Use Of Networking Sites Research Articles

Social anxiety and problematic social network site use: The sequential mediating role of self-esteem and self-concept clarity

This study explored the relationship between social anxiety and problematic social network sites use and the mediating role of self-esteem and self-concept clarity. A total of 811 college students (female= 58.2%; mean age= 19.18 years, SD = 1.12 years) completed the Interaction Anxiety Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Self-Concept Clarity Scale, and Problematic Social Network Sites Use Scale. Latent variable structural equation modelling analysis indicated, not only directly but also indirectly through self-esteem and self-concept clarity, that social anxiety was associated with problematic use of social network sites. Self-esteem and self-concept clarity mediated the relationship between social anxiety and problematic social network sites use, respectively. Moreover, self-esteem and self-concept clarity played a sequential mediating role between social anxiety and problematic social network sites use. These findings suggest a need to reduce social anxiety among college students through enhancing their self-esteem and self-concept clarity. Such interventions would decrease their problematic use of social network sites.

Instagram engagement and well-being: the mediating role of appearance anxiety

ABSTRACT Previous research into social networking site (SNS) use and well-being has predominantly focused on time spent online. However, this can often lead to the underestimation of behaviours associated with SNS use, such as how users engage with SNS platforms. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between SNS engagement patterns, namely active, passive and problematic usage patterns, and their relationship with anxiety, depression and self-esteem. Appearance anxiety was also examined as a mediating factor between Instagram engagement patterns and the selected well-being patterns. A sample of 290 participants reported their SNS engagement in a cross-sectional psychometric survey. Associations were investigated with markers for depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and appearance anxiety. Problematic use was associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, and active use was negatively associated with depression. Appearance anxiety was revealed as a significant mediator for passive use on anxiety and depression, as well as for problematic use on anxiety and depression. Findings indicate problematic and passive usage patterns to have negative impacts regarding anxiety and depression symptomology, in addition to highlighting the role of appearance anxiety on well-being outcomes, contributing towards a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms associated with Instagram usage and well-being.

Social network site use and materialistic values: the roles of self-control and self-acceptance

BackgroundWhile prior studies have established a close association between the use of social network sites (SNSs) and materialistic values, there is limited understanding of the mediating and moderating mechanisms related to important self-related processes, such as self-control and self-acceptance. This paper explores whether and how these factors play a role in comprehending online behavior. One could state that frequent SNS use may pose a risk of virtual addiction, may be related to decreased self-control capacity, and may increase attention to material information on SNS, thereby making it more likely that users affiliate with behaviors associated with materialistic values. In contrast, self-acceptance, as a stable self-process indicating a genuine alignment with one’s true self and the ability to make decisions based on inner needs, may be related with reduced engagement in complex information on SNSs. Consequently, this could serve as a buffer against excessive SNS use and its potential associations with issues of self-control and materialistic values.MethodsA total of 706 Chinese college students were surveyed in a cross-sectional study. They completed self-report questionnaires including the WeChat use intensity scale, the Material Value Scale, the Trait Self-control Scale, and the Self-acceptance Questionnaire. A moderated mediation model was examined to test predictions.ResultsSNS use intensity was positively associated with materialistic values, and self-control partially mediated this association. That is, higher intensity SNS users are more likely lower in self-control, which relates to stronger materialistic values. In addition, the indirect effect through self-control was moderated by self-acceptance, such that this indirect effect was significant only for individuals with low levels of self-acceptance.ConclusionsThis study reveals that self-acceptance may be a protective factor that helps to mitigate excessive SNS use and its potential effects on self-control and materialistic values. It further suggests that psychological interventions targeting the enhancement of self-acceptance and self-control could hold promise in alleviating the negative association between SNS use and materialistic values.

The relationship between self-control and internet gaming disorder and problematic social networking site use: the mediation effects of internet use motives.

