*Siti Mazmi Niza Ahmad Zawawi, Jusang Bolong, Nor Azura Adzharuddin, Elillarasi Kuppusamy

Abstract:

In an age where digital communication dominates, smartphones have transformed human interaction, blurring the lines between personal and professional lives and creating a paradox; while technology fosters connectivity, it may also diminish authentic human interactions. This has contributed to the rise of phubbing (phone snubbing), a problematic behaviour with adverse psychological and social consequences. This research explores the relationships between loneliness, social media addiction, and phubbing behaviour among young adults in Malaysia, utilising the Compensatory Internet Use Theory. A quantitative approach was employed, using an online survey questionnaire to gather data from 80 Malaysian respondents aged 18 to 40 with active social media accounts. Data analysis using SmartPLS 4 reveals significant negative relationships between both loneliness (path coefficient = –0.35, p = 0.007) and social media addiction (path coefficient = –0.313, p = 0.003) and phubbing.

Keywords: Phubbing, loneliness, social media addiction, digital communication, online interaction