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Problematic Social Media Use Scale

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

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

13,285 views

1,160 completions

958 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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.

max.

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.

max.

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.

max.

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.

max.

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.

max.

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.

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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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

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 - Symptoms and Signs

cyberpsychology social 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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