Effect of Social Media on Emotional Regulation Among University Students

Abstract

With the swift growth of social media, the way individuals communicated has been changed and social media plays a vital role in the daily life of university students. Digital media offers social, emotional and psychological support, information and opportunities for social interaction, but has a controversial role in emotional regulation within the academic community. This study seeks to explore the association of the utilization of social media and emotional regulation among university students in Pakistan and explores the interaction effect of gender. The investigation used quantitative cross sectional survey design as it was based on the Uses and Gratifications Theory. A well-designed questionnaire was used to gather the information from 400 students of four universities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Summary statistics, Pearson correlations, independent-samples t-test and moderation analysis were applied for statistical analyses. The results indicated that there was a direct correlation between the use of social media and emotional regulation, and this correlation was statistically significant. There was also a notable variation between emotional regulation ratings for female and male students, with female students showing higher scores for emotional regulation and a significant interaction effect of gender on the linkage between emotional regulation and social media use. Overall, these results indicate that social media can be utilized not only as a communication tool but also as a source of emotional support as well, when used correctly.