Social Networking Service Users Research Articles

The association between fear of childbirth and social support through the Internet and Social Networking Services in pregnant women: A cross-sectional study.

Social support is an important factor in reducing fear of childbirth (FOC). Recently, the Internet and Social Networking Services (SNS) have become new forms of social support. However, it is unclear whether such support can reduce pregnant women's fear. This study aimed to investigate the association between FOC and social support through the Internet and SNS in pregnant women. A cross-sectional study using a web-based questionnaire including questions about FOC, social support, the Internet and SNS usage, psychological variables, and sociodemographic variables was conducted. Data from 111 participants were analyzed. A greater number of social support from people who are often seen during pregnancy, and becoming relieved by interaction with others through the Internet and SNS were negatively associated with FOC. This study showed that face-to-face social support was associated with lower FOC, while social support through the Internet and SNS was not. Further research is needed on how to use Internet and SNS to reduce FOC in pregnant women.

Exploring the Privacy Paradox in Social Network Users: A Double-Entry Mental Accounting Theory Perspective

Social networking service (SNS) users often express great concern for their personal privacy, yet continue to disclose personal information on these platforms. This privacy paradox between privacy concerns and disclosure behavior has drawn widespread academic attention. In this study, we use the double-entry mental accounting theory to construct a theoretical model and conduct an in-depth analysis of the privacy paradox phenomenon and its causes through empirical verification. Our research shows a significant positive correlation between perceived benefits and users’ intention to disclose privacy, while perceived risks and users’ intention to disclose privacy are significantly negatively correlated. The double-entry mental accounting theory plays a crucial role in mediating the relationship between perceived values and users’ intention to disclose privacy. Furthermore, we found that information sensitivity negatively regulates the relationship between perceived risks, the pleasure attenuation coefficient α, the pain buffering coefficient β, and the intention to disclose privacy. Our study provides theoretical and empirical information on the reasons for the privacy paradox and offers insights for social networking service providers to optimize their services.

Positive social comparison mechanism based on social comparison theory: Independency and interdependency on SNS in younger generation in Korea

AbstractPeople utilize social networking services (SNSs) as a means of self‐expression. Therefore, it is necessary to create a positive environment for users to share such content. In this study, we investigated the social comparisons made by SNS users based on the social comparison theory. Furthermore, we examined the posting tendency according to the social comparisons made by young people on SNS, specifically in terms of luxury products. The study employs the social comparison theory, as well as passive reactions to posts by SNS users, to offer insights into various aspects of SNS usage behavior, ranging from reading and posting to the satisfaction of uploading. We surveyed college students in South Korea to test our hypotheses. The findings reveal that the younger the users engage in positive social comparisons through social media activities, the stronger their tendency to create independent posts. Thus, this study extends the social comparison theory by suggesting the possibility of promoting a positive environment for social comparisons among SNS followers, thereby strengthening the virtuous cycle structure of SNSs, where followers become publishers. In addition, the study findings suggest that SNS operators and marketers will be able to provide practical help in establishing operational strategies aimed at promoting the posts of SNS users and generating positive effects.

Examining the Influence of Media System Dependency Relations on User Satisfaction, and Continuance Intention in Social Networking Services

Social Networking Services (SNS) exert a substantial influence in the digital realm. For marketers and entrepreneurs, comprehending the nuances of potential consumer interaction with SNS is pivotal to craft optimal communication strategies. Consequently, deciphering the determinants that either encourage or hinder individual SNS usage behaviors becomes imperative, as it fosters deeper insights into users' continuance intentions and facilitates the building of robust relationships. Drawing upon the Media System Dependency (MSD) theory, this research addresses two main questions: 1) How do individuals' MSD relations, encompassing Understanding Dependency (UD), Orientation Dependency (OD), and Play Dependency (PD), satisfaction (ST) within the SNS context? 2) Does satisfaction subsequently enhance their continuance intention (CI) towards the SNS? To address these queries, we scrutinized data amassed from 393 online Weibo users in China. Participants, all of whom possessed prior Weibo experience, were invited to partake in a comprehensive survey. The proposed hypotheses were rigorously examined using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The analysis revealed that the three delineated MSD relations significantly bolstered participants' ST, which in turn robustly influenced their CI. This study's findings shed invaluable light on the nexus between MSD relations and SNS engagement, offering meaningful implications for both academics and SNS practitioners. Future research endeavors are encouraged to expand upon these insights and further fortify our understanding of the topic.

