Abstract
Compulsive seeking of reward is a hallmark feature of drug addiction, but the role of reward is less well understood in behavioural addictions. The present study investigated the predictive utility of ten reward-based motives, which we identified in the literature, in explaining excessive and problematic use of social networking sites (SNSs). These motives were examined in a cross-sectional survey of 411 young adults, revealing that prolonged use and excessive checking were predicted by distinctly different motives. More frequent checking of SNSs was most closely associated with motives related to obtaining social rewards (impression management/social comparisons/fear of missing out) and the desire to find/consume enjoyable content. In contrast, the amount of time an individual spends on SNSs was predicted by the desire to engage in negative social interactions or to fulfil personal needs (self-expression/documentation of life events). Problematic SNS use was best explained by the motivation to obtain social rewards and to a lesser extent by enjoyment and negative social potency (e.g., trolling) motives. Our results highlight the importance of social reward in explaining excessive and problematic SNS use, suggesting that a focus on reducing the desire to obtain social reward (e.g., through likes, social comparisons, continual connection) may be most beneficial in tackling problematic SNS behaviours.
Highlights
Social networking sites (SNSs) play a major role in many people’s day-today lives
Our results suggest that gender and reward-based motives might better explain problematic social media use than excessive use
As our findings indicate that the motives predicting checking frequency more closely resemble the motives that predict problematic use, it might be the case that compulsive checking represents a more important indicator of addiction than the actual duration an individual user spends on social networking sites (SNSs)
Summary
Social networking sites (SNSs) play a major role in many people’s day-today lives. Amongst the younger generation, the use of SNSs has become so ingrained into the daily routine that it forms an integral part of life. As technology continues to improve exponentially and the capabilities of SNSs expand it seems only likely that these media will occupy an even more important role in the future. This has led to mounting pressure to understand the consequences that SNS use has on our health and wellbeing, and there is growing concern regarding its addictive potential (Kuss & Griffiths, 2017). In order to better understand compulsive forms of SNS use, we must first understand the individual motivations for SNS use and how they might predict excessive and problematic use
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