Скролінг соціальних мереж як дезадаптивна стратегія подолання нудьги

The article investigates the psychological mechanisms of social media scrolling and its functioning as a maladaptive coping strategy for dealing with boredom. For a long time, boredom was not considered an independent psychological phenomenon and lacked a clear definition in scientific literature. Today it is defined as “the aversive state of wanting, but being unable, to engage in satisfying activity” (Eastwood et al., 2012). This tendency is also evident in Ukraine, particularly among young people who often use social media and the Internet as a form of escape from reality, which makes the study of this phenomenon particularly relevant. Aim of the article. The aim of the article is to empirically examine the relationship between experiences of existential boredom and social media scrolling as a maladaptive coping strategy. Methods. The research employed theoretical analysis and empirical methods, including an author-developed questionnaire for assessing the subjective frequency of boredom, the Purpose-in-Life Test (J. Crumbaugh & L. Maholick), the Social Media Addiction Scale, and the Coping Strategy Indicator (CSI). Statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics in the Jamovi software package. The study involved 105 respondents. Results of the research. The empirical findings reveal a statistically significant relationship between boredom proneness and problematic social media use. The results indicate the ineffectiveness of scrolling as a strategy for emotional regulation and coping with boredom, demonstrating a correlation with increased levels of anxiety and fatigue. The study also outlines prospects for applying the obtained results in clinical practice. Conclusion. The research revealed a statistically significant association with the coping strategy of avoidance, indicating that users tend to use social networks as a means of psychological and emotional disengagement rather than active problem solving. Instead of providing recovery and rest, prolonged scrolling correlates with increasing levels of fatigue and anxiety. The results have practical significance for clinical psychology and psychological counselling.