Abstract:
Social media addiction (SMA) has become a significant behavioural concern among
teenagers, influencing their academic engagement, emotional well-being, and social
relationships. Despite global recognition of this issue, research on preventive
strategies remains limited within the Sri Lankan context. This study aimed to examine
the effectiveness of five preventive measures parental control, educational
programmes, self-control strategies, digital literacy, and peer influence in reducing
SMA among teenagers in the Colombo District. A quantitative research design was
employed, and data were collected from 390 active social media users aged 14–19
years using a structured questionnaire. The study utilised descriptive statistics to
determine the existing level of SMA among teenagers and inferential analyses, such
as Pearson correlation and multiple regression, to identify the most influential
preventive factors. The findings revealed that peer influence and self-control
strategies demonstrated the strongest positive relationships with reduced SMA,
indicating that supportive peer networks and self-regulation play crucial roles in
promoting balanced digital behaviour. Educational programmes, parental control, and
digital literacy also contributed meaningfully to moderating excessive social media
use. The results emphasise the need for multi-dimensional preventive approaches that
combine family guidance, school-based awareness, and peer-led interventions. The
study concludes that fostering self-control among teenagers and promoting healthy
peer environments can effectively mitigate the risk of SMA. These insights provide
valuable guidance for educators, parents, and policymakers in developing evidence-based strategies to cultivate responsible and mindful social media engagement among
Sri Lankan youth.
