Perceived Stress, TikTok Addiction, Self-esteem, and academic performance among university students in Saudi Arabia: A structural path analysis

Abstract

Background & Objectives: TikTok is widely used among university students in Saudi Arabia, raising concerns about its potential role as a maladaptive coping strategy. Limited research has examined how perceived stress, TikTok addiction, and self-esteem jointly influence academic performance within the General Strain Theory (GST) framework. This study investigated the direct and indirect relationships between perceived stress and academic performance, with TikTok addiction and self-esteem as mediating variables.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 university students in Saudi Arabia between October and December 2024. Participants completed an online questionnaire that included demographic data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and TikTok Addiction Scale (TTAS). Academic performance was measured using self-reported cumulative grade point average (GPA). After psychometric evaluation of the study instruments, structural path analysis was performed to examine direct and indirect relationships among the study variables.

Results: Participants reported using TikTok for an average of 3.4 hours per day, and 75.3% used TikTok primarily for entertainment. Perceived stress was negatively associated with academic performance (β = -0.12, p < 0.05) and self-esteem (β = -0.11, p < 0.05), while positively associated with TikTok addiction (β = 0.30, p < 0.01). TikTok addiction was negatively associated with academic performance (β = -0.20, p < 0.01), whereas self-esteem was positively associated with academic performance (β = 0.17, p < 0.01). Significant indirect effects were observed through TikTok addiction (β = -0.06, p < 0.01), self-esteem (β = -0.02, p < 0.05), and the sequential pathway involving both mediators (β = -0.01, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The findings support GST by highlighting that perceived stress influences academic performance through both behavioral and psychological mechanisms. Interventions targeting stress management, healthier TikTok use, and self-esteem enhancement may help improve academic outcomes among university students.