This study aimed to explore the relationships between problematic social networking site use (PSNSU), Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), internet use motives, and self-control among university students in China and Japan. Specifically, it investigated the indirect effects of self-control on IGD and PSNSU through various internet use motives, considering gender differences. A sample of 697 university students (465 females; 397 Chinese) was surveyed. Path analysis was conducted separately for male and female users to examine the relationships between self-control, internet use motives, IGD, and PSNSU. The results indicated that self-control had significant indirect effects on IGD through enhancement (β = 0.096**, p = 0.005), social (β = -0.090**, p = 0.007), and conformity (β = -0.117**, p = 0.001) motives, but these effects were observed only in the male group. Self-control also exhibited indirect effects on PSNSU through enhancement, social, coping, and conformity motives, with a greater impact observed on PSNSU than on IGD. Gender differences in mediating effects were identified, with males and females showing distinct patterns. The findings highlight the importance of understanding gender differences and motivational factors in problematic internet use. These insights contribute to a better understanding of how internet use motives influence IGD and PSNSU in different contexts.

The influence of social networking site use on adolescents' body dissatisfaction and its internal mechanism

The influence of social networking site use on adolescents' body dissatisfaction and its internal mechanism

Interventions to reduce the negative impact of online highly visual social networking site use on mental health outcomes: A scoping review.

Interventions to reduce the negative impact of online highly visual social networking site use on mental health outcomes: A scoping review.

Problematic social networking site use in Turkey: A large-scale national survey study

Problematic social networking site use in Turkey: A large-scale national survey study

Mapping the Influences of Social Network Site Use on Cybercrime Victimization: Trends and Recommendations

Mapping the Influences of Social Network Site Use on Cybercrime Victimization: Trends and Recommendations

The relationship between social network site use and depression among Children: A moderated mediation model

Previous research has conducted extensive work on the impact of social network site (SNS) use on depression. However, most of these studies have focused on adolescents or adults, and little is known about how SNS use affects depression among children. Based on the vulnerability model of depression, the self-system beliefs model, and the risk-buffering hypothesis, we examined whether self-esteem would mediate the relationship between SNS use and children’s depression and whether self-compassion would play a moderating role in the mediating process. The sample consisted of 386 Chinese children from grades three to six (Mage = 9.83 years, SD = 1.23; 42.5 % girls), who provided self-reported data on demographic variables, SNS use, self-esteem, depression, and self-compassion. Results indicated that after controlling for the children’s gender and age, the partial mediating role of self-esteem between SNS use and depression was significant at low levels of self-compassion, marginally significant at high levels, and non-significant at mean levels. Moreover, both the first and second stages of the indirect effects were moderated by self-compassion. Specifically, the effects of SNS use on self-esteem were negative, non-significant, and marginally positive for children with low, middle, and high self-compassion, respectively. The interaction pattern of self-esteem and self-compassion on depression fit the protective–attenuating hypothesis: the protective effect of self-compassion was stronger for children with low self-esteem. This study extends our understanding of the underlying mechanisms linking SNS use to depression among children, which has both theoretical and practical implications for interventions for children’s depressive symptoms. The limitations and theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

The role of trait and state fear of missing out on problematic social networking site use and problematic smartphone use severity

BackgroundPrevious research has reported mental health variables and maladaptive cognitive emotion processes to be associated with severity of problematic social networking site use (PSNSU) and problematic smartphone use (PSU). The present study examined trait and state fear of missing out (FOMO) dimensions and their potential mediating roles in explaining relations between PSNSU and PSU severity. MethodA sample of 461 participants (mean age = 24.15, SD = 7.78) completed an online survey protocol measuring trait and state FOMO, PSU, and PSNSU. ResultsStructural equation modelling revealed that trait and state FOMO were significantly associated with PSNSU severity, and PSNSU severity was associated with PSU severity. State (but not trait) FOMO mediated relations between PSNSU and PSU severity. ConclusionsThe study demonstrates the role of FOMO, especially state FOMO, in association with PSNSU and PSU severity.

