<![CDATA[Social media addiction is an emerging public health concern among adolescents, with potential consequences for psychological well-being, including anxiety. Evidence from rural Indonesian settings, particularly among female adolescents, remains limited. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between social media addiction and anxiety among female high school students in Langke Rembong Sub-district, Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. A cross-sectional descriptive-analytic design was employed, involving 390 female students from six high schools selected through total sampling. Social media addiction was measured using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and dichotomised as Non-Addiction (score 6–23) and Addiction (score ≥24). Anxiety was assessed using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and categorised as minimal, mild, moderate, or severe. Data were analysed using the Pearson chi-square test of independence. Most respondents (92.1%, n = 359) were classified as Non-Addiction, while 7.9% (n = 31) met the criterion for social media addiction. Overall, 30.0% had minimal, 33.1% mild, 20.5% moderate, and 16.4% severe anxiety. Social media addiction was significantly associated with anxiety level (χ²(3) = 23.053, p < 0.001). Among addicted respondents, 74.2% had clinically significant (moderate or severe) anxiety, compared with 33.7% of non-addicted respondents. Social media addiction is associated with higher anxiety severity among female adolescents in a rural Indonesian setting.]]>
