Social relationships and social media addiction among adolescents: Variable-centered and person-centered approaches

Social media addiction (SMA) among adolescents is associated with many maladaptive developmental outcomes and thus has been a concern in many countries. Guided by the bioecological systems theory and the self-determination theory, this study examined the associations between social relationships (i.e., parent-adolescent, teacher-student, and peer relationships) and SMA among adolescents, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Valid participants were 844 Italian high school students (358 boys, 42.42%), aged from 13 to 20 years old (M = 16.89, SD = 1.58). Latent profile analysis identified four relationship profiles: the mixed (6.04%), the adequate (57.35%), the vulnerable (29.74%), and the highly vulnerable (6.87%). The mediating role of psychological need satisfaction was found in the association between social relationships and SMA using both variable-centered and person-centered approaches. These findings highlight the impact of interpersonal and psychological factors on adolescent SMA.