger and more diverse samples, to gain a better understanding of how specific aspects of social media use affect mental health and psychological well-being.