Investigating the Role of Social Media Addiction in the Collapse of Collective Identity and the Increase of Performative Individualism among Students
Keywords:
Social Media Addiction, Collective Identity, Performative Individualism, Digital Identity, University Students, Social NetworksAbstract
The present study aimed to investigate the role of social media addiction in predicting the collapse of collective identity and the increase of performative individualism among students of metropolitan universities in Iran. This study was conducted using a quantitative descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population included students studying at metropolitan universities in Iran during the 2025–2026 academic year. A total of 450 students were selected through multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), Collective Identity Scale, and Individualism–Collectivism Scale. After obtaining informed consent and ensuring confidentiality of participants’ information, questionnaires were completed by the students. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics were used to examine research variables, while Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were applied to investigate relationships among variables and determine the predictive role of social media addiction. The results showed that social media addiction had a significant negative relationship with collective identity (r = -0.61, p < 0.01), indicating that higher levels of social media dependence were associated with weaker collective belonging and social identification. Furthermore, social media addiction had a significant positive relationship with performative individualism (r = 0.68, p < 0.01). Regression analysis demonstrated that social media addiction significantly predicted changes in collective identity (β = -0.61, p < 0.001) and explained 37% of its variance (R² = 0.37). Moreover, social media addiction was a significant positive predictor of performative individualism (β = 0.68, p < 0.001), suggesting that excessive engagement with social networking platforms increased tendencies toward self-presentation and individualistic identity construction. The findings indicated that social media addiction plays an important role in transforming students’ identity patterns by reducing collective identity and strengthening performative individualism. Excessive dependence on social networking platforms may shift identity formation from community-based belonging toward digitally mediated self-expression and external validation. Therefore, promoting digital literacy and balanced social media use among university students is essential.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Zahra Abbasi Chahardah Cheriki; Sarina Nasiri Zarnani (Author)
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