Emotional and Psychosocial Correlates of Problematic Social Media Use Among Adults: Cross-Sectional Study

Social media platforms have become integral to daily life, particularly among younger users. While they offer opportunities for connection, they also introduce new psychological stressors. Prior research has often relied on simplistic metrics such as screen time, failing to capture complex emotional and behavioral dimensions of digital engagement. There is a growing need to understand how design features and user experiences contribute to problematic social media use (PSMU), especially in adult populations.

This study aims to assess the psychosocial dimensions of social media use and their associations with problematic use in an adult population, with particular attention to emotional fatigue, avoidance, and interface-induced stress.

A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 402 participants, of whom 393 completed the entire questionnaire (response rate 97.8%). Recruitment was conducted through targeted advertisements on major social media platforms. Participants self-reported demographic information and completed a modified version of the CAGE-AID (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener-Adapted to Include Drugs) screener, adapted to detect PSMU. They also responded to 49 Likert scale items measuring 7 thematic psychosocial dimensions: empathic fatigue, silent stressors, identity fragmentation, pressure for visibility, algorithmic influence, digital detox behaviors, and nostalgia-linked affective responses. Descriptive and correlational statistics were used to analyze data. CAGE-AID positivity was defined as 1 or more affirmative responses.

Among 393 respondents (mean age 32.7, SD 10.8 years; 257/393, 65.4% women), younger age was significantly associated with PSMU as measured by modified CAGE-AID positivity (χ²₅=27.0; P<.001; Spearman ρ=-0.160; P<.001). Lower education level (χ²₄=11.6; P=.02) and employment status (χ²₆=13.5; P=.04) were also significantly associated with PSMU. Emotional fatigue items, including reduced empathy following online emotional exposure, showed moderate correlations with PSMU (ρ=0.19-0.22; all P<.001). Silent interface stressors, particularly pressure to respond due to "seen" indicators, were positively associated with PSMU (ρ=0.124-0.153; P=.013). Online identity curation demonstrated the strongest association (ρ=0.280; P<.001). Digital detox behaviors, including guilt and sleep disruption, were also significantly correlated with PSMU (ρ=187-0.200; P<.001).

PSMU in adults is closely tied to emotional fatigue, interface-related stress, and avoidance. Younger users appear particularly susceptible to emotional saturation and compulsive engagement. These findings highlight the need to consider psychological and design-related mechanisms in public health responses to digital overuse. Interventions should move beyond screen time to address emotional reactivity and structural stressors embedded in platform design.