Exploring The Relationship between Self-Concealment and Attitudes Towards Social Media, Social Appearance Anxiety and Sensation Seeking

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between the level of self-concealment and attitudes tıwards social media, social appearance anxiety, and sensation seeking among adolescents. The "Self-Concealment Scale, Brief Sensation Seeking Scale for Adolescents, Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, and Attitudes towards social media Scale" were used as data collection tools. The study group consisted of 354 voluntary students from two different Anatolian High Schools during the 2023-2024 academic year, including students from 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. Among the participants, 220 (62.14%) were female, and 134 (37.85%) were male; 93 (26.27%) were in 9th grade, 123 (34.74%) in 10th grade, 27 (7.6%) in 11th grade, and 111 (31.35%) in 12th grade. Correlation analysis, regression analysis, and t-test methods were used for data analysis. The study found significant relationships between self-concealment, sensation seeking, social appearance anxiety, and attitudes towards social medias among adolescents. A significant relationship was also observed between Attitudes towards social medias and social appearance anxiety. Accordingly, there were positive moderate-level relationships between self-concealment and social appearance anxiety, and positive low-level significant relationships between self-concealment, sensation seeking, and attitudes towards social medias. Social appearance anxiety, sensation seeking, and attitudes towards social medias were observed to significantly predict self-concealment. Furthermore, a t-test result indicated a significant difference in stress sensitivity levels among adolescents based on gender. The findings are discussed in the light of the relevant literature.