Prevalence and determinants of social media addiction and social anxiety among medical undergraduates: a cross-sectional study from Dakshina Kannada

Abstract

Background: Social media is an important part of communication among young adults, but excessive use may be associated with poor mental health outcomes, including social anxiety. This study assessed the burden of social media addiction and social anxiety among undergraduate medical students and examined their association with selected demographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 261 undergraduate medical students aged 17 years and above using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire that included a Social Media addiction scale and a social anxiety scale. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and logistic regression were used for analysis. Results: High social media addiction was observed in 48.3% of participants, while 6.5% had very high addiction. Severe social anxiety was reported by 37.9% and extreme social anxiety by 31.0%. Age was not significantly associated with either social media addiction or social anxiety. Gender was significantly associated with social anxiety, with males showing higher odds of severe or extreme anxiety (odds ratio 4.636; 95% confidence interval 1.680–12.794). Conclusions: The study shows a substantial burden of social media addiction and social anxiety among medical undergraduates. Early screening, digital well-being initiatives and gender-sensitive mental health support may help address these concerns.