Online social networking and addiction--a review of the psychological literature.

PurposeExtant research has shown the prevalence of social networking site (SNS) addiction and provided evidence for its negative consequences. Given such consequences, it is conceivable that some users decide to discontinue their SNS use in response to SNS addiction. This paper examines key mechanisms that translate SNS addiction into discontinuance decisions.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical model is proposed based on the cognitive-affective model of behavior. It is empirically tested with data from 499 SNS users.FindingsResults show that cognitive dissonance (as primary cognitive response) and guilt (as primary affective response) mediate the relation between SNS addiction and decision to discontinue SNS use, whereas self-accountability and perceived self-efficacy play positive and negative moderating roles. Additional analysis reveals that the effect of guilt on decision to discontinue SNS use follows a nonlinear pattern.Research limitations/implicationsAdditional cognitive and affective responses, beyond cognitive dissonance and guilt, as well as additional contextual factors may influence the relation between SNS addiction and decision to discontinue SNS use. In addition, the relation between decisions and actual discontinuance should be examined by future research.Originality/valueThis study highlights important key antecedents of the decision to discontinue SNS use, namely cognitive dissonance, guilt, self-accountability, and perceived self-efficacy, and the mechanisms underlying their influence. It also explains the nonlinear effect of guilt on the decision to discontinue SNS use.

The development of Social Network Sites (SNS) leads to changes in everyday life and behavior of young adults. Recent studies mentioned the association between SNS addiction and deficits in self-control and regulation and adverse impacts on well-being and emotional states. The problem of this study is to reveal the relations between the Intensity of SNS use and SNS Intrusion and self-regulation features as well as the associations with academic motivation. The sample consists of 197 undergraduate students aged 18-24. The Intensity of SNS use and SNS Intrusion, self-regulation parameters, emotional regulation features (cognitive reappraisal and suppression), and academic motivation (internal, external motivation, and amotivation) were measured. For the data analysis was used correlations and regression analyses. The findings concerning the SNS behavior are the following: the intensity of SNS use has age, sex, and self-regulation of activity as significant predictors; sex and self-regulation of activity reveal as predictors for the SNS Intrusion. Personality factors of self-regulation are not associated with SNS frequency use and addiction. In contrast, internal motivation associates with the Intensity of SNS use, and external motivation and amotivation are positively linked with SNS Intrusion. Thus, the lack of self-regulation increases the adverse effects of SNS use, especially for women. The intensity of social network use increases, and the Social Network Sites addiction features decrease internal motivation.

Social networking sites (SNS) usage have impacted our lives in many ways. Researches on SNS usage mostly were focus on adults compared to teenagers. Nowadays, teenagers are so mesmerize with the SNS applications offered by the provider until they get addicted to it. Yet, SNS addiction is not an isolation process. It started off with high engagement and originated from habit behaviour. This study focuses on exploring and analyzing the usage of SNS among the teenagers in Malaysia specifically in urban area. It also examined the SNS habit and addiction behaviors of the teenagers and emphasized the differences of the behaviors between genders. An online survey form was distributed among the teenagers in urban area. The data were analyzed using SPSS and cross tabulations were constructed to understand the correlation between gender and SNS behaviors. From the analysis, comparisons between genders were done based on the frequency of the SNS habit and addiction behaviors. Based on the preliminary findings, it shows that there are slightly differences between the genders across the behaviors that may have shed some light for other researchers in the niche area.

Research has shown that many people use social networking sites (SNS) excessively, which may lead to various negative consequences. With the aim of reducing SNS addition, this study investigates the role of SNS characteristics in the formation of SNS addiction. By applying incentive sensitization theory in the context of SNS addiction, we suggest that the compulsive motivation for using an SNS is developed by pleasurable and rewarding SNS use experiences. Social network characteristics and communication characteristics, which determine the rewards that users obtain from SNS use, moderate the relationship between habitual SNS use and SNS addiction. We develop novel behavioral measures of habitual SNS use and SNS addiction based on SNS activity logs and empirically test the research model using a large and unique dataset. Besides contributing to the theoretical development of SNS addiction, the results of this study offer practical options to help prevent SNS addiction. Moreover, the measures of SNS addiction enable the automated monitoring of user behavior on SNS, which could be useful for detecting potential SNS addicts.

