Relationship of Social Media Use with Psychological Well-Being and Quality of Life in Medical Students

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between social media addiction, psychological well-being, quality of life, and academic success among medical students. Method: A total of 84 volunteer students aged 18–25 from Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine participated in the study. Participants completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Flourishing Scale, WHOQOL-BREF, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Academic performance was measured using students' latest clinical rotation scores. Results: A significant and negative relationship was found between social media addiction and overall quality of life, particularly in the psychological and physical domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. While the regression between social media addiction and psychological well-being was not significant, a negative correlation was observed. Academic achievement was significantly and negatively predicted only by the environmental quality of life domain. No other significant gender differences were found except for clinical performance scores, which were higher among female students. Conclusion: Social media addiction appears to negatively impact the psychological and physical aspects of quality of life among medical students. Although its effect on academic performance and psychological well-being is less direct, the findings suggest that the nature and quality of social media engagement may be critical to students' overall functioning.