Research Article

Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis

Number: 68 June 19, 2026
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Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Social media has become an inevitable component of most people's everyday routines because it fulfills needs such as communicating and maintaining relationships, accessing information, sharing experiences, and playing games (Boyd & Ellison, 2007; Cheng et al., 2021; Griffiths, 2012; Satici et al., 2023). Social media usage, especially among young adults, is increasing each year. The purpose of this research is to achieve a bibliometric analysis of articles in line with a detailed examination of studies on social media addiction in young adults. In this research, 142 research articles published in the psychology and education categories in journals indexed in the Web of Science database, including the Science Citation Index-Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index, between 2015 and 2025, were accessed. The most cited author is Mark D. Griffiths. The analysis found that the greatest number of publications on social media addiction in young adults occurred in 2023, while the peak in citations occurred in 2024. Nottingham Trent University was the institution that published the most regarding social media addiction in young adults. When analyzing the data on the ranking of countries by the number of citations received by the institutions to which the article authors belong, the People's Republic of China has the highest number of citations, with 640 citations and 29 publications. Based on these findings, publications regarding social media addiction across young individuals may be increased for a more detailed examination. The findings highlight current research trends in the field of social media addiction among young adults and offer important insights for future research.

Keywords

Social Media Addiction, Social Media, Young Adulthood, Bibliometric Analysis

Ethical Statement

Ethics Committee Statement: This bibliometric analysis study did not require formal ethics committee approval, as it did not involve human subjects or data requiring ethical review.

References

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APA
Çinbilgel, B., & Bağatarhan, T. (2026). Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 68. https://doi.org/10.53444/deubefd.1823116
AMA
1.Çinbilgel B, Bağatarhan T. Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026;(68). doi:10.53444/deubefd.1823116
Chicago
Çinbilgel, Belen, and Tuba Bağatarhan. 2026. “Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis”. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, nos. 68. https://doi.org/10.53444/deubefd.1823116.
EndNote
Çinbilgel B, Bağatarhan T (June 1, 2026) Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 68
IEEE
[1]B. Çinbilgel and T. Bağatarhan, “Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis”, Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, no. 68, June 2026, doi: 10.53444/deubefd.1823116.
ISNAD
Çinbilgel, Belen - Bağatarhan, Tuba. “Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis”. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 68 (June 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.53444/deubefd.1823116.
JAMA
1.Çinbilgel B, Bağatarhan T. Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026. doi:10.53444/deubefd.1823116.
MLA
Çinbilgel, Belen, and Tuba Bağatarhan. “Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis”. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, no. 68, June 2026, doi:10.53444/deubefd.1823116.
Vancouver
1.Belen Çinbilgel, Tuba Bağatarhan. Social Media Addiction Among Young Adults: A Bibliometric Analysis. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026 Jun. 1;(68). doi:10.53444/deubefd.1823116