Predictors of social networking service addiction

The surge in social network services (SNS) usage has ignited concerns about potential addictive behaviors stemming from excessive engagement. This research focuses on pinpointing the primary determinants of SNS addiction by introducing a theoretical framework centered on flow, perceived enjoyment, and habit. A sample of 282 SNS users from South Korea was surveyed, and the gathered data was assessed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The evaluation revealed that positive affect closely relates to flow and perceived enjoyment, whereas negative affect amplifies flow but diminishes perceived enjoyment. Additionally, the research underscored that social influence significantly shapes habits and affects perceived enjoyment. Notably, flow demonstrated a strong connection to addiction, and perceived enjoyment influenced both flow and habit significantly. Habit was directly linked to addiction. These insights pave the way for more in-depth studies on SNS addiction patterns and offer a foundation for devising effective strategies to mitigate its adverse effects.

The Mediating Effects of Anxiety and Happiness and the Moderating Effect of Social Network Services for Employee Silence and Psychological Withdrawal Behavior

Employees not being able to express their thoughts and opinions about work has been argued to result in detrimental organizational outcomes. Employee silence has recently become a prevalent organizational issue but studies that have explored proximal and distal outcomes of silence are scarce. Therefore, the study explored anxiety and happiness as mediating mechanisms for the relationship between silence and psychological withdrawal and the moderating effect of social network services usage for the relationship between silence and the mediators. The study conducted a two-wave self-reported questionnaire and sampled 257 full-time employees. Anxiety and happiness were found to mediate the relationship and social network services moderated the relationships between silence with the mediators. Moreover, supplementary analysis found mediated moderation for the study.

Negative upward comparison and relative deprivation: sequential mediators between social networking service usage and loneliness

Negative upward comparison and relative deprivation: sequential mediators between social networking service usage and loneliness

대학생의 상태자존감이 SNS 중독경향성에 미치는 영향

This study is about the relationship between SNS addiction tendency and self-esteem of university students who need to establish self-identity and prepare for adult life at the present time when SNS (social network services) use rate is rapidly increasing. It was attempted to help establish the right state self-esteem by identifying the impact and to help prepare measures to prevent SNS addiction. Data were collected using a Google questionnaire from March 9 to March 15, 2023, targeting university students from two universities located in B city. 260 copies of the questionnaire were distributed and 258 copies were used for the final analysis, excluding 2 copies with incorrect responses. The collected data were subjected to frequency analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS Statistics 25.0 program. The main results of the study are as follows: First, among the sub-factors of state self-esteem, 'functional self-esteem' showed differences according to grade level and SNS usage time, 'essential self-esteem' by gender, and 'social self-esteem' by gender, grade level, and SNS usage time. Second, SNS addiction tendency was found to be different according to gender and SNS usage time. Third, SNS addiction tendency was found to have a negative (-) correlation with functional self-esteem, essential self-esteem, and social self-esteem. Fourth, as for factors influencing SNS addiction tendency, gender female and SNS use time had a positive (+) effect, functional self-esteem and social self-esteem had a negative (-) effect. In conclusion, first, when operating an SNS addiction prevention program at a university, it is necessary to apply a program that can increase 'essential self-esteem' while reflecting the characteristics of each gender. Second, a relationship building program that can reduce the difficulty of interpersonal relationships without excessive use of SNS should be conducted. Third, it is necessary to apply a self-esteem strengthening program that can lower depression and anxiety and increase 'functional self-esteem' and 'social self-esteem' as well as educational programs on the correct use of SNS.

