Social Media Usage as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Perceived Maternal Narcissistic Traits and Obsessive Beliefs

Abstract

In today's rapidly evolving digital world, social media platforms play a central role in people's lives. While social media provides individuals with opportunities for self-expression, communication, and quick access to information, it also has significant impacts on psychological health. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of perceived maternal narcissistic traits on social media usage and obsessive beliefs. The negative effects of social media use on psychological health and the relationship of these effects with parenting styles constituted the main focus of the research. In this context, the current research investigated the mediating role of social media usage in the relationship between perceived maternal narcissistic traits and obsessive beliefs. Based on the cognitive therapy approach, the study evaluated the effects of narcissistic parents on their children and the role of social media use in the emergence of this effect. The study's participants consisted of a total of 307 individuals, including 136 women and 171 men, aged between 19 and 74, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Social Media Usage Scale, the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-44, and the Perceived Maternal Narcissistic Traits Scale. Mediation analysis was conducted with the collected data using SPSS Process Macro. The findings revealed that women perceived higher levels of narcissistic traits from their mothers compared to men, while men exhibited higher levels of obsessive beliefs than women. There was no statistically significant difference in social media usage levels between the groups. The mediation analysis indicated that perceived maternal narcissistic traits did not directly affect obsessive beliefs but influenced this path by increasing social media usage. As a result, controlling social media use and promoting conscious usage were highlighted as important recommendations to protect individuals' psychological health. © 2025, Association for Clinical Psychology Research. All rights reserved.