Social Media Addiction Scale Calculator

Screen your social media use with the 6-item Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale and get an instant risk score and interpretation.

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How the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale works

The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) is a short, research-backed questionnaire that screens for problematic social media use.

It contains six questions, each tied to one core component of behavioral addiction: salience (preoccupation), tolerance (needing more), mood modification (using it to escape), relapse (failed attempts to cut back), withdrawal (restlessness when offline), and conflict (harm to work, study, or relationships).

You rate each item from 1 (very rarely) to 5 (very often), and the answers are added together for a total between 6 and 30.

A higher score reflects more signs of compulsive use.

The scale measures patterns over roughly the past year, not a single bad week.

Understanding your social media addiction score

Your total falls into one of three bands.

A score of 6–11 suggests low risk and generally healthy, controlled use.

A score of 12–18 points to moderate risk, meaning some habits are worth watching before they grow.

A score of 19 or higher signals at-risk or problematic use; researchers often flag this using a cutoff of answering 4 or 5 on at least four of the six items.

A high score does not mean you have a clinical disorder, because social media addiction is not a formal diagnosis.

Instead, treat the result as a self-awareness snapshot that shows how much these six warning patterns apply to your daily life right now.

Tips to build a healthier relationship with social media

If your score lands in the moderate or high range, small structural changes usually beat willpower alone.

Turn off non-essential notifications so apps stop pulling you back, and set app timers or grayscale mode to make scrolling less rewarding.

Keep your phone out of the bedroom to protect sleep, since late-night scrolling worsens both mood and rest.

Replace a few daily check-ins with offline anchors such as a walk, a hobby, or a short conversation.

Track how you feel before and after long sessions; noticing the mood dip makes it easier to cut back.

Finally, schedule deliberate screen-free blocks rather than vowing to quit entirely, which is harder to sustain.

Common mistakes when interpreting addiction screening scores

The biggest mistake is treating this calculator as a diagnosis.

The BSMAS is a screening tool, not a medical test, and a high score only suggests that further reflection or a conversation with a professional may help.

Another error is answering based on one unusually busy or stressful week instead of your typical pattern over time, which can inflate the result.

People also confuse heavy use with addiction; spending hours online for work or staying connected with distant family is not automatically harmful.

What matters is loss of control, distress, and real-world consequences.

If your use is interfering with sleep, mood, work, or relationships, seek support from a qualified mental health provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Social Media Addiction Scale Calculator

This tool provides a screening measure based on established psychological scales (the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale). It is designed for self-assessment and educational purposes only, and should not replace professional diagnosis or medical advice.

Sources & References

Mental-health information

Authoritative mental-health and wellbeing information from the U.S. CDC.
→Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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