Nursing Journal Volume 10.
Issue 2.
Page 131-136 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 https://ejurnal.
id/index.
php/JKep DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
32668/jkep.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE
INTENSITY AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION IN
ADOLESCENTS
Abstract Adolescence is often referred to as a transitional period from childhood to adulthood.
In the digital era, social media usage has become a widespread phenomenon among adolescents, significantly influencing their emotional developmen.
This study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between social media usage and emotional regulation in adolescents.
This study used a quantitative correlational design with a cross-sectional approach.
A total of 147 students were selected using total sampling.
Data were collected using the Social Media Intensity Scale (SIPMS) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ).
Data were analyzed using ChiSquare statistical test.
A significant relationship was found between social media usage intensity and adolescentsAo emotional regulation (NA = 28.
694, df = 2, p < 0.
, indicating that heavier users tended to exhibit lower emotional regulation.
There is a correlation between social media usage intensity and emotional regulation in adolescents.
This suggests that excessive social media usage may negatively impact adolescents' emotional stability, emphasizing the need for proper management and regulation of social media use.
1st Imron Habib Abdulloh1 2nd Estin Yuliastuti2* 3rd Suyatno3 Bachelor of Nursing Program.
Faculty of Health Sciences.
Universitas Muhammadiyah PKU Surakarta.
Surakarta.
Central Java.
Indonesia *email: estin.
yuli@umpku.
Keywords:
Adolescents Emotional Regulation Social Media Usage Intensity Received: March2025 Accepted: July 2025 Published: November 2025 A year The Authors.
Published by Published Jurusan Keperawatan.
Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenkes Jakarta i.
This is Open Access article under the CC-BY-SA License .
ttp://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-sa/4.
0/).
DOI:
https://doi.
org/10.
32668/jkep.
0%), although they are the least likely to INTRODUCTION Adolescence is a transitional stage from childhood to psychological, cognitive, and social development .
During this period, hormonal changes can influence emotions, making adolescents more prone to irritability, anger, sadness, and mood fluctuations .
Adolescent the WHO notes that 1 in 7 adolescents experience a mental disorder with minimal treatment access .
Indonesia.
I-NAMHS 2022 data indicates a prevalence of Mental Health Problems .
9%) and Mental Disorders .
5%) among adolescents .
Furthermore.
SKI 2023 confirms that the young adult group .
-24 year.
has the highest depression seek professional help.
Regionally, in Central Java, the high prevalence of emotional and mental problems in the general population .
round 25%) and depression among those aged >15 years .
0%) underscore the urgent need for targeted adolescent mental health interventions in this area .
This highlights the critical importance of understanding mental health challenges during adolescence, particularly as they navigate an increasingly digital world .
In recent years, the widespread use of social media among adolescents has raised growing concern.
Excessive engagement with social media platforms has been associated with various psychological risks.
JKEP (Jurnal Keperawata.
Vol 10 Issue 2.
November 2025.
Page 131-136 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 instability, sleep disturbances, and even suicidal The Social Media Intensity Scale (SIPMS) by Ardari ideation .
The intensity of social media useAi measures social media usage across four dimensionsAi manifested through addiction, prolonged exposure, and attention, engagement, duration, and frequencyAiwith emotional dependenceAihas been shown to correlate higher scores indicating greater intensity.
Previous with mental health issues .
testing with 164 respondents confirmed 23 of 25 items Emotion regulation plays a vital role in helping as valid .
= 0.
500Ae0.
and showed acceptable adolescents manage their emotional responses in healthy reliability (CronbachAos = 0.
The Emotion Inadequate emotion regulation has been linked to Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), adapted from GrossAos the development of psychiatric disorders such as model, assesses four components: regulation strategies, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder .
goal-directed behavior, impulse control, and emotional Although prior studies have explored the association Using a 4-point Likert scale, 38 of 40 items between social media use and psychological outcomes were valid, and the instrument demonstrated high like anxiety, depression, or fear of missing out .
, reliability (CronbachAos = 0.
limited research has directly examined its effect on To analyze the data used in the study.
