The Mediating Role of Mobile-Based Social Media Addiction in the Relationships of Sensation Seeking and Conformity with the Tendency to High-Risk Behaviors

 The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of mobile-based social media addiction in the relationships of sensation seeking and conformity with the tendency to high-risk behaviors (e.g., drug use, smoking, and alcohol consumption) in students.

The present research was descriptive-correlational of structural equation modeling type. The statistical population of this research included all undergraduate students of Poldokhtar Higher Education Center in the academic year 2021-2022. The sample size was determined based on Kline’s rule equal to 225 people, which was selected by the convenience sampling method and an online questionnaire. The instruments used in this research were the Mobile-Based Social Network Addiction Questionnaire, the Iranian Adolescents' Risk-Taking Scale, the Sensation-Seeking Scale, and the Conformity Scale. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling by AMOS-24 software.

The results showed that conformity had a significant direct effect on the tendency to high-risk behaviors and a significant indirect effect via mobile-based social media addiction. Sensation seeking had a significant direct effect on the tendency to high-risk behaviors, but not a significant indirect effect through mobile-based social media addiction. In addition, mobile-based social media addiction had a significant direct effect on the tendency to high-risk behaviors.

According to the results, the increased conformity and sensation-seeking causes a further increase in social media addiction, resulting in increased risky behaviors. Therefore, by reducing conformity and sensation seeking, social media addiction can be reduced, and high-risk behaviors can be prevented in students.