Exploring the buffer effect of receiving social support on lonely and emotionally unstable social networking users

Daily use of digital technologies to feel better: Adolescents' digital emotion regulation, emotions, loneliness, and recovery, considering prior emotional problems

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents report using digital technologies for emotion regulation (digital ER), with the aim of feeling better (i.e., improving emotions and reducing loneliness). In this 7-day diary study, we investigated associations of digital ER, emotions, and loneliness, and tested whether prior emotional problems moderated these associations.

METHOD

Participants were 312 Australian adolescents (Mage = 13.91, SD = 1.52; 44% boys). Daily surveys measured digital ER; end-of-day happiness, sadness, worry, anger, and loneliness; and peak sadness, worry, and anger. End-of day emotions were subtracted from peak emotions to calculate emotion recovery for sadness, worry, and anger. Participants were randomly selected from two symptom strata (high/low) defined by depression and social anxiety measures collected before the diary. Data were analyzed using multilevel path modeling. Cross-level interactions tested whether symptom strata moderated associations.

RESULTS

Digital ER was associated with more recovery from peak to end-of-day sadness and worry, but also with increased sadness, worry, anger, and loneliness by the next end-of-day. Higher end-of-day loneliness was associated with increased next-day digital ER. Prior emotional symptoms were not a significant moderator of daily digital ER and emotion associations.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents who report more digital ER in a day show more recovery from the peak of negative emotion that day, but this recovery dissipates, with digital ER also associated with increased negative emotion and loneliness by the next day for all adolescents, regardless of prior symptom status. Lonelier adolescents use more digital ER by the next day, suggesting they need support to make social connections-online or offline.

Examining the Association Between Digital Stress Components and Psychological Wellbeing: A Meta-Analysis

Extant research suggests that digital stress (DS) and its various components (Hall et al. in Psychol Assess 33(3):230-242, 2021) may mediate the association between social media use and psychosocial distress among adolescents and young adults. Yet no systematic review and meta-analysis has been conducted to examine the direct associations among DS components (i.e., approval anxiety, availability stress, fear of missing out [FOMO], connection overload, and online vigilance) and psychological outcomes. Thus, we aimed to comprehensively synthesize and quantify the association between these five DS components and psychosocial distress, and to examine whether these associations were statistically different from one another. Our search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Communication and Mass Media Complete yielded a wide range of article abstracts across the five DS components. After reviewing inclusion and exclusion criteria, 7, 73, 60, 19, and 16 studies were included for availability stress, approval anxiety, FOMO, connection overload, and online vigilance, respectively. The results suggested that all five digital stress components had significant medium association with psychosocial distress (r = .26 to .34; p < .001). Age and sex did not significantly moderate the association between most digital stress components and psychosocial distress. However, age moderated the association between connection overload and psychosocial distress. Our findings further suggested no statistical differences among the associations between the five digital stress components and psychosocial distress. Notwithstanding its limitations, our outcomes help integrate the disparate effect sizes in the literature, indicate the strength of associations, and suggest directions for clinical intervention and future research.

The relationship of social media addiction with interpersonal problem-solving and personality traits in university students

This study aims to examine the relationship of social media addiction with personality traits and interpersonal problem-solving style. Two hundred forty-four students participated in this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic form, Social Media Addiction Scale, Short-Form Five Factor Personality Inventory, and Interpersonal Problem-Solving Inventory were used to collect the study's data. According to the result of analysis, it was determined that the agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to improvement personality trait scores increased as the social media addiction score increased. As the scores of approaching problems in a negative way, unwillingness to take responsibility, and lack of self-confidence increased, it was observed that social media addiction scores were increased. It was determined as constructive problem-solving and insistent-preserving approach scores increased, social media addiction scores decreased. This study would contribute to the literature by introducing a new concept to the factors affecting social media addiction.

A new buffering theory of social support and psychological stress

A dynamical model linking stress, social support, and health has been recently proposed and numerically analyzed from a classical point of view of integer-order calculus. Although interesting observations have been obtained in this way, the present work conducts a fractional-order analysis of that model. Under a periodic forcing of an environmental stress variable, the perceived stress has been analyzed through bifurcation diagrams and two well-known metrics of entropy and complexity, such as spectral entropy and C0 complexity. The results obtained by numerical simulations have shown novel insights into how stress evolves with frequency and amplitude of the perturbation, as well as with initial conditions for the system variables. More precisely, it has been observed that stress can alternate between chaos, periodic oscillations, and stable behaviors as the fractional order varies. Moreover, the perturbation frequency has revealed a narrow interval for the chaotic oscillations, while its amplitude may present different values indicating a low sensitivity regarding chaos generation. Also, the perceived stress has been noted to be highly sensitive to initial conditions for the symptoms of stress-related ill-health and for the social support received from family and friends. This work opens new directions of research whereby fractional calculus might offer more insight into psychology, life sciences, mental disorders, and stress-free well-being.