Chi-Square emotional regulation abilities during early and middle statistical test was employed as the correlation test in adolescenceAia crucial developmental stage for shaping this research.
It has passed the ethical feasibility test emotional stability.
A preliminary study conducted at a junior high school in 481/LPPM/ITS.
PKU/XI/2024.
Surakarta found that students who spent three to five hours daily on social media frequently experienced RESULTS AND DISCUSSION sudden mood changes afterward.
This observation highlights the potential influence of social media The respondents in this study consisted of 147 students.
intensity on adolescentsAo ability to regulate emotions.
The demographic characteristics examined included Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship age, gender, grade level, and parentsAo occupation, as between social media usage intensity and emotional presented in the tables below.
regulation among adolescents, addressing existing Table 1.
Age profile of adolescents (N=.
research gaps and providing empirical evidence to guide Characteristic Age preventive and educational strategies in adolescent mental health.
Mean Min-Max Based on Table 1, the average age of respondents was 50 years (SD = 1.
, ranging from 13 to 16 years.
METHODS
This indicates that all participants were within the This study uses a quantitative correlational approach adolescent stage, a critical period for emotional and with a cross-sectional design.
This study was conducted social development.
Adolescence spans ages 10 to 18, from December 20 to 31, 2024.
Data collection in this while this phase notes that age influences emotional study was done using a questionnaire.
The study used a Junior high school students are generally total sampling technique, meaning the sample size is between 13 and 16 years old, a developmental stage equal to the population.
The sample consisted of 147 characterized by rapid physical, emotional, social, students of a private junior high school in Surakarta.
behavioral, intellectual, and moral growth.
Hormonal The study used a questionnaire .
as the data changes during this period often cause emotional collection method, conducted through Google Forms.
JKEP (Jurnal Keperawata.
Vol 10 Issue 2.
November 2025.
Page 131-136 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 making adolescents more sensitive, individual development.
Emotional challenges during irritable, or overwhelmed by intense emotions.
Ae.
adolescence, such as those related to peer interactions, identity formation, and self-esteem, are not confined to Table 2.
Demographic characteristic distribution of adolescents (N=.
Characteristics Category Gender Male Female Private Sector Civil Servant Grade Level ParentsAo Occupation Frequency .
Percentage (%) school grades.
Consequently, regulation may be more contingent upon social context progression.
ParentsAo occupations are often associated with economic status, which may indirectly influence adolescentsAo social media activity.
Families with higher economic capacity tend to have better access to technology, enabling greater online activity.
This accessibility may contribute to increased social media use, potentially As shown in Table 2, most respondents were female .
8%), while males accounted for 42.
Based on grade level, nearly half of the respondents were in the 7th grade .
6%), with 8th- and 9th-grade students each 2% of the total.
Regarding parentsAo occupation, the majority were civil servants .
9%),
1% worked in the private sector.
These affecting adolescentsAo behavior and emotional wellbeing.
Ae.
Table 3.
Distribution of social media usage intensity and emotional regulation among adolescents (N=.
Intensity of Social Media Usage Low characteristics suggest that respondents came from Moderate families with relatively similar educational and High socioeconomic backgrounds.
Total
Adolescent girls generally demonstrate better socio-
Emotional Regulation Low
,0%)
,7%)
,4%)
,1%)
Moderate High
,0%)
,8%)
,7%)
,1%)
,5%
,8%)
,2%)
,7%)
Total
,8%)
,5%)
,7%)
emotional skills than boys, particularly in self- Table 3 presents the cross-tabulation between social regulation and social competence.
In contrast, male media usage intensity and emotional regulation levels adolescents tend to suppress emotional expressions such among adolescents.
Most respondents .
7%) had high as sadness or fear due to social norms that encourage social media usage intensity, followed by moderate strength and independence.
They are also more likely to .
5%) and low .
8%) levels.
In terms of emotional use avoidance or distraction strategies, such as gaming regulation, 53.
1% had low emotional regulation, 29.
or sports, to manage stress.
Ae.
This gender were moderate, and 17.
7% were high.
These results indicate that adolescents with higher social media intensity tended to exhibit poorer emotional regulation manifestation and recognition of mental health challenges in adolescents.
