Does Media Appeal Matter? Investigating the Motives for Using Social Media and Its Addiction among Malaysian Youth

Social networking sites (SNS) have mushroomed in this digital era, which has caused various media psychology issues, such as addiction. Youth is a segment that is significantly impacted by the phenomenon, which is alarming. Thus, it is crucial to understand the motives that motivate youth to use SNS platforms. Coined within the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), this research examines social media motives, namely enjoyment, information seeking, social interaction, and media appeal, on social media addiction among youth. This study applied a quantitative research methodology using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for data analysis. A questionnaire was distributed, and 194 valid responses were gathered via purposive sampling. The findings revealed that enjoyment and media appeal motives were predictors of social media addiction; however, social interaction and information seeking were not predictors. The present research contributes to UGT by expanding the media appeal motive for social media addiction. Implications for policymakers, educators, and mental health professionals are discussed to identify targeted interventions to ameliorate emerging social media addiction problems among youth for the betterment of society.