Attachment Styles and Problematic Social Media Use in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Shame, Guilt, and Self-control

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a distinct developmental period characterized by major biological, psychological, and social changes that heighten vulnerability to behavioral addictions, including problematic social media use (PSMU). The processes underlying the association between attachment styles and PSMU remain insufficiently understood. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of shame, guilt, and self-control (SC) in the relationship between attachment styles and PSMU among high-risk adolescents. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1,090 adolescents aged 12 - 17 years in Tehran, Iran, were recruited through convenience sampling and screened using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale; 547 adolescents who met the established cutoff (≥19) were included. Standardized measures of AS, shame, guilt, SC, and PSMU were administered. Path analysis based on structural equation modeling was conducted using SPSS 24 and AMOS 22 to assess direct and indirect pathways. Results: Attachment styles showed no significant direct effects on PSMU. However, preoccupied attachment had a significant indirect effect through guilt (B = 0.007, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.001, 0.019], P = 0.015). Guilt had a negative direct association with PSMU (β = -0.134, P = 0.002), whereas shame had no significant direct effect (β = 0.072, P = 0.090). Serial mediation through shame and SC was significant for secure (B = -0.001, 95% CI [-0.003, 0], P = 0.047), fearful (B = -0.001, 95% CI [-0.002, 0], P = 0.041), and preoccupied attachment styles (B = 0.001, 95% CI [0, 0.003], P = 0.038). Conclusions: The findings suggest that associations between AS and PSMU operate partly through self-conscious emotions and self-regulatory processes, particularly guilt and SC. Prospective research in broader samples is warranted to clarify the temporal sequencing and stability of these associations. From a practical perspective, these findings may provide a preliminary basis for future research on how attachment patterns, self-conscious emotions, and self-regulatory capacities may inform the assessment and prevention of PSMU.