Associations of critical thinking and social media addiction with eHealth literacy among adolescent social media users

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the impact of social media addiction and critical thinking on eHealth literacy in adolescents. The cross-sectional study was conducted between March and July 2025 among high school students. A census sampling method was employed, with 80.2% of students agreeing to participate. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising socio-demographic information, the eHealth Literacy Scale for Adolescents, the Critical Thinking in Everyday Life Questionnaire, and the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents. Of the participants, 62.8% were female, and the most commonly used social media platforms were Instagram (85.5%). The study found a positive and strong correlation between eHealth literacy and critical thinking in everyday life, whereas no significant relationship was found between eHealth literacy and social media addiction. According to the linear regression analysis, daily internet use (hours) and critical thinking in everyday life were significantly associated with eHealth literacy. This study highlights that eHealth literacy in adolescents is significantly influenced by daily internet usage and critical thinking skills, rather than social media addiction. These findings suggest that future interventions should prioritize the development of critical thinking to empower adolescents as informed health users.