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

Abstract

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 analyzed. Participants: 524 participants (144 men and 380 women) aged between 18-25 years. Results: The mean of SM usage duration of participants was 3.2±2.2 hours/day 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 (p<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 behavior.