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Problematic Social Media Use Scale Test

In 3 minutes, learn whether your social media use is affecting mood, focus, and real-life connections. Fifteen quick items pinpoint trouble spots and provide a clear baseline for coaching or care.
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Questions: 153 minutes
Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.
08:30
October 2, 2025
October 2, 2025
Material has been updated
13277 views
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Scale Explorer
How the Scales are Structured
example score
10/21
Negative Consequences (NC)
Measures how strongly social media use is associated with negative impacts on daily functioning, such as strained relationships or reduced productivity.
Low impact
Moderate impact
High impact
3 – 8: Low impact | 9 – 14: Moderate impact | 15 – 21: High impact
A score of 10 falls in the Moderate impact range, suggesting occasional noticeable drawbacks from social media use in areas like productivity or interpersonal interactions.
example score
8/21
Compulsive Use (CU)
Measures the degree of repetitive, hard-to-control social media use and preoccupation with checking it.
Low
Moderate
High
3 – 8: Low | 9 – 14: Moderate | 15 – 21: High
A score of 8 falls in the Low range, suggesting compulsive social media behaviors are minimal or occur infrequently.
example score
9/21
Cognitive Preoccupation (CP)
Measures how strongly a person becomes mentally preoccupied with social media and how hard it is to shift attention away from it.
Low absorption
Moderate absorption
High absorption
3 – 8: Low absorption | 9 – 14: Moderate absorption | 15 – 21: High absorption
A score of 9 indicates a moderate level of cognitive absorption, suggesting occasional persistent thoughts about social media and some difficulty redirecting attention.
example score
11/21
Emotion Regulation (ER)
Measures the extent to which a person uses social media to manage, soothe, or change their emotional state.
Low
Moderate
High
3 – 8: Low | 9 – 14: Moderate | 15 – 21: High
A score of 11 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional reliance on social media to regulate emotions without consistently dominating coping efforts.
example score
14/21
Preference for Online Communication (PfOC)
Measures how strongly a person tends to prefer online communication over face-to-face interaction.
Low preference
Moderate preference
High preference
3 – 8: Low preference | 9 – 15: Moderate preference | 16 – 21: High preference
A score of 14 falls in the Moderate preference range, suggesting a noticeable but not dominant tendency to choose online communication over in-person contact.
example score
35/105
Problematic Social Media Use Scale (PSMUS)
Assesses the degree to which social media use is excessive and associated with difficulties or negative impacts in daily life.
Low
Moderate
High
15 – 44: Low | 45 – 74: Moderate | 75 – 105: High
A score of 35 falls in the Low range, suggesting generally controlled social media use with minimal signs of related difficulties.
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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS
Who Usually Takes This Test?
Heavy daily scrollers
41%OF USERS
People who notice they spend more time online than planned and feel it affects mood, focus, or sleep.
Mood regulation seekers
33%OF USERS
Those who turn to feeds and notifications to cope with stress, loneliness, or boredom and worry it’s becoming a habit.
Helping professionals and coaches
26%OF USERS
Psychologists, counselors, and coaches who need a quick screening to understand how online behavior impacts a client’s daily life.
BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.
RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE
What You’ll See After You Finish the Test
Scale Results
— Explained Clearly
Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.
AI-Powered
Interpretation
A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.
Statistical
Comparison
See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.
Practical
Recommendations
Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.
AI-Detected
Insights
Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.
Discuss with
an AI Psychologist
Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.
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Used in 52+ countries
Benchmarking
See How You Compare
Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.
Negative Consequences (NC)
Average
9.1
Normal range
5.9 — 12.2
min.
3
max.
21
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Compulsive use (Cu)
Average
13.7
Normal range
10.4 — 17
min.
3
max.
21
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Cognitive Absorption (CA)
Average
14.6
Normal range
11.8 — 17.3
min.
3
max.
21
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Emotion Regulation (ER)
Average
12.3
Normal range
9.5 — 15.2
min.
3
max.
21
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Preference for online communication (Pfoc)
Average
11.2
Normal range
8.3 — 14
min.
3
max.
21
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Problematic Social Media Use Scale (PSMUS)
Average
82.1
Normal range
70.2 — 94
min.
15
max.
105
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
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Trusted by 22k+ Users Worldwide
CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this questionnaire assess?
It screens for patterns of social media use associated with loss of control, emotional reliance, and negative effects on daily functioning. It also indicates which problem areas are most prominent.
How long does it take and how many items are included?
Completion time is approximately 3 minutes. The questionnaire includes 15 items.
How should responses be selected?
Select the option that best reflects typical behavior over the recent period. Answer all items without overthinking.
What topics are covered by the items?
Items cover preference for online interaction over in-person contact, mood regulation through online activity, intrusive preoccupation, repeated checking, and negative consequences. These domains reflect common indicators of problematic use.
How should results be interpreted and used?
Scores reflect the likelihood and relative severity of problematic use and the areas most affected. Results are intended for screening and follow-up planning rather than standalone diagnosis.
WHAT THE TEST MEASURES
About This Assessment

Problematic Social Media Use Scale Test

cyberpsychologysocial networks

The measure is designed to screen for maladaptive patterns of social networking site engagement; the Problematic Social Media Use Scale provides a brief, structured way to quantify associated distress and functional impact. It consists of 15 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete.

Items assess common features of problematic use, such as preoccupation with social media, difficulty controlling use, use to regulate mood, preference for online interaction over offline activities, and negative consequences in daily functioning. Results from the Problematic Social Media Use Scale can support clinical interviewing and treatment planning by identifying areas where social media use may be interfering with emotional well-being, relationships, or role performance.

Author: kimberly-s-young, mark-d-griffiths
Literature: Andreassen, C. S., Torsheim, T., Brunborg, G. S., & Pallesen, S. Development of a Facebook addiction scale. Psychological Reports. 2012.
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