The relationship between addictive use of social media, narcissism, and self-esteem: Findings from a large national survey

A sample of 23,532 Norwegians revealed that 17.5% of the variance in social media addiction scores was explained by factors such as narcissism and self-esteem.

• Younger individuals and women were found to have higher scores on the social media addiction scale.
• Being single, a student, and having lower education and income levels were associated with increased social media addiction.
• Lower self-esteem and higher narcissism were linked to higher scores on the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale.
• Most effect sizes observed were relatively modest, indicating a limited but significant relationship between social media addiction and psychological traits.
• Findings suggest that addictive social media use may reflect a desire to enhance self-image and reduce negative self-evaluation.

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