Public and private self-awareness as perceived by university students’ social media users and their relationship to social desirability ( X as a model )

Abstract:
   The aim of the study is to uncover the levels of both public and private self-awareness, as well as social desirability among university students who use social media. It seeks to identify the relationship between public and private self-awareness and social desirability, and to reveal the differences in the levels of public and private self-awareness and social desirability based on gender differences. To achieve the study's objectives, a descriptive correlational comparative method was used, relying on the self-awareness scale developed by Carver & Scheier (1981), translated and standardized by Aboud (2022), and the social desirability scale developed by Paulhus (1984), translated and standardized by Jamal et al. (2022). The sample consisted of 489 individuals selected using stratified random sampling from the study population. The results revealed a high level of public and private self-awareness among the sample participants, as well as a high level of social desirability. Additionally, there are positive correlational relationships between both public and private self-awareness and social desirability. Furthermore, no significant differences were found in public and private self-awareness and social desirability attributed to the gender variable.   
Keywords: Self-awareness, Social Media, Social Desirability.