The Relationship Between the Use of Mobile Social Media and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Effect of Boredom Proneness.

Jie Bai,Yue Peng,Yuanshan Qu,Kunyu Mo,Wenxuan Hao,Xiuya Lei,Yang Yang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568492

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study took users of short-form mobile videos as research participants to explore the role of their boredom proneness in mediating the relationship between the use of mobile social media (UMSM) and subjective well-being (SWB).MethodsA sample of 656 users was evaluated by the Problematic Mobile Social Media Usage Assessment Questionnaire, General Well-Being Schedule, and Boredom Proneness Scale.ResultsFirstly, significant interactions were found between monthly living expenses and the UMSM of the participants, which were recognized as factors affecting SWB. Secondly, the level of living expenses had little effect on the high-level and low-level groups of the UMSM but imposed a significant impact on the medium-level group. Thirdly, the UMSM showed an influence that could positively predict boredom; both the UMSM and boredom demonstrated a negative predictive effect on SWB.ConclusionThe findings indicate that the inappropriate use of mobile social media negatively affects users’ subjective well-being; boredom partially mediated the relationship between the use of mobile social media and SWB.

Highlights

In recent years, mobile social media have been used by more and more people due to its convenience
Age, daily viewing duration of short videos, and daily usage time of mobile social media were utilized as grouping variables for the short-video users in the t-tests or one-way ANOVA analyses, which were carried out to examine the differences caused by the demographic factors in use of mobile social media (UMSM), Social MediaSubjective well-being (SWB), and boredom proneness
Significant differences among different age groups were found in scores of both UMSM and boredom proneness (F = 11.382, p < 0.000; F = 8.366, p < 0.000)

Summary

Introduction

Mobile social media have been used by more and more people due to its convenience. Online social activities have become a supplement to the offline social life to a certain extent, excessive dependence on the Internet would inevitably induce more or less negative effects on the users (Jiang, 2018a). A decrease in subjective well-being was reported in individuals with Internet addiction (AFROZ, 2016; Mei et al, 2016; Nie et al, 2016; Koç, 2017; Suresh et al, 2018). Subjective Well-Being and the Use of Mobile Social Media. Subjective well-being (SWB) is a subjective, holistic, and relative indicator, which is widely used in psychological research as an overall assessment of the quality of life (Diener, 1984).

Methods

Results

Conclusion