Psychological prevention of social media addiction as a factor in the development of agency
Authors: Belykh Tatyana V. ,   Saratov State University
Published: July 2024

The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that implementing timely psychological prevention of social media addiction, while taking into account age-specific characteristics, creates conditions for a person to develop agency that can regulate their behavior in online communication based on universal human values aligned with the cultural and moral values of the Russian society. The research objective is to identify the psychological factors that contribute to the development of agency in young people who are highly addicted to social media. Hypothesis: The psychological prevention described in this study aims at developing self-reflection skills that help a person to counteract the manipulative influence of both participants of online interactions and online content itself. This psychological prevention may be a factor enabling the development of agency and self-fulfillment of young people in today’s information society.276 students (freshmen, sophomore and junior)of Saratov State University aged 17-20 (with an average age of 19.2 and a standard deviation of 0.67) participated in the study. There were 32% of boys and 68% of girls. Methods: The following methods were used to identify the personal and socio-psychological characteristics of individuals: the Freiburg Personality Test (modified form “B”) (A. A. Krylov and T. I. Ronginskaya), the method for diagnosing the level of neuroticism (L. I. Vasserman), and the “Perception of the Internet” questionnaire (E. A. Schepilina).The “Social Media Addiction Questionnaire” (V. P. Sheinov, A. S. Devitsyn) was used to measure the degree of a person’s addiction to social media. The “Test for Studying the Real Structure of Personality Value Orientations” (S. S. Bubnova) was used to study value orientations. the “Questionnaire on Reflection” (F. V. Karpov) was used to identify the level of self-reflection skills. The questionnaire “Assessment of Individual Security from Manipulative Influences”(V. P. Sheinov) was used to analyze an individual’s perception of their security/insecurity from manipulation. Results: The research revealed some unique structural personal characteristics of social media users who exhibit excessive immersion in online communication. If social media users with these unique characteristics undergo psychological prevention, the process of forming and developing their agency can be optimized. Conclusion: Psychological prevention aimed at low self-reflection and high susceptibility to manipulation, combined with low sociability indicators, can create more optimal conditions for the development of agency in young people functioning in online environments. Practical implications: The data presented in this study can be applied in planning and implementation of psychological prevention and personal development programs for university students. These programs aim to increase their ability to critically evaluate information that is disseminated in social media and influences their value orientations and moral and social meanings.