Abstract

The purposes of this study are to examine whether or not there is a mediator role of social media attitudes on the relationship with problematic internet use and social safeness and pleasure of adolescents and to lead new studies. 461 high school students who were educated (9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades) at high schools located in Erzurum, Turkey in the 2016 -2017 academic year were enrolled in this study. In order to analysing the data, frequency distribution, t Test, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Hierarchical Regression Analyses were used by using SPSS 21.0. In order to collect data from the participants “Problematic Internet Usage Scale – Adolescent”, “Social Safeness and Pleasure Scale”, “Social Media Attitudes Scale” and also to get demographical information “Demographical Information Form” were used. At the end of the study, the meaningful mediator role of social media attitudes (sub dimensions are social competence and need for sharing) on the relationship between problematic internet use and social safeness and pleasure on adolescents was seen. Also, there were positive relationships between social safeness and pleasure and social media attitudes; problematic internet use and social media attitudes. Beside there was a negative relationship between social safeness and pleasure and problematic internet use.