Exploring active and passive interactions in social networking services: a psychological needs perspective

PurposePeople's socializing behavior in social networking services (SNS) presents dramatically different features, forming differentiated online social interaction patterns (DOSIP) in SNS. This study aims to explore the relationships between users' multidimensional psychological needs and multiple social interaction patterns in SNS.Design/methodology/approachBased on Maslow's hierarchy of needs and use and gratifications (U&G) theory, the authors develop the research model to examine the effects of psychological needs on DOSIP. A survey is used to collect the data of SNS users' social interaction. The authors adopt structural equation modeling–neural network (SEM-NN) integrated method to examine the research model.FindingsNeed to belong, need for self-esteem, need for social contact, need for emotional expression, need for cognition, and need for external-esteem have significant influences on both active and passive social interactions respectively.Originality/valueBased on the categorization of DOSIP into six types in terms of the level of activity and disclosure of social interaction, the authors construct an integrated research model of multidimensional psychological needs to multiple social interaction patterns, and validate the antecedents of DOSIP from the perspective of psychological needs.

Investigating psychological and motivational predictors of problematic smartphone use among Smartphone-based Social Networking Service (SNS) users

Given that the active use of certain smartphone applications is associate with problematic smartphone use, it has been proposed that certain smartphone applications are more addictive than others, such as Social Networking Services (SNS). Still, studies that consider smartphone users’ main usage application which are known to influence the users’ problematic smartphone use, such as SNS, remain to be explored. Thus, the current study aims to investigate the psychological and motivational predictors of problematic smartphone use in a sample of smartphone-based SNS users whose main device usage is SNS. A series of mean comparison tests and binary logistic regression were performed in this study. Of the 433 smartphone-based SNS users, 218 were male (50.3%) and 215 were female (49.7%). Age of 433 participants ranged from 20 to 40, and mean age was 30.75 (SD = 7.84). 73 participants (16.9%) were sorted into the high-risk problematic smartphone use group and 360 participants (83.1%) were categorized as the normal user group. The finding from binary regression analysis showed that reward responsiveness from the Behavioral Activation System (BAS), a lack of self-control, and anxiety significantly increased the odds of problematic smartphone use of the smartphone-based SNS users. Reward responsiveness was found to be the most powerful predictor. Our findings broaden the existing literature and provide implications to reduce addictive smartphone use relating to smartphone-based SNS usage.

Paralysis by Inertia “Like” Habit in Social Networking Services: Tendency to Answer Loyalty Questions in Marketing Surveys

Factors affecting survey quality, such as questionnaire length, screen design, incentives for respondents, and answering devices have been extensively researched before. This study introduces a new dimension to the factors of response bias’ factors and focuses on the possibility that Like habits and motives in social networking services (SNS) may lower the psychological barrier to favorable reactions for brand loyalty (e.g., recommendation intention). Propensity score was applied to the results of Japanese smartphone users’ online survey, and the effect of Like habits on response tendencies was verified. Results show that compared to the group that did not use SNS, there were no differences with those who used true Likes, and a group of inertia Like has a high score—becoming clear that the psychological barriers differ depending on Like motive. If the SNS usage status of survey respondents fluctuates, the results may be biased and mistakes could occur in decision-making.

The Information Analysis on New Media in Period of Pandemic: An Observation of Infodemics Study case

Apart from fighting against pandemics, we are also fighting against infodemics which is a kind of biased information wave that made it difficult for people to receive original information. Such as misinformation, disinformation, rumors, and hoaxes during an emergency, hindering responses, and creating confusion and distrust in society. Here, media platforms have a crucial part in filtering any information before transmitting it through channels of news. However, in the modern era, Social Networking Services (SNS) platforms become a new lifestyle, particularly for receiving and sharing information. Therefore, as information receivers, it becomes essential to understand the information before sharing it with other people. The objective of this present study is to determine the degree of understanding SNS users in receiving and sharing information in their community during the pandemic era. The research method used is a case study approach that examines one case intensively, in-depth, in detail, and comprehensively. The result of this study are (1) during the pandemic, the news they got was about developments in the COVID-19 case in Indonesia, news related to alternative medicines and vaccine drugs. (2) Sources get news information from the social media they use and also the WhatsApp groups they follow, (3) This research indicates that the infodemic is increasingly rampant until now, mass media supervisors are already working to block hoax information, but users who do not have awareness in selecting and sorting news Keyword : Information, New Media, Infodemic, Social Media

