International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 2834-7919   |  e-ISSN: 1554-5210
International Journal of Progressive Education
International Association of Educators

Original article | International Journal of Progressive Education 2024, Vol. 20(3) 26-37

The Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship Between Social Media Addiction and Mental Well-Being in Young Adults

Ali Çekiç, Türkan Ayhan Öz, Ümmügülsüm Yılmaz & Ali Yıldırım

pp. 26 - 37   |  DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2024.664.3   |  Manu. Number: MANU-2308-23-0001

Published online: June 01, 2024  |   Number of Views: 81  |  Number of Download: 355

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Abstract

The current research aimed to investigate the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between young adults' social media usage habits and their mental health. The data were obtained from 338 university students, 246 of whom were female and 92 were male. The participants’ mean age was 22. The study data were collected face-to-face with the paper-pencil method in the 2021-2022 fall semester. The obtained data were analyzed with IBM SPSS and IBM AMOS V24 software. The compatibility of the data with the normal distribution was examined with the assumption of multiple normality. To test whether cognitive flexibility has a mediating role in the correlation between social media addiction and mental well-being, an analysis was conducted based on the bootstrap method. As a result of the bootstrap analysis, the indirect impact of social media addiction on mental well-being through the mediation of cognitive flexibility was revealed to be statistically significant (β=-0.142; 95% CI [-0.256; -0.031]). The fit indices of the model were determined as CMNI/df =2.12, GFI=0.878, AGFI=0.853, IFI=0.873, TLI=0.856, CFI=0.871, and RMSE=0.058. In this respect, it can be said that increasing the cognitive flexibility of individuals will play an important role in both preventing social media addiction and increasing mental well-being. In line with the study results, it can be said that increasing the mental well-being of young adults and providing cognitive flexibility skills in their struggle with social media addiction will contribute positively to the process. Furthermore, providing individuals with cognitive flexibility skills at the early stages of development with preventive interventions may be effective in maintaining mental well-being that decreases with problems such as social media addiction.

Keywords: Young Adults, Social Media Addiction, Cognitive Flexibility, Mental Well-Being, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

How to Cite this Article?

APA 6th edition
Cekic, A., Oz, T.A., Yilmaz, U. & Yildirim, A. (2024). The Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship Between Social Media Addiction and Mental Well-Being in Young Adults . International Journal of Progressive Education, 20(3), 26-37. doi: 10.29329/ijpe.2024.664.3

Harvard
Cekic, A., Oz, T., Yilmaz, U. and Yildirim, A. (2024). The Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship Between Social Media Addiction and Mental Well-Being in Young Adults . International Journal of Progressive Education, 20(3), pp. 26-37.

Chicago 16th edition
Cekic, Ali, Turkan Ayhan Oz, Ummugulsum Yilmaz and Ali Yildirim (2024). "The Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship Between Social Media Addiction and Mental Well-Being in Young Adults ". International Journal of Progressive Education 20 (3):26-37. doi:10.29329/ijpe.2024.664.3.
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