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. 2025 Feb 26:16:1536539.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1536539. eCollection 2025.

The relationship between interpersonal security and social media dependence: a moderated mediation model

Jinglin Li  1 , Jiajia Tan  2 , Shang Zhang  2 , Haihong Wang  3 , Xinfa Yi  1   4
Affiliations

The relationship between interpersonal security and social media dependence: a moderated mediation model

Jinglin Li et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Interpersonal security is an important psychological factor influencing social media use. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms linking Interpersonal security and social media dependence.

Objective: The present study explored the mediating role of negative rumination between interpersonal safety and social media dependence, as well as cohort differences in sibling conditions as moderators.

Methods: A total of 986 college students were surveyed using a cross-sectional design. Participants completed the Interpersonal Security Questionnaire, the Social Media Dependence Scale, and the Negative Rumination Scale.

Results: The results showed that a significant interrelationship between interpersonal security, negative rumination, and social media dependence. In addition, the role of negative rumination as a mediator of interpersonal security and social media dependence was supported, and the mediating effects were different between the only-child and non-only-child cohorts.

Conclusions: Findings of the study provide a psychological basis for the treatment of social media dependence behavior in college students, with the aim of increasing their interpersonal security and reducing their dependence on social media.

Keywords: college students; interpersonal security; negative rumination; sibling condition; social media dependence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The mediating role of negative rumination between interpersonal security and social media dependence.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The mediating role of negative rumination between interpersonal security and social media dependence for only children and non-only children. The results for only children are outside the parentheses, and those for non-only children are inside the parentheses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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