From Pandemic to Problematic: Social media use and its emerging patterns among university Students in Ethiopia

Background Social media use has become an essential aspect of student life worldwide. While it offers academic and social benefits, excessive use can develop into problematic social media use (PSMU). The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated dependent on digital platforms, raising concerns that patterns established during lockdown may persist in the post-pandemic era. Despite rapid growth of internet penetration in Ethiopia, limited evidence exists on the prevalence and usage patterns of PSMU among university students. Objective To determine the prevalence of PSMU among undergraduate students at Addis Ababa University and to describe their usage patterns. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among regular undergraduate students at Addis Ababa University’s main campus. Participants were selected using simple random sampling and data on social media engagement and problematic use were collected using a structured questionnaire incorporating a validated PSMU screening scale. Descriptive statistics were applied to estimate prevalence and summarize usage patterns. Chi-square tests were performed to assess associations between demographic characteristics and PSMU. Results The prevalence of PSMU was 17.1% (N = 54). Gender differences were significant, female students accounted for 64.8% of PSMU cases compared to 35.2% among males. PSMU was significantly higher among (3rd year of student and department of law students). The most commonly used platforms were telegram (97.8%) followed by TikTok (70.9%) and YouTube 127 (40.2%). Conclusion PSMU is prevalent among university students, affecting nearly one in five participants in post pandemic era. Gender, field of study, and academic year were associated with variations in PSMU, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. Universities in low-resource settings should prioritize digital literacy initiatives and preventive interventions. Keywords : Problematic social media use, behavioral addition, University students, Ethiopia