Adolescent Health in the Digital Age: How Social Media Drives Health Choices: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study examined the effects of social media on health promotion behaviors and health choices in adolescents. The sample consisted of 223 high school students in Istanbul (48.9% female, 51.1% male; mean age 16.1 ± 0.8). Data were collected using a socio-demographic form, the Adolescent Health Promotion Scale (AHPS), Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), and Social Media Usage Purposes Scale (SMUPS). Nearly half of the adolescents (49.8%) showed moderate social media addiction. AHPS scores were significantly higher among those who had used social media for less than one year compared with those using it for 4 to 6 years ( p  < .05). Adolescents who skipped breakfast or lunch had lower AHPS scores than those who did not skip meals ( p  < .05). AHPS correlated positively with SMUPS and negatively with SMAS ( p  < .05). Overall, higher social media use and addiction were linked to poorer health promotion attitudes.