청소년의 SNS 사용 정도에 따른 조리·식사 장소별 식품안전성과 국가 식품안전성 인식 : 2021 식품소비행태조사의 청소년 자료를 이용하여

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of food safety of various food outlets on national food safety perception by usage of social network service (SNS), which is a major communication platform among middle and high school students. Adolescent data from the 2021 Consumer Behavior Survey for Food (CBSF) provided by the Korea Rural Economic Institute was used for analysis. Approximately eighty seven percentage of the participants had used SNS often or frequently. They were grouped into non-users, light users, or heavy users based on their SNS usage. In all three groups, the more concerned about school food safety, the lower the perception of national food safety. The non-users and light users who were more concerned about food safety of the restaurants tended to show the lower national food safety perceptions. The non-users who were more concerned about food safety of home-meal replacement showed significantly lower perceptions on national food safety but there were no significant relationships of the variables among the SNS users. To understand the causes of the differences among the SNS users and non-users, further research is needed on information types and contents regarding food safety and how the information is generated and disseminated on SNS among the adolescents.

Privacy paradox for location tracking in mobile social networking apps: The perspectives of behavioral reasoning and regulatory focus

Social networking services (SNSs) have been collecting and analyzing users' personal data for the sake of personalization and customization, raising massive privacy concerns. Among the various types of privacy, personal location data are considered most sensitive, but are critical for the location-based features in mobile SNS applications. Drawing on behavioral reasoning theory and accounting for the privacy paradox, this study investigates the heterogeneous psychological mechanisms supporting and discouraging mobile SNS users from enabling location tracking in SNS applications. Based on a survey of young internet users in China, our analysis shows that, first, reasons for location tracking are insignificantly associated with intention to allow location tracking but reasons against are negatively related to intention. Furthermore, for individuals with higher desire to share, reasons for and attitude have the stronger associations with intention, while the moderating effect of desire for privacy is insignificant. We make research contributions by examining the antecedents of the reasoning process, as well as the moderating role of desire to share, to account for the privacy paradox. We also contribute to behavioral reasoning theory by introducing regulatory focus-based antecedents to the reasoning process. We offer key practical suggestions for SNS providers and policymakers.

Selecting, Optimizing, and Compensating During Lockdown: How Older Consumers Use Social Networking Services to Improve Social Well-Being

During the COVID-19 pandemic, older consumers have increased their usage of social networking services (SNSs) to avoid social isolation, yet this behavior remains unexplored. Through selective optimization with compensation theory, the authors combine concepts from gerontology and marketing to investigate the following research question: How does older consumers’ usage of SNSs during the pandemic interrelate with the constructs of social well-being? The research draws on qualitative data collated during lockdown in the United Kingdom, including 14 semistructured interviews from participants age 65–80 and six months of netnographic data from an online forum geared toward older people. The findings reveal how older consumers leverage three strategies—selection, optimization, and compensation—to improve their use of SNSs and social interactions during lockdowns. Such behaviors in turn interrelate with the dimensions of social well-being: social acceptance, social integration, social contribution, social actualization, and social coherence. This research contributes to the marketing literature by (1) introducing a framework for transformative SNSs into transformative service research, (2) utilizing theory from gerontology studies to further understand the older consumer, and (3) enhancing the sparse understanding of older consumers’ use of SNSs. Future research directions and managerial implication are suggested for both marketers and developers of SNSs for aging consumers.

Antecedents of Continuance Intention of Social Networking Services (SNS): Utilitarian, Hedonic, and Social Contexts

This study aims to identify the key factors that influence the continuance intentions of social network service (SNS) users through an integrative framework. It suggests a theoretical model that contains utilitarian, hedonic, and social contexts. Data were collected from 286 SNS users in South Korea. This study analyzed the data through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness are not related to continuance intention. The findings show that perceived enjoyment has a strong and significant impact on continuance intention. The analysis results reveal that communication positively affects continuance intention. Moreover, system quality serves as the key factor of perceived ease of use, even though it has no significant effect on perceived usefulness. Information quality was found to have a significant impact on perceived usefulness but not on perceived ease of use. The results of the study intimated that service quality is significantly related to both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Positive affect significantly affects both perceived enjoyment and communication. Negative affect significantly impacts perceived enjoyment while having no significant impact on communication. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are elaborated.

