Beyond the Likes: Investigating the Role of Social Comparison, Fear of Missing Out, and Depression in the Link between Multidimensional Facebook Use Intensity and Problematic Facebook Use.

IntroductionThe rapid proliferation of technology and its impact on adolescents’ lives have raised concerns about addictive behaviors and its potential consequences, including behavioral and mental health problems. This study investigates the prevalence and risk factors associated with the co-occurrence of Problematic Facebook Use and Problematic Video game Use among Tunisian adolescents.MethodologyWe conducted a cross-sectional study in the urban area of Sousse governorate in Tunisia during the 2018/2019 school year. We selected a representative sample of high school students enrolled in public educational institutions in Sousse. Data collection was performed through a self-administered structured questionnaire, which gathered information on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, and mental health disorders. Problematic Facebook Use was assessed using the validated Arabic version of the Bergen Scale, while Problematic Video Game Use was measured using the 21-point Lemmens Scale, which was translated into Arabic. Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS program (version 20).ResultsWe enrolled a total of 1342 high school students in our study, of whom, 63.2% were female with a mean age of 17.5 ± 1.44 years. The prevalence of Problematic Facebook Use and Problematic Video Game Use was 28.3% and 13% respectively. Regarding the co-occurrence of the two problematic behaviors, 31.3% of participants faced a singular addictive behavior, either related to problematic Facebook or video game use, while 5% had both addictive behaviors simultaneously. In a multivariate analysis, risk factors for the co-occurrence of Problematic Facebook and Video Game Use, in decreasing order of significance, included severe depression (AOR = 4.527; p = 0.003), anxiety (AOR = 4.216; p = 0.001), male gender (AOR = 4.130; p < 0.001), problematic internet use (AOR = 3.477; p = 0.006), as well as moderate depression (AOR = 3.048; p = 0.007).ConclusionOur study found that Problematic Facebook and Video Game Use were prevalent among Tunisian adolescents. The co-occurrence of these disorders is strongly linked to male gender, problematic internet use, depression, and anxiety disorders. These findings underscore the urgency of implementing tailored and effective awareness and prevention programs to address these emerging challenges.

Background: With a growing number of users, social networking sites have been the subject of numerous recent studies, but little investigation has been given to their problematic use. Objectives: Our main objective was to study the relationship between psychopathological variables (i.e., personality traits, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and stress) and problematic Facebook and Twitter use. Participants and method: A sample of 1068 Internet users (Mage = 26.64; SD = 9.5) has been recruited online. Participants completed scales exploring problematic Facebook and Twitter use, and psychopathological variables. Results: Problematic Facebook and Twitter use were predicted by different pathological personality traits, regrouped in clusters in our study. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were also predictive of problematic Facebook and Twitter use but only stress explained problematic Facebook use. Gender differences have been observed. Discussion: This study highlights the relationship between depression, anxiety, stress, pathological personality traits, and problematic Facebook and Twitter use. Significant differences have been retrieved between these two uses and their relationship to psychopathology. Future research should also explore the causal relationship between social networking sites use and psychopathology and consider gender.

Background: Problematic use of social media has become a growing concern among young adults, with strong evidence linking it to aggression and academic procrastination. Excessive Facebook use, in particular, disrupts emotional regulation and impairs academic functioning. Despite substantial international research, limited evidence exists from Pakistan exploring how problematic Facebook use contributes to procrastination through aggression, especially among medical students whose academic demands are exceptionally rigorous. Addressing this gap is essential to better understand the psychological mechanisms underlying academic underperformance in this population. Objective: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between problematic Facebook use and academic procrastination, while testing the mediating role of aggression among Pakistani medical students aged 18 to 35 years. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design was adopted, and purposive sampling recruited 200 medical students. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS; α = 0.80) measured problematic Facebook use, the Academic Procrastination Scale–Short Form (APS-SF; α = 0.87) assessed procrastination, and the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ; α = 0.89) measured aggression. Ethical approval was secured in line with APA guidelines, and written informed consent was obtained. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, and Hayes’ PROCESS Macro 4.2 (Model 4) was applied for mediation analysis. Results: The mean age of participants was 24.50 years (SD = 3.02). Men accounted for 55.5% and women for 44.5% of the sample, with 55.5% from middle socioeconomic status. Problematic Facebook use was strongly correlated with aggression (r = 0.71, p &lt; .05) and academic procrastination (r = 0.90, p &lt; .05). Aggression also correlated with procrastination (r = 0.34, p &lt; .01). Regression showed problematic Facebook use significantly predicted aggression (β = 1.06, p &lt; .001) and procrastination (β = 0.88, p &lt; .001). Aggression independently predicted procrastination (β = 0.07, p &lt; .001). Mediation analysis revealed aggression partially mediated the relationship, with a significant indirect effect (Effect = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.009–0.06). Conclusion: Problematic Facebook use significantly impairs academic performance among medical students, both directly through procrastination and indirectly via heightened aggression. These findings underscore the urgent need for awareness campaigns, digital literacy initiatives, and counseling interventions to foster healthier online engagement and reduce aggression-driven academic delays.