Background:Social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut and Twitter are virtual communities where users can create individual public profiles, interact with real-life friends and meet other people based on shared interests. An exponential rise in usage of Social Networking Sites have been seen within the last few years. Their ease of use and immediate gratification effect on users has changed the way people in general and students in particular spend their time. Young adults, particularly teenagers tended to be unaware of just how much time they really spent on social networking sites. Negative correlates of Social Networking Sites usage include the decrease in real life social community participation and academic achievement, as well as relationship problems, each of which may be indicative of potential addiction.Aims:the aim of the study was to find out whether teenagers, specially those living in cities spend too much time on social networking websites.Materials and Methods:200 subjects, both boys and girls were included in the cross sectional study who were given a 20 item Young's internet addiction test modified for social networking sites. The responses were analyzed using chi square test and Fisher's exact test.Results:24.74% of the students were having occasional or ‘frequency’ problems while 2.02% of them were experiencing severe problems due to excessive time spent using social networking sites.Conclusion:With the ever increasing popularity of social media, teenagers are devoting significant time to social networking on websites and are prone to get ‘addicted’ to such form of online social interaction.

PurposeThis investigation delves into the elements influencing social networking sites (SNS) use reduction behavior through the lens of the cognitive-affective (CA) model to understand the driving forces behind the decline in SNS use.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the CA model, this research introduces a theoretical framework that integrates the emotions of regret and guilt along with the principles of cognitive dissonance theory. The proposed theoretical framework was subjected to empirical validation, utilizing 453 responses gathered from Instagram users.FindingsThe results suggest that the emotions of regret and guilt have a favorable impact on users’ intention to decrease their SNS usage, with cognitive dissonance exerting an indirect positive influence through these emotions. Additionally, further examination unveils that fear moderates the connection between users’ SNS addiction and the CA components.Research limitations/implicationsAdditional cognitive and affective responses may influence the intricate relation between SNS addiction and SNS use reduction intention.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the existing body of knowledge on the information system use lifecycle by examining shifts in user behavior, notably the transition from excessive use to the adoption of use reduction strategies. Furthermore, it sheds light on the intricate role of cognitive dissonance in elucidating the intention to reduce SNS use from the perspective of the CA model. Additionally, this study advances our current understanding of how the fear of negative consequences arising from excessive usage plays a role as a moderating factor in elucidating the underlying internal factors related to reducing SNS usage.

Sexual Function and Problematic Use of Smartphones and Social Networking Sites

Background and aimsMany people present excessive patterns of social networking site (SNS) use and try to self-regulate it. However, little is known regarding the strategies employed by young adult SNS users and their role in preventing the emergence of addiction-like symptoms in relation to SNS use.MethodsIn Study 1, we employed a naturalistic-qualitative approach for finding commonly employed self-control strategies in relation to SNS use. In Study 2, we examined differences between the frequency and difficulty of the strategies identified in Study 1 and tested the process through which trait self-control exerts influence on reducing SNS addiction symptomology.ResultsStudy 1 revealed six families of self-control strategies, some reactive and some proactive. Study 2 pinpointed the most commonly used and most difficult to enact ones. It also showed that the difficulty to enact self-control strategies in relation to SNS use partially mediates the effect of trait self-control via SNS use habit on SNS addiction symptom severity.ConclusionsTaken together, the present findings revealed that strategies for self-controlling SNS use are common and complex. Their theoretical and clinical significance stems from their ability to prevent the translation of poor trait self-control and strong SNS use habit to the emergence of excessive use as manifested in SNS addiction-like symptoms.

BackgroundSocial distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the frequency of in-person social interactions. College students were highly impacted, since many universities transferred curriculum from in-person to entirely online formats, physically separating students with little notice. With social distancing, their use of social networking sites (SNSs) likely changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly holding implications for well-being.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine (1) how components of SNS use (ie, weekly frequency, time per day, habitual use, engagement, enjoyment, addiction, and emotional impact) changed from before to during COVID-19, (2) how these changes in SNS use were associated with pandemic-related social and emotional well-being, and (3) how SNS use and changes in use during the pandemic were associated with loneliness.MethodsCollege students (N=176) were surveyed during the time when their university campus in the United States was operating online. Participants completed the same SNS use questionnaires twice, once with regard to the month preceding the onset of COVID-19 and again with regard to the month since this time. They also reported the extent to which they experienced perceived change in social support resulting from the pandemic, pandemic-related stress, and general loneliness.ResultsAfter the onset of COVID-19, participants showed an increase in daily time spent on SNSs (t169=5.53, d=0.42, P<.001), habitual use (t173=3.60, d=0.27, P<.001), and addiction (t173=4.96, d=0.38, P<.001); further, enjoyment on SNSs decreased (t173=–2.10, d=–0.16, P=.04) and the emotional impact of SNS activities became more negative (t172=–3.76, d=–0.29, P<.001). Increased perceived social support during COVID-19 was associated with changes in frequency of SNS use, time per day, addiction, and engagement (r>0.18 for all). Pandemic-related stress was associated with changes in SNS addiction and the extent to which one’s SNS content was related to the pandemic (r>0.20 for all). Loneliness was positively associated with SNS addiction (r=0.26) and negatively associated with SNS engagement (r=–0.19) during the pandemic. Loneliness was also negatively associated with changes in habit and engagement (r<–0.15 for all).ConclusionsFindings suggest that components of SNS use are associated with both positive and negative pandemic-related social outcomes, but largely negative pandemic-related emotional outcomes. Further, some components of SNS use are positively associated with loneliness (eg, addiction) while others show a negative association (eg, engagement). These findings provide a more nuanced picture of how SNS use is associated with social and emotional well-being during the time of a global health crisis when in-person interactions are scarce.

