Factors Influencing Social Media Addiction among G.C.E. Advanced Level Students in Sri Lanka: A Case Study in Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Social Media Addiction is regarded as a form of psychological or behavioral dependence on social media platforms driven by an obsessive, uncontrollable urge to use social media. Typically, young people addicted to social media are more likely to report poor mental health including psychological distress. Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) is a distinct measurement used to evaluate the addiction level of a particular individual. According to Data Reportal (2020), social media penetration in Sri Lanka stands at 30 percent including a majority of youngsters. Since G.C.E. Advanced Level examination is a critical examination instrumental in pursuing higher education, it is of great importance to identify significant factors affecting social media addiction among Advanced Level students. A sample of 250 students was drawn using multi-stage clustering from Colombo district which recorded the highest internet usage in 2018. The primary data were collected through online and questionnaire surveys. To achieve the main objective, factor analysis and binary logistic regression were used. It was revealed that peer influence, entertainment, and owning a smartphone positively affected the total students' social media addiction. When it comes to female students, parent and peer utilization of social media and online interpersonal relationships were identified as important factors. Similarly, peer influence, subject stream, and owning a smartphone were identified as influential factors for male students' addiction. It was further revealed that male students who were studying in the art stream and technology stream had a higher possibility of addiction compared to that of the physical science stream. The overall research provides important recommendations on possible actions to prevent addiction.