Latent profile analysis of mindfulness and experiential avoidance associated with social media use disorder.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to examine mindfulness and experiential avoidance as profile indicators associated with social media use disorder through an individual-centered approach. Therefore, we examined how mindfulness and experiential avoidance co-occur with social media use disorder within a theoretically informed framework.

METHODS

The study data were obtained from 826 participants, 348 (42%) male and 478 (58%) female. The participants' ages varied from 18 to 25, with a mean age of 21.3 (df = 1.8). The associations between the variables were investigated using correlation analysis. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to find university student profiles.

RESULTS

As a result of the correlation analysis, mindfulness is negatively correlated with both social media disorder and experiential avoidance. Social media disorder is positively correlated experiential avoidance.

CONCLUSIONS

The four profiles obtained from LPA express the pattern in university students by examining social media use disorder, cognitive and emotional conscious awareness and experiential avoidance behavior together. Future research should examine whether this pattern can be observed among students in different developmental periods and education levels. The characteristics that differentiate individuals in the profiles from each other can be retested in similar samples using the repeatability feature of LPA.