Trapped in the Feed: How Multiscreen Addiction and Doomscrolling Harm Young Adults’ Self-Esteem
Abstract
The increasing integration of digital media into daily life has brought about new psychological risks, particularly for young adults. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between multiple screen addiction, doomscrolling, and two dimensions of self- esteem—self-liking and self-competence—among Turkish emerging adults. The sample consisted of 405 university students (296 females, 109 males), aged between 18 and 34 (M = 22.5, SD = 3.6). Participants completed the Multiple Screen Addiction Scale, Doomscrolling Scale, and the Two-Dimensional Self-Esteem Scale. Correlation analyses revealed that both multiple screen addiction and doomscrolling were negatively associated with self-liking and self-competence. Regression analyses further indicated that both digital behaviors significantly predicted lower self-competence. Additionally, multiple screen addiction scores significantly differed across daily screen time categories. These findings underscore the potential impact of problematic digital engagement on self-esteem and highlight the need for preventive interventions tailored to digital behaviors in emerging adulthood. Implications for digital media literacy and psychological resilience programs are discussed.
Keywords
multiple screen addiction, doomscrolling, self-esteem, digital behaviors, emerging adulthood
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