UNMASKING CYBER VIOLENCE: SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT AND SPIRITUAL BYPASS IN YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

The aim of conducting this research was, examining the relationship, between social media engagement, spiritual bypass and cyber violence. A co-relational research deign was used to conduct the study. A sample of 200 young adults (Males=76, Females=124) between the ages of 18 – 25 years, (M = 21.07 and SD = 1.74) sampling was taken by using by using non probability purposive sampling. The measures used were Social Networking Usage Questionnaire, Spiritual Bypass Scale and Cyber Violence Scale. There was a positive relationship between social media engagement and Cyber violence. On the other hand, spiritual bypass showed negative relationship with social media engagement and cyber violence. Finally, multiple linear regression analysis illustrated that social media engagement positively predicted cyber violence and spiritual bypass negatively predicted the cyber violence. The t-Test results showed that there are gender differences in cyber violence. It says that females are more victims of cyber violence than males, and males are more perpetrators than females. Everyone engages himself or herself in social media usage in today’s era so that they can stay connected with the world around them but unfortunately, some people use it for the purpose for abusing others online.