Empirical investigation of the impact of overload on the discontinuous usage intentions of short video users: a stressor-strain-outcome perspective

Purpose

This study focuses on perceived overload from environmental stimuli and individual psychology and behavioral interactions. It constructs a theoretical model with overload as the key stressor based on the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) model. The authors argue that system feature overload (SFO), information overload, and social overload lead to two psychological strains: fear of missing out (FoMO) and fatigue among users of short video platforms, affecting their discontinuous usage intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypotheses, the authors conducted a questionnaire survey on 412 users' short video platform usage and empirically tested the constructed model using the research tool SmartPLS 3.3.2.

Findings

The results of data analysis showed that most of the hypotheses were supported. Specifically, system feature overload, information overload and social overload all positively affected FoMO. However, SFO and information overload significantly affected fatigue. There was no significant relationship between social overload and fatigue. In addition, both FoMO and fatigue negatively influenced users' discontinuous usage intentions.

Originality/value

The current research on user behavior in information systems tends to focus on the influence in the positive direction and less on the negative direction. The research on discontinuous usage intention (DUI) is a very new research topic. This research studies the influencing factors of users' discontinuous behavior from the perspective of perceptual overload. It provides a unique view for future short video platform user behavior research, with significant theoretical contributions and essential practice for short video platform operators to improve services.

Understanding the Airbnb user continuation intention: The moderating role of perceived risk

This study evaluates the relationship between diversified relationships established under the umbrella of the Stimuli-Organism-Response (SOR) framework to study the consumer continuation intention of the Airbnb platform from a Malaysian perspective. A web-based survey was conducted among Malaysian Airbnb consumers, and a sample of 303 respondents was obtained. SmartPLS has been used for data analysis. The statistical output of the respondent’s data indicates that social overload and information overload influence consumer continuation intention. Moreover, the satisfaction and trust in the platform partially mediate the relationship between the stimuli and behavioral response. Further, perceived health risk strengthens the negative relationship between continuation and trust in the platform. The theoretical implications include enacting a SOR framework to understand the consumer’s internal state of mind and ability to influence the consumer platform continuation intention. The practical implications suggest that the managers and business owners focus on limiting the social exposure at the host destination and the flow of information from the application.

An Empirical Investigation of Virtual Networking Sites Discontinuance Intention: Stimuli Organism Response-Based Implication of User Negative Disconfirmation

The study’s prime objective is to investigate the user discontinuance intention in the shed of the negative disconfirmation of user expectation. The study has derived the theoretical structure from the expectancy disconfirmation theory (EDT) enacted through the stimuli organism response (SOR) framework to study the actual cause and effect relationship of human behavioral response. To investigate the user discontinuance intention behavioral response, a total of 434 correct and complete answers were shortlisted for analysis. To examine the data set, the study has used the modern partial least square method technique or simply SmartPLS service package to run the structural equation modeling (SEM). Moreover, the study has implied the 80/20 rule run the mediating analysis of the SOR framework. The statistical results show that all three stimuli make significant positive disconfirmation of the user beliefs in terms of dissatisfaction and the anxiety that ultimately leads to the discontinuance intention in virtual network users. Further, these results are validated through the six mediating relationships, which partially mediate the relationship between the stimuli and response. Besides all these findings, this study has made some practical and realistic theoretical and practical implications for both researchers and service-providing managers.

The associations of use of social network sites with perceived social support and loneliness

Research shows that use of social network sites is associated with loneliness and this may be amplified in tertiary students by their transition from home life, especially if they struggle to integrate with peers. The buffering effects of social support may offer a solution and the online dimension may offer a suitable outlet for lonely and isolated students. In this study, N = 111 university students, aged 18-40, completed a frequency assessment of Instagram and WhatsApp, the Spanish version of the UCLA loneliness scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Social Support in an online survey. The statistical analysis was completed by Structural Equation Modeling using AMOS 25.0. The construct validity of social network sites was established by good factor loadings for WhatsApp and Instagram, but Facebook was excluded as it did not load adequately on to the latent measurement model, in keeping with the diminishing trend for Facebook use in young students. Loneliness emerged as pivotal in a mediation model, and online social support from friends/significant others, emerged as salient in the predictive model in contrast to family. However, these associations may not have the same advantageous weight for mature students given the observed negative associations with age. Results may have implications for policy and planning through highlighting the psychological variables that are operative in the dynamics of integration, retention, and adjustment to tertiary level experience.