Health Information Seeking Behavior on Social Networking Sites and Self-Treatment: Pilot Survey Study.

Social networking site use and social network-based health information seeking behavior have proliferated to the point that the lines between seeking health information from credible social network-based sources and the decision to seek medical care or attempt to treat oneself have become blurred. We contribute to emerging research on health information seeking behavior by investigating demographic factors, social media use for health information seeking purposes, and the relationship between health information seeking and occurrences of self-treatment. Data were collected from an online survey in which participants were asked to describe sociodemographic factors about themselves, social media use patterns, perceptions about their motivations for health information seeking on social media platforms, and whether or not they attempted self-treatment after their social media-related health information seeking. We conducted a binomial logistic regression with self-treatment as a dichotomous categorical dependent variable. Results indicate that significant predictors of self-treatment based on information obtained from social networking sites include race, exercise frequency, and degree of trust in the health-related information received. With an understanding of how sociodemographic factors might influence the decision to self-treat based on information obtained from social networking sites, health care providers can assist patients by educating them on credible social network-based sources of health information and discussing the importance of seeking medical advice from a health care provider.

Motives for using social networking sites: a uses & gratifications perspective amongst people with eating disorder symptoms

Studies investigating motives for social networking sites (SNS) use amongst people with eating disorder (ED) symptoms are scarce. The uses and gratifications theory states that people actively select media content to gratify their individual needs and this may help to explain why individuals with eating disorder symptoms choose to expose themselves to specific media content and how they choose to respond. Some evidence exists that readiness to change may be a factor related to SNS use patterns in this population. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential relationship between readiness to change ED cognitions/behaviors and SNS use motives in individuals with current or past ED symptoms, employing a uses and gratifications theory perspective. Participants were recruited from ED recovery websites; 103 individuals (16–55 years old) provided complete data. As hypothesized, ED symptom severity was inversely associated with readiness to change and time spent on (specific) SNS was not associated with ED symptom severity. The results of hierarchical regression analyses further suggested that if individuals felt less capable of overcoming their dysfunctional cognitions/behaviors about their body/eating (i.e., were less ready to change), they were more likely to be motivated to use SNSs for the purpose of impressing others and reputation management. The clinical implication is that high amounts of SNS use may not necessarily be harmful for people with EDs or recovering from EDs, whereas using SNSs for the purposes of impression management could potentially be related to being less ready to recover.

The relationship between openness and social anxiety: the chain mediating roles of social networking site use and self-evaluation.

As social networking sites (SNSs) with diverse functions gradually become an important social place for modern people, openness, as a personality trait that represents the willingness to consider diverse things, will be more likely to affect people's cognitive and emotional experience (e.g., social anxiety) in social interactions. This study examined the relationship between openness and social anxiety and the underlying psychological mechanism in the internet age based on the cognitive-behavioral model of social anxiety. This cross‑sectional survey study conducted a questionnaire survey of 522 college students from two provinces in China (191 male; age range 18-25; M = 20.76, SD = 1.34). The results showed that openness is negatively related to social anxiety. Self-evaluation and passive SNS use independently mediate the relationship between openness and social anxiety, respectively. Moreover, openness is associated with social anxiety both through the chain mediating roles of active SNS use and self-evaluation and through the chain mediating roles of passive SNS use and self-evaluation. Openness is negatively associated with social anxiety, and the different ways of SNS use and self-evaluation are the underlying mechanisms. These results provide insights into the clinical treatment of social anxiety and how to benefit from online interactions.

Restricting social networking site use for one week produces varied effects on mood but does not increase explicit or implicit desires to use SNSs: Findings from an ecological momentary assessment study.

