Social Media Use and Digital Self-Perception in University Students

Abstract

This study examines how social media use relates to university students’ digital self-perception within the framework of sustainable education and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3 and 4). A quantitative, cross-sectional design was applied to a sample of 261 undergraduate students from CES Don Bosco (Madrid, Spain), with a response rate of 24.4%. Participants (75.1% women; age range 18–44) completed a 36-item instrument developed for this study. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) identified three dimensions with adequate internal consistency—social comparison and influence on self-image, approval seeking and digital authenticity, and digital dependence and anxiety—while two additional dimensions showed insufficient reliability and were considered exploratory only. Non-parametric analyses (Spearman’s rho and Mann–Whitney U) revealed significant associations between earlier digital initiation, longer daily connection time, and higher scores in comparison, approval seeking, and digital dependence. Women reported higher levels in these dimensions, although effect sizes were small to moderate. Because the design was correlational, these results do not imply causality. The findings offer preliminary empirical support for an analytical model of digital self-perception and highlight the importance of integrating emotional and critical dimensions of digital competence into higher education to promote students’ digital well-being.