Self-control and social support in the link between academic pressure anxiety depression and social media addiction in college students

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Abstract
The deep integration of social media into daily routines has intensified concerns about problematic social media use among students, adversely affecting both educational outcomes and psychological well-being. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory and Cognitive-behavioral Theory, this study investigates the roles of academic pressure, anxiety, and depression in the development of social media addiction, with particular attention to the mediating effect of self-control and the moderating role of social support. A survey of 900 college students collected data on these key variables. Structural equation modeling revealed that: academic pressure, anxiety, and depression directly increase social media addiction while also reducing self-control, which mediates the associations. Social support weakens the relationship between academic pressure and social media addiction, yet it fails to significantly moderate the link between anxiety and social media addiction. These findings reveal a multi-layered mechanism underlying social media addiction and provide valuable guidance for intervention strategies in higher education contexts.
Funding Information
  • This work was supported by the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou (2025A03J3540)

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