Based on respondentsAo answers, most students reported These demographic patterns suggest that emotional using social media for 4 to 5 hours per day.
According regulation is influenced not only by academic grade to previous studies, using social media for more than level but also by broader social experiences and four hours daily is classified as high usage intensity.
JKEP (Jurnal Keperawata.
Vol 10 Issue 2.
November 2025.
Page 131-136 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 This prolonged engagement likely impacts emotional emotional regulation, potentially due to increased regulation, as extended exposure to online platforms may heighten emotional instability and reduce the This is further supported by studies ability to manage emotions effectively.
,26,.
indicating a correlation between problematic social Of the 147 students surveyed, 78 had low emotional underscoring the importance of emotional competence regulation, 43 were moderate, and only 26 had high in mitigating negative online impacts.
,23,.
emotional regulation.
This suggests that most students struggle to manage their emotions, with only a few While the detrimental psychological effects of excessive demonstrating effective emotional control.
Overall, the social media engagement are widely acknowledged, its higher the intensity of social media use, the lower the relationship with emotional regulation is characterized adolescentsAo ability to regulate their emotions.
by considerable complexity.
Nevertheless, utilized judiciously, these platforms possess the capacity Table 4.
Relationship between social media usage intensity and emotional regulation among adolescents (N=.
Variables p-value Social media usage intensity <0.
and emotional Note: All expected cell frequencies were greater than 5 .
inimum expected frequency = 49.
to foster positive social interactions, facilitate emotional Therefore, subsequent research should endeavor to delineate how varied modalities of social media engagementAispecifically, active participation consumptionAiexert influences on adolescents' emotional regulation within The Chi-square test revealed a statistically significant association between social media usage intensity and genres.
emotional regulation among adolescents (NA = 28.
694, df investigate the nuanced interplay between specific = 2, p < 0.
This finding confirms that differences in social media activitiesAisuch as active content creation, emotional regulation are significantly related to passive browsing, or direct messagingAiand distinct variations in social media usage intensity.
Adolescents facets of emotional regulation, including cognitive with higher usage intensity were more likely to reappraisal and expressive suppression.
Specifically, experience lower emotional regulation.
Neurophysiologically, extensive social media use This finding aligns with previous research, suggesting stimulates the brain's reward system via dopaminergic that extensive engagement with social media can pathways, fostering emotional reliance on online detrimentally affect adolescents' capacity for emotional Persistent overstimulation of the limbic Persistent exposure to digital platforms may system, combined with the developing prefrontal cortex heighten susceptibility to stress, anxiety, and mood instability, thereby compromising effective emotional Furthermore, consistent exposure to digital social management.
Furthermore, contributing factors stressors can activate the hypothalamicAepituitaryAe such as social comparison, exposure to disturbing or adrenal axis, increasing cortisol and destabilizing adverse content, and the compulsion to curate an emotions.
Constant digital stimuli intensify this Conversely, adolescents with reduced social regulation, which is vital for adolescent mental health.
media engagement typically exhibit more robust Excessive social media use and impaired emotion JKEP (Jurnal Keperawata.
Vol 10 Issue 2.
November 2025.
Page 131-136 e-ISSN: 2354-6050 regulation are associated with increased adolescent any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not- for-profit sectors.
Moreover, reduced emotional intelligence correlates with problematic social media use, as do difficulties in emotion regulation.
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Screens and CONCLUSION This study found a significant relationship between the intensity of social media use and emotional regulation among adolescents.
Adolescents with higher levels of social media use tended to have lower emotional regulation abilities.
Excessive engagement with social media may increase vulnerability to stress, anxiety, and emotional instability, reducing the capacity to manage emotions effectively.
These findings highlight the importance of monitoring adolescentsAo digital behavior and promoting balanced and mindful social media use.
Schools, parents, and health professionals should work together to provide guidance, education, and interventions that foster healthy emotional development and responsible online Future research should explore how the quality and type of social media interactions influence emotional regulation, as not all forms of media use have negative effects.
some may contribute positively to emotional expression and social connectedness when used constructively.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT