Emotional and Social Problems Facing Adolescent Girls and Their Relationship with the Use of Social Media in Jerusalem Governorate

Abstract

The current study aims to identify the emotional and social problems facing adolescent girls and their relationship to social networking sites use in Jerusalem Governorate. It also aims to reveal differences in study sample responses between means of emotional and social problems among adolescent girls and social media relationship according to variables of: specialization, educational stage, place of residence, and age. The study used the descriptive correlational approach. The study population consisted of all adolescent girls in Jerusalem Governorate, numbering 5,000 adolescents, and the study sample comprised 380 adolescent girls from Jerusalem Governorate, selected through convenience sampling. The results showed that the level of emotional and social problems facing adolescent girls in Jerusalem Governorate was moderate, with a general mean of 3.25 representing 65.0%. The study also showed that the level of social media use among adolescent girls was moderate, with a general mean of 3.40 representing 68.0%. The study revealed no statistically significant differences at level α<.05 between means of emotional and social problems among adolescent girls attributed to educational stage variable, except in fear and shyness areas, where differences were statistically significant in favour of middle school students. Results also showed no statistically significant differences at level α<.05 between means of emotional and social problems attributed to specialization between literary and Bagrut tracks, except in the area of fear, favouring Bagrut students, and no differences attributed to school stage and place of residence (city, village, camp). However, statistically significant differences were found between means of emotional and social problems attributed to place of residence in favour of camp residents. Results showed no statistically significant differences at level α<.05 between means of social media use attributed to specialization variable except in parental monitoring of social media use, favouring Bagrut. The findings indicated a statistically significant correlation at level α<.05 between emotional and social problems and social media use among adolescent girls in Jerusalem Governorate, with a correlation coefficient of r=.707 in a positive direction. Based on the results of the study, it was recommended that awareness campaigns should be organized in schools and communities in Jerusalem governorate to raise awareness about the problems of anxiety, depression, shyness and fear among adolescent girls, while providing strategies to deal with them in a healthy manner.