The impact of social media addiction on pregnancy stress and prenatal attachment.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of social media addiction on pregnancy stress and prenatal attachment. The study was conducted between November 2023 and April 2024 with a sample of 277 pregnant women. This descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study utilized several instruments, including the Demographic Information Form, the Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form (SMAS-AF), the Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMO), the Pregnancy Stress Rating Scale (PSRS), and The Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI). The findings revealed that the majority of the participants used social media to gain information related to their pregnancy (60.3%) and childbirth (46.6%). It was observed that the participants had a moderate level of social media addiction (40.56±9.82). The study found that as levels of social media addiction and FoMO increased, pregnancy stress also increased. Additionally, no significant relationship was found between social media addiction and prenatal attachment, although a higher level of FoMO was associated with a decrease in prenatal attachment. It is recommended that the number of healthcare professionals who provide accessible education and follow-up services to pregnant women be increased. Moreover, preventive and supportive environments should be established within healthcare services to guide the use of social media during pregnancy.