Prevalence and factors associated with social media addiction among undergraduate students from selected districts of Kerala, India: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Although evidence on Social Media Addiction (SMA) is growing globally, research from India remains limited. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of SMA and its associated factors among undergraduate students from selected districts of Kerala, India. Methods This cross-sectional study included 823 Arts & Science and Engineering college students (mean age 19.8 years, 60% female) from two districts in Kerala, selected through a multistage cluster sampling design. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) was used to assess SMA. Survey-weighted generalized linear models with a Poisson family and log link were used to identify factors associated with SMA. Results The survey-weighted prevalence of SMA was 38.07% (95% CI: 33.56–42.81), while the prevalence of social media disorder (SMD) was 4.03% (95% CI: 2.69–5.99). Among participants with SMA, 12.67% met the criteria for SMD. In the adjusted analysis, female students had a higher prevalence of SMA than males (APR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.07–1.87; p = 0.018). Married students had a higher prevalence of SMA than unmarried students (APR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.33–2.24; p < 0.001), although the number of married participants was small. Students who used social media for more than 5 h per day had a higher prevalence of SMA than those using it for 0–5 h per day (APR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.12–1.78; p = 0.006). A weak positive correlation was observed between daily social media duration and BSMAS score (Spearman’s rho = 0.183, p < 0.001). Conclusion In this study of 823 undergraduate students, more than one-third were affected by SMA, with a notable proportion experiencing SMD. These findings highlight the need for targeted digital well-being interventions in college settings that focus on reducing excessive screen time and promoting responsible social media use.