Virtuelne društvene zajednice (VDZ) predstavljaju Internet servise za komunikaciju i razvoj socijalnih mreža koje privlače sve veći broj korisnika. Teorija socijalne kompenzacije koja nastoji da objasni privlačnost ovog vida komunikacije, implicira da bi komunikacija putem VDZ mogla posebno biti interesantna socijalno anksioznim, introvertnim i povučenim osobama, koje bi kroz nju mogle da kompenzuju nedostatak realnih interpersonalnih veština. Istraživanje je sprovedeno sa ciljem da se ispita i opiše latentna struktura ponašanja u VDZ, kao i da se utvrde njegove relacije sa socijalnom anksioznošću. U cilju operacionalizacije ponašanja korisnika ovih servisa konstruisan je upitnik Social Networking Behavior (SNB) koji sadrži 73 stavke. Analizom glavnih komponenti iz prostora upitnika SNB ekstrahovano je pet dimenzija virtuelnih ponašanja: 1) Socijalizacija putem VDZ, 2) Zavisnost od VDZ, 3) Kompenzatorno korišćenje VDZ, 4) Virtuelni self i 5) Negativan stav prema VDZ. Osim u slučaju Negativnog stava prema VDZ, postoji značajna interkorelacija izolovanih latentnih dimenzija. Regresionom analizom je utvrđeno da je socijalna anksioznost povezana samo sa dimenzijom Zavisnost od VDZ, dok postoji tendencija povezanosti i sa dimenzijom Kompenzatorno korišćenje VDZ. Dobijeni rezultati, iako delom potkrepljuju rezultate nekih prethodnih istraživanja koja su pokazala da Internet komunikacijski servisi mogu imati terapeutsko dejstvo na osobe sa problemima u domenu socijalnog funkcionisanja, ukazuju na potencijalni rizik prilikom eventualnog korišćenja datih servisa u terapiji socijalne anksioznosti usled opasnosti pojave zavisnosti od njih.

Background: Previous literature suggests that increased usage of social networking sites (SNSs) can have a detrimental effect on mental wellbeing [1,2]. Furthermore, increased SNS usage has been found to result in the development of a new behavioral addiction: SNS addiction [3]. This new form of addiction to social networking is shown to predict depression in users of SNSs [4,5]. Objective: As the rates of people who use SNSs are rising, the current study aimed to identify relationships between SNS usage, SNS addiction and depression, with a focus on SNSs used today that have not been researched before, namely Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. Methods: A cross-sectional online study was conducted on a sample of 103 young adults. Each participant filled out a questionnaire consisting of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R), Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), along with general questions relating to SNS use. Results: The results of the current study suggest that Instagram use (β = .24, p ≤ .05) and SNS addiction (β = .32, p = .001) were significant predictors of depression. The results also showed that Instagram use predicted SNS addiction (β = .22, p < .05). No such relationship existed between Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat and SNS addiction or depression. Conclusion: The results indicated that both Instagram use and SNS addiction were related to depression, and that Instagram use was related to SNS addiction. Results are explained from a uses and gratifications perspective. Further research using longitudinal designs is needed to establish the direction of this relationship.