SNS Marketing’s Effect on the MZ Generation’s Vegan Cosmetics Purchasing Behavior

This study aimed to examine the generational differences in vegan cosmetics usage of the MZ generation recently emerging as the primary target group for such cosmetics and to investigate the effect of Social Networking Services (SNS) marketing on vegan cosmetics purchasing behavior. For this purpose, online and mobile surveys were conducted targeting Generation M, born between 1980 and 1995, and Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2004. The collected data were statistically analyzed using the SPSS WIN 25.0 program. According to the analysis results, both Generations M and Z showed a high response rate to having no experience in using vegan cosmetics, with Generation M displaying more experience than Z. Both generations showed high response rates to having experience in SNS marketing for vegan cosmetics, with Generation Z displaying more experience than M. However, both generations showed high response rates to having no purchasing experience after encountering SNS marketing for vegan cosmetics, with Generation Z displaying a lower purchasing experience than M. This means that effective SNS marketing leading to purchases for all MZ generations is needed. Additionally, reliability and information provision are the factors that positively affect vegan cosmetics purchasing behavior among SNS marketing characteristics. Therefore, marketers should develop content that can be trusted by SNS users encountering SNS marketing for vegan cosmetics and continuously provide vegan cosmetics information to affect vegan cosmetics purchasing behavior positively. Furthermore, more efficient marketing through understanding the MZ generation and targeting SNS marketing tailored to each generation in consideration of their characteristics will be needed.

How Do Passive Social Networking Services Use and Its Antecedents Affect Users' Continuance Intention? An Empirical Study of WeChat Use.

Although social networking services (SNSs) have attracted billions of people to maintain and extend their social relationships online, more and more passive usage behaviors have been found during the daily SNS usage. The aim of this paper is to investigate how SNS users' continuance intention is affected by passive SNS use, subjective well-being, as well as perceived concern regarding privacy and impression management. A research model was developed according to the proposed hypotheses, and then partial least square (PLS) SEM was adopted to empirically assess the valid data collected from 389 WeChat users. The findings show that passive SNS use cannot significantly undermine continuance intention, but it has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between subjective well-being and continuance intention. Besides, the results of empirical research also reveal the antecedents of passive SNS use and subjective well-being from the perspectives of privacy concern and impression management concern, and thereby present the mechanism underlying users' continuance intention. This study enriches the SNS literature by indicating the moderating role of passive SNS use in the process of SNS usage, which facilitates the understanding regarding how users' continuance intention can be influenced when they use SNSs passively. This study can help SNS providers to better understand the factors affecting users' continuance intention in the case of passive SNS use, and then formulating effective strategies for retaining users and avoiding passive usage behaviors.

Social Media Continuance from the Perspective of Commitment

ABSTRACT Social network services (SNSs) have attracted more than 4.3 billion users worldwide. However, many feel SNSs have had an overall negative impact on society. This study utilizes the theory of reasoned action and rational choice theory to explore factors impacting SNS continuance. In addition, the study explores the moderating effect of commitment (i.e., whether an individual is considering leaving their SNS), on factors impacting continuance intention. Using 492 responses collected using MTurk, findings indicate that perceived benefits (i.e., enjoyment and learning) and the costs of non-usage (i.e., fear of missing out (FoMO)) positively impact an individual’s attitude toward SNS continuance while the cost of usage (i.e., privacy concerns) has a negative effect. Also, commitment was found to significantly affect the impact of FoMO on attitudes toward continuance. This study makes several significant contributions both to theory and practice related to individuals evolving perspectives on SNS usage.

SNS users' opinion expression: Focusing on suppression effect in spiral of silence

Based on the spiral of silence (SOS) and impression management (IM) theories, this study suggested perceived opinion support, fear of negative evaluation, and social network service (SNS) impression management as motivational factors of SNS users’ opinion expression. The empirical analysis results revealed that perceived opinion support had a negative effect on fear of negative evaluation and that fear of negative evaluation showed a negative influence on willingness to speak out. In contrast to the hypothesis presented in this study, fear of negative evaluation showed a positive influence on SNS impression management. Finally, SNS impression management had a positive influence on willingness to speak out. As a result, there was a competitive mediation, so further analysis revealed that SNS impression management acted as a suppression variable in the structural model. This study found a theoretical limitation that had been overlooked in SOS theory and suggested a new theoretical framework to reveal the process of opinion expression on social media using a theoretical combination with IM theory.