Social Anxiety among University Students: Results of an Empirical Study

Abstract

This article presents the findings of an empirical study on the manifestations of social anxiety among university students, conducted using an online survey in 2025 at the Russian State Social University in Moscow. The target sample size was 303 respondents, including full-time students (bachelor’s and master’s degrees) studying social sciences and humanities, aged 18 to 25. The study identified the leading factors of anxiety among respondents as academic stress, family relationships, past bullying experiences, and pressure to con-form to social media standards. It was found that social anxiety lowers students’ self-esteem (55.1 % of cases), restricts their communicative activity (62.4 % of respondents experience discomfort when meeting new people, 45 % abandon plans to expand their social circle), and causes negative physiological symptoms (60.1 %). The following preventive measures have been proposed: psychological support at universities, work with families, anti-bullying programs, and media literacy education.