Explaining Social Media Addiction Based on Emotional Security in the Family, with the Mediating Roles of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Positive Relationship with Self among Student Teachers

Abstract

This study aimed to explain social media addiction based on emotional security in the family through the sequential mediating roles of basic psychological need satisfaction and positive relationship with self among student teachers. This descriptive-correlational study employed structural equation modeling. The statistical population comprised student teachers at Farhangian University of Shiraz during the 2025–2026 academic year. Using multistage cluster sampling, 480 participants were recruited; after identifying and removing 12 multivariate outliers based on Mahalanobis distance, data from 468 participants were analyzed. Data were collected using the Social Network Addiction Scale, Security in the Family System Scale, Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Scale, and Positive Self-Relation Scale. Structural equation modeling and bootstrap procedures were conducted using SPSS-27 and AMOS-27. The final model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data (χ²/df=2.21, GFI=0.91, IFI=0.93, CFI=0.93, RMSEA=0.049). Emotional security in the family had a significant positive effect on basic psychological need satisfaction (β=0.642, P=0.001) and a significant negative effect on social media addiction (β=-0.233, P=0.002). Basic psychological need satisfaction significantly predicted positive relationship with self (β=0.800, P=0.001) and negatively predicted social media addiction (β=-0.418, P=0.002). The direct effect of positive relationship with self on social media addiction was not significant (β=-0.061, P=0.592). The indirect effect of emotional security on social media addiction through basic psychological need satisfaction was significant (β=-0.268, P=0.001). Furthermore, the sequential indirect pathway from emotional security through basic psychological need satisfaction and positive relationship with self to social media addiction was significant (β=-0.031, P=0.038). Overall, the model explained 34.2% of the variance in social media addiction. Emotional security in the family and satisfaction of basic psychological needs play important direct and indirect roles in reducing social media addiction, while positive relationship with self appears to exert its influence primarily within a sequential mediating pathway; therefore, preventive and educational interventions for student teachers should simultaneously strengthen family emotional security, psychological need satisfaction, and positive self-relations.