Social Media Addiction and its relation to Alexithymia and Feeling of Loneliness among Students of Faculty of Nursing

Atef Thabit, Asmaa; Mahmoud Zaki, Mawaheb; Abdallah Shams El-Din, Fathyea

doi:10.21608/jnsbu.2023.307802

Social Media Addiction and its relation to Alexithymia and Feeling of Loneliness among Students of Faculty of Nursing

Document Type : Scientific peer reviewed journal

Authors

¹ Demonstrator of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Sohag University

² Assistant Professor of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Benha University, Egypt

³ Lecturer of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Benha University, Egypt

10.21608/jnsbu.2023.307802

Abstract

Background: The proliferation of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram have revolutionized the way students communicate, consume, and share information.
Nursing students also use social media in their daily routine. The use of social media leads to
impairment in both mental and emotional status of nursing students. Aim of this study: Was to
explore the relationship between social media addiction and alexithymia and feeling of loneliness
among students of Faculty of Nursing. Design: Descriptive correlational design was utilized to
fulfill the aim of this study. Setting: This study was conducted at the Faculty of Nursing at Benha
University, Qalyubia governorate. Study subject: Purposive sample of 352 students was chosen
from the four- grades students of Faculty of Nursing, Benha University. Tools of data collection:
four tools were used. 1st tool: Structured Interview Questionnaire sheet. 2nd tool: Social Media
Addiction Scale Student Form. 3rd tool: Toronto Alexithymia Scale. 4th tool: UCLA Loneliness
Scale. Results: Nearly half of the studied students have moderate level of social media addiction
and more than half of the studied students have possible alexithymia level and less than one fifth
of them have mild level of loneliness. Conclusion: There was a highly statistically positive
correlation between total level of social media addiction and total level of alexithymia. Also, there
was a highly statistically positive correlation between total level of loneliness and total level of
alexithymia. Recommendations: The hazards and determinants of social media addiction should be
added to the educational curricula and the methods that must be followed to avoid its adverse
effects on physical, psychological, and social well

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