Background: Problematic Facebook use, also known as Facebook addiction, has recently been recognized as a cause of potential harm to adolescents and young adults. Some problematic Internet use risk factors have been linked to Facebook use. Yet few studies have explored the risk factors for problematic Facebook use in young people. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of psychopathological variables, in particular borderline traits and interpersonal variables (i.e., parent and peer attachments and parental bonding styles), to the explanation of problematic Facebook use symptoms by taking gender into account and controlling for motives, one of the most important risk factors for problematic Facebook use. Patients and Methods: The final sample consisted of 456 Facebook users (227 women) aged from 12 to 25 (M = 20.5; SD = 2.5). These participants completed online self-report questionnaires assessing problematic Facebook use, motives for Facebook use, depressive symptoms, social anxiety, sensation seeking, borderline personality traits, parental bonding and attachment, and peer attachment. Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that motives and maternal overprotection were the main predictors of problematic Facebook use symptoms in both genders. Mediation analyses suggested that borderline personality traits and overprotection played different roles in the development of problematic Facebook use symptoms. In females, borderline traits were a mediator in the relation between maternal overprotection and problematic Facebook use symptoms. In males, maternal overprotection was a mediator in the relation between borderline traits and problematic Facebook use symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first study exploring the contribution of parental bonding and borderline traits to problematic Facebook use.

Studies indicate that loneliness and self-esteem are predictive factors of problematic social media use. Further, it is proposed that self-presentation and extraversion may explain individual differences in online activity and problematic social media use. The present study confirms the relationship of loneliness and self-esteem with problematic Facebook use and investigates the hypothesis that these psychological factors may be linked to problematic Facebook use through their association with self-presentation and extraversion. The sample of university students consisted of 477 Facebook users, 64% females, aged 18–64. Social media usage intensity was assessed by collecting passive data on the total time spent and the number of sessions on Facebook per day for the last 6 months. The psychological factors, personality, motives and problematic Facebook use were assessed via self-report measures. Results showed that the relationship of loneliness and self-esteem with problematic Facebook use was significantly positive and negative respectively. The relationship between self-esteem and problematic Facebook use was found to be inconsistently mediated by both self-presentation and extraversion, while loneliness was partially mediated by self-presentation only. The total effect of loneliness and self-esteem remained positive and negative respectively, although extraversion and self-presentation had a suppressing effect on the relationship between self-esteem and problematic Facebook use. Further, the prevalence of ‘at-risk’ Facebook users was found to be 6.0%. It was also determined that the usage intensity of ‘at-risk’ users was significantly different from other Facebook users. These results highlight the existence of different patterns of associations linking psychological factors, usage intensity and problematic Facebook use.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03505-0.

Fear of missing out (FoMO) and rumination mediate relations between social anxiety and problematic Facebook use

The associations between problematic Facebook use, psychological distress and well-being among adolescents and young adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundResearch on the relationship between Facebook use intensity and depressive symptoms has resulted in mixed findings. In contrast, problematic Facebook use has been found to be a robust predictor of depressive symptoms. This suggests that when intense Facebook use results in a problematic usage pattern, it may indirectly predict depressive symptoms. However, this mediation pathway has never been examined. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the possible indirect relationship between Facebook use intensity and depressive symptoms through problematic Facebook use is moderated by demographic (age), and personality (neuroticism and extraversion) characteristics.MethodsTo address these gaps, we conducted an online cross-sectional study (n = 210, 55% female, age range: 18–70 years old, Mage = 30.26, SD = 12.25). We measured Facebook use intensity (Facebook Intensity Scale), problematic Facebook use (Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised), and neuroticism and extraversion (Ten Item Personality Inventory).ResultsA mediation analysis revealed that problematic Facebook use fully mediates the relationship between Facebook use intensity and depressive symptoms. Moreover, a moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that this indirect relationship is especially strong among young users and users scoring high on neuroticism.ConclusionsThese findings expand our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between Facebook use intensity and depressive symptoms and describe user characteristics that act as vulnerability factors in this relationship.

