Social Media Use and Eco-Anxiety among Pakistani Journalists: A Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract

Aim of the Study: This research took into consideration the estimation of differences between different groups based on the demographic characteristics of gender, age, type of media served, and consumer time spending on social media.

Methodology: This cross-sectional, correlational research has explored the social media use and eco-anxiety among Pakistani journalists, while also measuring the relationship between both variables. The study while using the Social Media Use Scale (Tuck & Thompson, 2024) and the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (Hogg et al., 2021) documented responses of 167 climate journalists. 

Findings: The study found a moderate positive relationship (r = .45, p < .01) between the two variables whereas the regression analysis established that social media use significantly predicted eco-anxiety (R² = .20) among the climate journalists.

Conclusion: The study revealed that female journalists were more inclined towards higher social media use as well as suffered more eco-anxiety than their male counterparts. Although, the younger journalists depicted tendency of higher social media use, the older journalists experienced greater eco-anxiety. Moreover, the digital media journalists reflected greater levels of both social media use and eco-anxiety. The implications of the social media exposure on eco-anxiety underscored the need for psychological well-being in media organizations, particularly in Pakistani settings.