A STUDY ON SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION AND BEAUTY STANDARDS AMONG ADOLESCENTS

The present study aimed to examine social media addiction and beauty standards among adolescents. The sample consisted of 120 adolescents, including 60 boys and 60 girls. Each gender group was further divided based on locality, with 30 adolescents from urban areas and 30 from rural areas. The Social Media Addiction Scale–Student Form (SMAS–SF) developed by Cengiz Sahin (2018), and a self-developed Beauty Standards Scale, consisting of 20 items, were administered. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-tests, and Karl Pearson’s coefficient of correlation. Results showed no significant differences in social media addiction across gender or locality. Beauty standards also showed no significant variation, except among rural adolescents, where boys scored higher than girls. A significant positive relationship between social media addiction and beauty standards was found only among rural boys. Overall, adolescents demonstrated similar levels of social media addiction and beauty consciousness, with contextual influences more evident among rural boys.