Conceptualizing Digital Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults: Toward the Development of an Empirically Based Model

Existing literature provides a complicated picture of the relationship between digital media use and psychological outcomes. Both correlational and some experimental studies suggest that social media use specifically can be associated with diminished psychological functioning in adolescents and young adults. However, these effect sizes are not large, and must be considered in light of studies that suggest some positive outcomes associated with some uses of digital media, and a range of moderators of the identified associations. Although a growing body of evidence suggests that digital stress may be an important intervening factor between digital media use and psychosocial outcomes, this literature is complicated by multiple nomenclatures for similar or identical constructs. Our review of the literature suggests four potentially related components of digital stress, including availability stress, approval anxiety, fear of missing out, and communication overload. This conceptualization is consistent with recent published frameworks for understanding digital media's influence on peer relationships. Clinicians working with adolescents and young adults are encouraged to assess digital media use in the context of clients' overall psychological and social functioning, and in consideration of clients' specific uses of media. Future research is needed to examine the associations among components of digital stress and clinical outcomes, and to provide valid measures to assess digital stress in research and clinical settings.

COVID-19 information overload and generation Z's social media discontinuance intention during the pandemic lockdown

While previous research highlights the benefits of social media in times of a pandemic, this research focuses on the potential dark side of social media use among Generation Z (Gen Z) in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown between March and May 2020. The study reveals that COVID-19 information overload through social media had a negative impact on Gen Z social media users' psychological well-being. Moreover, perceived information overload heightened both social media fatigue and fear of COVID-19, which, in turn, increased users' social media discontinuance intention. In addition, considering that social media is the predominant method of maintaining connectivity with others for Gen Z users during the lockdown, the fear of missing out (FoMO) buffered the impact of social media fatigue and fear of COVID-19 on Gen Z users' social media discontinuance intention. Our research adds a hitherto underexplored perspective to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people's mental health. We offer a series of practical suggestions for social media users, social media platform providers, and health officials, institutions, and organizations in the effective and sustainable use of social media during the global COVID-19 pandemic and in the post-pandemic time.

Understanding determinants of social networking service fatigue: an interpretive structural modeling approach

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to build a comprehensive structural model to demonstrate the interrelationships of factors influencing social networking service (SNS) fatigue and to identify the varying degrees of influence.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 14 factors influencing SNS fatigue are identified through an extensive literature review. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliqué à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis are employed to build a hierarchical model and classify these factors into four clusters.

Findings

The results revealed that ubiquitous connectivity and immediacy of feedback are key factors contributing to SNS fatigue through their strong influence on other factors. Privacy concern, impression management concern and work–life conflict lead directly to SNS fatigue. In contrast, system feature overload and system pace of change are relatively insignificant in generating SNS fatigue.

Originality/value

This study represents an initial step toward comprehensively understanding the interrelationships among the factors leading to SNS fatigue and reveals how determinants of SNS fatigue are hierarchically organized, thus extending existing research on SNS fatigue. It also provides logical consistency in the ISM-based model for SNS fatigue by grouping identified factors into dependent and independent categories. Moreover, it extends the applicability of the integration of the ISM and MICMAC approaches to the phenomenon of SNS fatigue.

The effects of social comparison orientation on psychological well-being in social networking sites: Serial mediation of perceived social support and self-esteem

This study investigates the effects of the social comparison orientation in social networking sites on psychological well-being. In particular, it examines the mediation effect of perceived social support and self-esteem in the relationship between social comparison orientation and psychological well-being. Data were collected through an online survey with 236 participants in South Korea. The results showed that social comparison orientation negatively influenced psychological well-being. In the relationship between social comparison orientation and psychological well-being, perceived social support had no mediation effect, self-esteem had a significant negative mediation effect, and perceived social support and self-esteem had a negative serial mediation effect. The social comparison orientation in social networking sites could elicit negative emotions, which decrease perceived social support, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Theoretical and practical implications as well as suggestions for future studies are discussed in detail.

Psychological Distress and Problematic Mobile Phone Use Among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Maladaptive Cognitions and the Moderating Role of Effortful Control

Previous studies have documented that psychological distress is related to problematic mobile phone use (PMPU), and sporadic research has investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the association. Based on the cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use (PIU), the self-control theory, and the problem-behavior theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating role of maladaptive cognitions toward mobile phones and the moderating role of effortful control between psychological distress and PMPU. Data were collected from 1,799 secondary school students (45.1% male; M age = 14.07, SD = 1.69) using four self-reported questionnaires. The results revealed that maladaptive cognitions toward mobile phones partially mediated the relationship between psychological distress and PMPU. In addition, effortful control as a protective factor attenuated the indirect effect from psychological distress to PMPU. These findings advanced the understanding of the etiology of PMPU and the need to develop effective strategies for prevention, suggesting that schools and families should pay additional attention to students with psychological distress. Targeted interventions for integrating online and offline worlds and effortful control training programs may help to prevent adolescents from engaging in PMPU.