THE IMPACT OF ADDICTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA USE ON INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AMONG UNIVERSITY DWELLING EMERGING ADULTS CURRENTLY IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

Abstract

Background:

The potential effects on interpersonal and romantic relationships have raised worries about the rising usage of social media among emerging adults. The dynamics of relationships and the probability of conflicts among romantic partners may be considerably influenced by the overuse of social networking platforms. However, there is a dearth of research regarding the relationship between intimate partner violence and the excessive use of social media among university students in Pakistan.

Objectives:

This study examines the association between intimate partner violence and excessive social media use among emerging adults residing on college campuses who are in romantic partnerships. The investigation studied the relationship between addictive social media usage and intimate partner violence, along with the presence of gender discrepancies in these occurrences...

Methods:

A quantitative cross-sectional study design was employed. Purposive sampling was utilised to pick a sample of 260 university students currently involved in romantic relationships. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI) were utilised to collect data. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, simple linear regression, and independent samples t-tests were employed in the statistical analysis.

Results:

The findings indicated a non-significant relationship between intimate partner violence and excessive social media usage. Furthermore, addictive social media use did not significantly predict intimate partner violence. The findings indicated no significant gender disparities in the utilisation of addictive social media and intimate relationship violence among male and female participants..

Conclusion:

The study concluded that the prevalence of intimate partner violence among university-aged emerging adults is not significantly affected by their intensive engagement with social media. The findings indicate that intimate partner violence may be affected by psychological, interpersonal, and contextual factors. Further research should explore additional aspects that may enhance the understanding of intimate partner violence in romantic relationships