Demographic Differences in Social Media Usage, Self-Esteem, and Academic Performance among Pakistani University Students

Authors

  • Uroosa Jamil M.Phil. Psychology, Department of Psychology, Muslim Youth University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Dr. Fayyaz Ahmed Anjum Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Muslim Youth University, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Maryam Fayyaz MS Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Riphah International University, Gulberg Green, Islamabad, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55737/tk/2k25a.41150

Keywords:

Social Media Usage, Self-esteem, Academic Performance, Demographics, Gender, Age, Socioeconomic Status, Pakistani Students

Abstract

The present study aimed to analyze how the demographic factors of Pakistani university students affect their social media usage, self-esteem, and academic performance. A cross-sectional design was utilized for the study, and data were collected from 300 participants aged between 18 and 30 years. RSE, SMUS, and APQ measures were adopted to assess study variables. The results indicated that younger individuals (age group 18 to 22) achieved poor grades and self-esteem scores and had high social media usage compared to their older counterparts (age group 23 to 30). There were statistical differences within age group categories. While there were differences in social media usage as females reported higher scores on the same scale, there were no differences among gender-based groups in terms of academic achievements and self-esteem. No statistically significant differences emerged due to different levels of education in relation to all analyzed measures. While social media use and academic performance indicators remained stable, there was a moderate socio-economic influence on the social media use variable and slight differences in self-esteem indicators. Thus, it may be concluded that demographic variables of social media use have a significant impact on academic and psychological outcomes of university students.

Author Biography

  • Uroosa Jamil, M.Phil. Psychology, Department of Psychology, Muslim Youth University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

    Corresponding Author: [email protected]

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Published

2026-03-30

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Articles

How to Cite

Jamil, U., Anjum, F. A., & Fayyaz, M. (2026). Demographic Differences in Social Media Usage, Self-Esteem, and Academic Performance among Pakistani University Students. The Knowledge, 5(1), 300-310. https://doi.org/10.55737/tk/2k25a.41150