There is a growing concern that excessive and uncontrolled use of Facebook not only interferes with performance at school or work but also poses threats to physical and psychological well-being. The present research investigated how two individual difference variables--social anxiety and need for social assurance--affect problematic use of Facebook. Drawing on the basic premises of the social skill model of problematic Internet use, we hypothesized that social anxiety and need for social assurance would be positively correlated with problematic use of Facebook. Furthermore, it was predicted that need for social assurance would moderate the relationship between social anxiety and problematic use. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with a college student sample in the United States (N=243) to test the proposed hypotheses. Results showed that both social anxiety and need for social assurance had a significant positive association with problematic use of Facebook. More importantly, the data demonstrated that need for social assurance served as a significant moderator of the relationship between social anxiety and problematic Facebook use. The positive association between social anxiety and problematic Facebook use was significant only for Facebook users with medium to high levels of need for social assurance but not for those with a low level of need for social assurance. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.

Introduction: Facebook has emerged as one of the top social networking sites (SNSs) among university students but at the cost of leading to negative implications on psychosocial wellbeing. Psychological factors such as depression, anxiety and stress have been implicated in the development of addictions; however studies that evaluate this are scarce among the Malaysian population. Our objective was to identify problematic Facebook use among undergraduate students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and to correlate the psychological factors that influence problematic Facebook use. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 1060 students from various faculties in UPM. Validated Facebook Addiction Test (FAT) and DASS-21 questionnaires were used to collect data. Descriptive analysis was done for demographic data. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were used in the analytical part. Results: Problematic Facebook use was detected among 16.6% of the undergraduate students. Problematic Facebook use was significantly related to the level of depression, anxiety and stress (p&lt;0.05). Multiple regression analysis indicated that younger age, male gender and depression were significant predictors of problematic Facebook use (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: Problematic Facebook use is significantly related to the level of depression, anxiety and stress. Young male university students are more prone to problematic Facebook use than females. Depression plays an important role in the development of problematic Facebook usage, thus requires careful monitoring of young students for early detection and prevention. Keywords : Internet Addiction, Malaysia, social networking, student psychology, university

P.3.c.062 Understanding needs, interactions, treatment, and expectations: a global survey in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Introduction: Some Facebook users have difficulty regulating the amount of time they spend online, and some Facebook features, such as likes, promote habitual use. Theoretically, attachment insecurities could be related to problematic Facebook use, but the findings of past studies were mixed with limited knowledge about potential moderators and mediators of the association between adult attachment and problematic use of Facebook.Aims: The present study used adult attachment theory to explore a moderated mediation model that examined the interaction of the two attachment dimensions of attachment anxiety and avoidance as well as the mediation role of likes-seeking behaviors.Method: A total of 2758 adolescents and young adults completed self-report questionnaires.Results: Results showed a significant interaction between the attachment dimensions, such that attachment anxiety and avoidance were each related to problematic Facebook use when the level of the other attachment dimension was low. The relations between the attachment dimensions and problematic Facebook use were mediated by likes-seeking behaviors.Conclusions: Our findings highlight the interplay between the attachment dimensions and the mediation of behaviors related to one specific Facebook feature as important risk factors of problematic Facebook use.

The Big-five personality traits and their link to problematic and compensatory Facebook use: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Past research has revealed positive associations between attachment anxiety and problematic social networking site (SNS) use and between attachment anxiety and sensitivity to feedback on an SNS. The aim of this study was to examine whether feedback sensitivity could account for the association between attachment anxiety and problematic SNS use. Two hundred eighty-three adults completed an online survey containing measures of adult attachment style in close relationships, sensitivity to feedback on Facebook, problematic Facebook use, and various control variables (Big Five personality traits, self-esteem, and demographics). A mediation analysis revealed the predicted indirect effect of attachment anxiety on problematic Facebook use through feedback sensitivity. Higher levels of attachment anxiety predicted greater sensitivity to feedback on Facebook, which in turn predicted higher levels of problematic Facebook use. Full mediation was observed with the control variables (attachment avoidance, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience, self-esteem, age, and gender) in the model, and partial mediation was observed without the control variables. These findings replicate past research on attachment anxiety and extend our understanding by establishing a positive association between sensitivity to comments and likes on Feedback and problematic Facebook use.

Facebook is, nowadays, the most used social networking site worldwide and adolescents are increasingly engaging in this form of communication. Despite increasing attention of researchers to computer-mediated communication, there are few studies using an interpersonal and family relationships perspective on how adolescents relate to the Internet, and particularly to Facebook use. The aim of the present study was to test whether peer alienation mediates the link between parental attachment and problematic Facebook use. To this purpose we used a sample of 761 adolescents (53.7% boys, mean age = 15.8), from the North region of Portugal. We also tested if the mediational model was invariant for boys and girls. The results showed that peer alienation plays a mediating role in the relationship between parental attachment and problematic Facebook use. The mediational models were, however, not invariant for boys and girls. Considering parental attachment, quality of emotional bond directly predicted problematic Facebook use only for boys. These results provide relevant clues for understanding predictors of problematic Facebook use in adolescents and also enlighten psychological intervention, particularly in parental education and school intervention programs.