Recent research on the addictive potential of modern technologies such as the internet, smartphones, or social networking sites (SNSs) has suggested that emotional and motivational changes associated with the sudden discontinuation of engagement with the technology mirror the aversive consequences seen when drug use is ceased abruptly. This has been observed even in moderate users and interpreted as a manifestation of withdrawal, an important marker of physical dependence in substance use disorders. On the other hand, a growing literature emphasises the positive effects of "digital detox" on mental health and well-being. Using a battery of affective and motivational measures, both explicit and implicit, the present study tracked the effects of a week of significantly reduced SNS use in moderate to heavy SNS users (N = 51). Our pre-registered analyses showed that the intervention elicited affective changes neither consistent with a general withdrawal syndrome (i.e., increased negative affect and cravings) nor with a general beneficial effect on well-being: While our data indicated some abstinence-related decreases of negative affect and boredom, they also showed a reduction of positive affect. These changes occurred regardless of problematic/addictive use behaviours. Importantly, restricting SNS use for one week had no effect on implicit measures of SNS use motivation (i.e., approach biases, time distortion and effort expenditure for SNS access) nor did it influence explicit cravings and SNS cue-reactivity. Together our findings suggest that restricting SNS use has nuanced and potentially offsetting effects on well-being. These could arise because use reduction may concurrently remove experiences that trigger negative emotions (e.g., upward social comparisons or Fear of Missing Out) but also those that elicit positive emotions (e.g., social approval). The hypothesised lack of a net effect on well-being would be consistent with our finding that voluntary reduction of SNS use does not mitigate or exacerbate SNS-related urges.

Social support and self-concept clarity as mediators between college students’ passive social network site use and loneliness

The current study tested the mediating roles of social support and self-concept clarity in the relationship between passive social network site use and loneliness. A total of 709 undergraduate students (females = 44.15%, mean age = 19.10, SD = 0.95) completed the Passive Social Network Questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Self-Concept Clarity Scale as well as the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Latent variables structural equation modelling analysis indicated that passive social network site use was negatively associated with loneliness. Social support and self-concept clarity significantly mediated the relationship between passive social network site use and loneliness, reducing the risk for loneliness, and with sequential mediating effects of social support and self-esteem. This study’s findings suggest that the passive use of social networking sites can help students gain more social support, improve self-concept clarity, and in turn reduce loneliness. Increasing social support and enhancing self-concept clarity through psychological intervention programmes may be an effective way to reduce individual loneliness.

Risks of passive use of social network sites in youth athletes: a moderated mediation analysis.

With the popularity of social media platforms, the use of social networks challenges the well-being and mental health of athletes. Despite ongoing scholarly discussions about the effects of passive use of social network sites, few studies have examined the relationship between the passive use of social network sites and mental health in young athletes from a social comparison perspective. To address this research gap, we draw on the social comparison and developmental systems theories to explore the mediating effect of upward social comparison on passive social network site use and mental health, as well as the moderating effects of positive psychological capital. We analyzed data about 350 young athletes from professional Chinese sports universities. As predicted, passive use of social network sites by young athletes increased anxiety (β = 0.26, p < 0.001) and decreased subjective well-being (β = -0.35, p < 0.001). Upward social comparisons had positive (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and negative (β = -0.34, p < 0.001) mediating effects in passive social network site use and anxiety/subjective well-being. Positive psychological capital played a moderating effect between upward social comparison and anxiety (β = -0.28, p < 0.001), and subjective well-being (β = 0.24, p < 0.001); the moderated mediation effect was also supported. Our study informs the current research by highlighting the importance of upward social comparison as a critical mechanism and positive psychological capital as a boundary condition. We suggest actively maintaining and enhancing positive psychological capital to mitigate the adverse effects of upward social comparison.

