Problematic social media use among young people in Germany: frequency and associated psychosocial and behavioral factors – results from the COPSY study

Abstract

Abstract Problematic social media use (PSMU) among young people has become an increasing public health concern. This study examined the frequency of at-risk and pathological social media use and factors associated with PSMU using data from T1 (wave 7; 2024) and T2 (wave 8; 2025) of the German population-based COPSY study, including 1,439 young people aged 11–21 years. PSMU was assessed at T2 with the ICD-11–based parent-report screening instrument SOMEDIS-P. At T2, 21.6% of young people reported intense social media use (≥ 4 h/day). Overall, 23.6% were classified as having at-risk social media use and 4.9% as having pathological social media use according to the SOMEDIS-P cut-offs. For the logistic regression analyses, at-risk and pathological social media use were combined into a single PSMU outcome. Logistic regression analyses examined associations with sociodemographic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors. In the multivariable model, intense social media use at T2 only (OR = 3.81, 95% CI [1.89–7.65]), intense social media use at T1 only (OR = 2.09, 95% CI [1.01–4.32]), increases in social exclusion/devaluation from T1 to T2 (OR = 1.41, 95% CI [1.07–1.85]), and loneliness at T1 (OR = 1.75, 95% CI [1.15–2.64]) were associated with higher odds of PSMU. Family cohesion at T1 (OR = 0.98, 95% CI [0.97–0.99]), physical activity at T2 (OR = 0.78, 95% CI [0.70–0.88]), and sleep quality at T2 (OR = 0.91, 95% CI [0.86–0.95]) were associated with lower odds. These findings underscore the multifactorial nature of PSMU and its associations with psychosocial, social, and health-related factors.