Prior studies have primarily used "variable-centered" perspectives to identify factors underlying user responses to social networking site (SNS) addiction, their predictors and outcomes. This paper extends this perspective by taking a person-centered approach to examine (1) the prototypical subpopulations (profiles) of users' extent of SNS addiction and responses to it, (2) how affiliations with these profiles can explain user behaviors toward SNS use, and (3) how personality traits can predict affiliations with these profiles. To this end, we propose a typological theory of SNS addiction and user responses to it via two empirical, personcentered studies. Study 1 draws on survey data from 188 SNS users to develop a typology of users based on the extent of their SNS addiction and their responses to it. It further examines the relations between affiliation with these profiles and users' SNS discontinuance intention, as a typical behavioral response to SNS addiction. Study 2 uses survey data from 284 SNS users to validate the user typology developed in Study 1 and investigate its relations to users' Big Five personality traits. Our findings shed light on a typology of five prototypical profiles of SNS users-cautious, regular, consonant, dissonant, and hooked-who differ in their extent of SNS addiction and their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to it. Our findings also demonstrate how Big Five personality traits can predict user affiliations with these prototypical profiles.

Background and Purpose: Smartphones offer easy access to the Internet and a good platform for all kinds of Internet activities. This study analyzed the relationship between social networking site (SNS) addiction and nomophobia among Iranian higher education students. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The participants were selected through a stratified sampling approach: the questionnaire comprised demographic information, Nomophobia Questionnaire, and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. The impact of SNS addiction on nomophobia was assessed using structural equation modeling. Then, the relations between SNS addiction and the 4 dimensions of nomophobia were examined using regression coefficients. Results: A total of 418 SNS users (279 females) took part in this work. SNS addiction showed a significant positive correlation with nomophobia and its 4 dimensions. A model with SNS addiction predicting nomophobia showed an adequate fit. The results showed that SNS addiction has a significant positive relationship with all dimensions of nomophobia. Among dimensions of nomophobia, SNS addiction was related to giving up convenience at the highest level, followed by losing connectedness and inability to access information and communicate. Conclusion: Therefore, SNS addiction explains nomophobia successfully. This study has important implications for health and education providers. Taking into account the efforts to enhance students’ mental health through educational interventions regarding responsible uses of the SNSs and making healthy online habits in policymaking is recommended.

An understanding of the neurocognitive profile underlying the use of social networking sites (SNSs) can help inform decisions about the classification of problematic SNS use as an addictive disorder and elucidate how/when ‘SNS addiction’ might develop. The present review aimed to synthesize structural and functional MRI research investigating problematic/compulsive forms of SNS use or regular (non-addicted) SNS use behaviours. We conducted a systematic search for research articles published in English using the Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases up to October 2022. Studies meeting our inclusion criteria were assessed for quality and a narrative synthesis of the results was conducted. Twenty-eight relevant articles were identified comprising structural MRI (n = 9), resting-state fMRI (n = 6) and task-based fMRI studies (n = 13). Current evidence suggests that problematic SNS use might be characterised by (1) reduced volume of the ventral striatum, amygdala, subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex and posterior insula; (2) increased ventral striatum and precuneus activity in response to SNS cues; (3) abnormal functional connectivity involving the dorsal attention network; (4) inter-hemispheric communication deficits. Regular SNS use behaviours appear to recruit regions involved in the mentalising network, the self-referential cognition network, the salience network, the reward network and the default mode network. Such findings are at least partially consistent with observations from the substance addiction literature and provide some provisional support for the addictive potential of SNSs. Nonetheless, the present review is limited by the small number of eligible studies and large heterogeneity in the methods employed, and so our conclusions should remain tentative. Moreover, there is a lack of longitudinal evidence suggesting SNSs cause neuroadaptations and thus conclusions that problematic SNS use represents a disease process akin to substance use addictions are premature. More well-powered longitudinal research is needed to establish the neural consequences of excessive and problematic SNS use.

Social networking sites (SNS) is a very popular application in today’s world society. SNS, to certain extent has change the way people communicate with each other. This kind of technology has become a trend among the users regardless the impact of the technology to the users either positive or negative. The level of SNS usage among the adolescents has started to raise concern among the parents and also the society. SNS addictions are becoming problematic in certain countries especially in United States and lately this issue has started to spread all over the world. Malaysia is also one of the country affected with SNS addiction. SNS addiction is not an isolated phenomenon as it is started from high engagement on the SNS usage and it originates from habitual behavior. Therefore, it is important to seek and understand habit and addiction of SNS among adolescents in Malaysia. The purpose of this study is to analyze and explore the usage of SNS among the adolescents in Malaysia, specifically in Klang Valley. It examines the SNS usage behavioral, which is habit and addiction. The data was collected from a sample of 60 respondents using an online survey. The data were analyzed using SPSS for descriptive analysis. From the analysis, it was found that most of the adolescents used SNS in daily basis and majority of them use it for more than two hours per day. Patterns on habits and addiction on the SNS usage shows that some adolescents experienced certain habit and addiction behavior.