Saudi University Students Spend Nearly 3.5 Hours Daily on Social Media

Saudi university students spend an average of three hours and 28 minutes a day on social media, according to a peer-reviewed study published in ‘BMC Psychology’.

The analysis covered 2,540 students from public and private universities. First-year students recorded the highest average daily use at three hours and 49 minutes, compared with three hours and 22 minutes among third-year students and three hours and 19 minutes among fourth-year students.

The study found that 42.8% of participants fell within the low psychological well-being category, with an overall average score of 52.98 out of 100. Fifth-year students recorded the lowest average well-being score at 47.58, while first-year students reported the highest at 54.41.

Researchers also found that 72.7% of students experienced moderate levels of loneliness and social isolation, while 56.5% showed moderate smartphone dependence and 56.4% reported moderate social support. At the same time, 44% of participants recorded a high level of academic engagement.

The analysis identified an association between greater social isolation and lower psychological well-being, while stronger social support was associated with better well-being. Smartphone dependence did not emerge as a direct explanatory factor for lower well-being under the model used, while the university environment also showed no independent effect.

Overall, the psychological and social factors examined explained less than 1% of the variation in students’ psychological well-being, while researchers found no clear correlation between well-being and academic engagement.

Participants were aged between 18 and 29 and represented disciplines including medicine, engineering, science, nursing, dentistry, humanities and business. Women made up 60% of respondents and men 40%, while 49.7% attended public universities and 50.3% private universities.

Data were collected in September and October 2025 using established measures including the World Health Organization’s Well-Being Index, the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Nomophobia Scale. The authors noted that the study’s cross-sectional design and convenience sample mean the findings show associations rather than causal relationships.