The Application of the Metacognitive Model of Desire Thinking and Craving in Problematic Social Networking Sites Use

Cognitive models of addictive behaviours have highlighted the central role of Desire Thinking (DT) – a conscious and voluntary cognitive process orienting to prefigure images and information about a positive target-related experience – in increasing craving and maintaining addictive behaviors. The metacognitive model of DT and craving posits that metacognition plays a central role in understanding dysregulation in DT. The current study aims to test the role of metacognitions about DT, DT, and craving in the relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FoMo), boredom proneness, negative emotional reactivity and Problematic Social Network Sites Use (PSNSU). A sample of 529 participants (Mage= 32.45 ± 13.33; F = 62.9%) completed an online survey. The hypothesised model produced an adequate fit to the data and accounted for 86% of PSNSU variance. FoMO predicted positive metacognitions about DT (PMDT), which predicted DT that, in association with craving, predicted PSNSU. Boredom proneness positively predicted PSNSU directly and indirectly through the serial mediation of PMDT, DT, and craving. A direct path between negative emotional reactivity and PSNSU was found. The current findings provide preliminary evidence for applying the metacognitive model of DT and craving in PSNSU. PMDT and DT may be central cognitive processes in craving and PSNSU for individuals who experience boredom proneness and FoMo.

Development and Psychometric Properties of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised.

Social network site use motives have been reported to be important in understanding the causes of Social Network Site addiction. The purpose of this study was to supplement the weaknesses of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale with a 6-factor structure and to examine the psychometric properties of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised with an 8-factor structure. Exploratory structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis were used to investigate the factor structure of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised. A Korean adult sample (n = 661, nfemale = 464, age: 27.45 ± 8.66) filled out the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised. Results showed that an 8-factor model with exploratory structural equation modeling showed a better fit than the other models. Indices of internal consistency reliability of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised were good. Also, the scale exhibited statistically significant positive correlations with social network site addiction scores, which showed adequate criterion validity. In addition, the expression motives and the concealment motives showed incremental validity of the Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised by having a statistically significant relationship with social network site addiction even when controlling for the other 6 motives. The Social Network Site Use Motives Scale-Revised, consisting of the 8 dimensions tapping information, enhancement, social, coping, pastime, conformity, expression, and concealment motives, is a reliable and valid scale to measure social network site use motives.

How active/passive social network usage relates to academic performance among high school students in Taiwan

This study aimed to explore the effects of active social network usage (ASNU) and passive social network usage (PSNU) on academic performance. Using a survey sample of 621 high school students in Taiwan, the results showed that PSNU did not associate with learning results, whereas ASNU may have its function on students’ learning. Specifically, ASNU interacted with PSNU to predict high school students’ academic performance. Moreover, ASNU undermined the academic performance of those with high PSNU, but not of those with low or medium PSNU. Additionally, for individuals with high PSNU and high ASNU, their performance mostly suffered. The results supported the work–life conflict theory, revealing that excessive social network sites (SNS) use, especially ASNU, might distract students from studying and, therefore, negatively impact their learning performance. The findings may contribute to the clinical and educational fields regarding adolescents’ SNS-using behaviors and psychological development.

Failure in reflective functioning as a key factor in the association between problematic social networking sites use, attachment and childhood maltreatment: A network analysis approach on gender differences.

Following a network analysis approach, the present study aims to explore the pattern of mutual relationships between failure in reflective functioning (RF) - defined as hypomentalization - problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU), attachment anxiety and avoidance, and childhood maltreatment among emerging adults, with a focus on gender differences. The study sample comprises N = 1,614 emerging adults (Mage = 23.84; SD = 3.21; 50% identified themselves as women) who completed online self-assessment measures. Results showed significantly greater PSNSU, hypomentalization, childhood emotional abuse, and both attachment avoidance and anxiety among women. Indeed, within the network analysis, performed separately for men and women, network-specific associative patterns were observed; yet also similarities have emerged. Within the women's network, differently from males, attachment avoidance connects, through attachment anxiety, to emotional abuse, mood modification related to PSNSU, and hypomentalization. Nonetheless, hypomentalization was central in both networks, functioning as a hub between attachment anxiety, the PSNSU cluster, and the childhood maltreatment cluster. These results shed light on the use of social network sites as a potential maladaptive emotion regulation strategy, particularly among women. In this regard, the role of RF should be considered as a key treatment target to reduce PSNSU and support the use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies.