Selfitis Behavior: Assessing the Italian Version of the Selfitis Behavior Scale and Its Mediating Role in the Relationship of Dark Traits with Social Media Addiction

The effect of self-compassion on social media addiction among college students - The mediating role of gratitude: An observational study

In contemporary society, social media pervades every aspect of daily life, offering significant benefits such as enhanced access to information, improved interconnectivity, and fostering community among its users. However, its usage, particularly when excessive, can lead to negative psychological outcomes, including the prevalence of social media addiction (SMA) among adolescents. While extensive research has been conducted on the phenomenon of SMA, there is a notable paucity of studies examining the link between individual levels of self-compassion and susceptibility to SMA. This study aims to investigate the correlation between self-compassion and SMA in college students, while also examining the potential mediating influence of gratitude. The study sampled 1131 college students who engaged in an anonymous online survey. This survey utilized the Chinese translations of the Self-Compassion Scale, Gratitude Questionnaire, and SMA Scale. For data analysis, validated factor analysis was performed using IBM® SPSS® AMOS™ version 23. Correlation analyses were carried out with IBM® SPSS® version 22.0, and the PROCESS macro (Model 4) was employed to assess path and mediation effects. Higher levels of positive self-compassion were found to mitigate the effects of SMA, while elevated levels of negative self-compassion were associated with an increase in such addiction. The study further revealed that gratitude played a partial mediating role in the relationship between self-compassion and SMA. Specifically, positive self-compassion can reduce symptoms of SMA by enhancing levels of gratitude, whereas negative self-compassion may worsen these symptoms by diminishing gratitude. Positive self-compassion is instrumental in fostering personal growth among college students, with gratitude serving as a significant mediator in reducing SMA.

The Mediating Role of Selfitis in the Associations between Self-Esteem, Problematic Social Media Use, Problematic Smartphone Use, Body-Self Appearance, and Psychological Distress among Young Ghanaian Adults

Selfie-related activities have become pervasive to the point that they may affect the mental health of people who engage in them. To ascertain this mechanism, this study examined the mediating role of selfitis in the associations between self-esteem, problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, body-self appearance, and psychological distress among young Ghanaian adults. A total of 651 participants completed a questionnaire with measures on self-esteem, body-self appearance, problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, depression, anxiety, stress, coping skills, and selfitis. There were direct associations between all the variables except between self-esteem and selfitis. In addition, selfitis mediated the associations between problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, body-self appearance, and psychological distress except between self-esteem and psychological distress. These findings suggest that selfitis can serve as a pathway by which people who overly engage in problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, and have poor body-self appearance may experience psychological distress. Hence, there is a need for health communicators, school authorities, and opinion leaders to educate young adults on the consequences of the problematic use of technology, especially for selfitis behaviour. Future studies can examine the factors that predict selfitis behaviour among adults.

Selfie phenomenon among a sample of Egyptian university students: rate and psychiatric correlates

Background

The selfie phenomenon is an emanating one, specifically affecting adolescents and young adults. It emerges as a reflection of a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders. Based on this, the current study aimed to assess the rate of the selfie phenomenon among Egyptian university students and its sociodemographic and psychiatric correlates. During the study procedure, we enrolled 200 undergraduate Egyptian university students from two different faculties and were assessed using the Selfie Behavioral Scale, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis II Disorders, and Global Assessment of Functioning Scale.

Results

49.5% of the students being assessed had borderline selfitis with a higher rate among females. We found a highly significant association between the selfie phenomenon and depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, and other psychiatric disorders and personality disorders, and we also found that selfies had a significant negative association with the level of functioning among students.

Conclusions

Results concur with previous existing literature regarding the magnitude of the selfie phenomenon and its relationship with different psychiatric disorders and personality disorders.

Interpersonally-Based Fears and Problematic Social Networking Site Use: The Moderating Role of Online Social Support

Within the Compensatory Internet Use Theory (CIUT) framework, online activities may compensate for psychosocial problems. However, those who attempt to satisfy their needs or mitigate their fears via Social Networking Sites (SNSs) may be at heightened risk for problematic use of SNSs (PSNSU), especially in cases when these fears have an interpersonal basis, and the individual effectively finds online social support. The current study hypothesizes that interpersonally-based fears (i.e., fear of no mattering, fear of intimacy, and fear of negative evaluation) predict PSNSU, and online social support moderates these associations. Four hundred and fifty Italian participants (Mage = 27.42 ± 7.54; F = 73.5%) take part in the study. As examined by path analysis, the three interpersonal fears were positively associated with PSNSU, and online social support significantly moderates the relationship between fear of negative evaluation and PSNSU. The model accounted for 19% of the variance of PSNSU and showed good fit indices. The associations' strengths decrease as age increases. Overall, the current study finds further support for the theory that motivations need to be taken into account when it comes to internet uses (i.e., CIUT) and extends our understanding by highlighting that online social support might reinforce the link between the fear of being negatively evaluated and PSNSU.

Disorders due to addictive behaviors: Further issues, debates, and controversies •

Two recent papers in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions by Brand et al. (2022), and Sassover and Weinstein (2022) both make interesting additions to the place of behavioral addictions in the more general addictive behaviors field. This commentary discusses some of the further nuances in the debates surrounding whether problematic engagement in social networking, pornography, and buying/shopping should be considered as possible 'disorders due to addictive behaviors' in the ICD-11. Particular emphasis in this commentary is placed on social network use disorder and its delineation. While there is growing evidence that addictions to sex, pornography, social network sites, exercise, work, and buying/shopping may be genuine disorders among a minority of individuals, none of these behaviors is likely to be included in formal psychiatric manuals in the near future until there is more high-quality data on all research fronts (e.g., epidemiological, neurobiological, psychological, and clinical).

Needs affordance as a key factor in likelihood of problematic social media use: Validation, latent Profile analysis and comparison of TikTok and Facebook problematic use measures

Despite increasing concerns of maladaptive cognitive responses associated with social media, estimates of its prevalence are lacking in the literature. Further, existing studies have disproportionately focused on Facebook, while ignoring the penetration of TikTok and concerns of associated maladaptive behaviors. This study aims to 1) validate scale measures for problematic Facebook and TikTok use (PFU and PTTU) 2) comparatively assess the underlying cognitive pathways of the PFU and PTTU among a sample of university students, 3) determine the cut-off score of the PTTU assessment scale using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) and 4) evaluate the contribution of specific criteria in the diagnosis of PTTU. The scales used to assess PFU and PTTU were found to have appropriate psychometric properties. The scores between the PFU and PTTU scales were found to be strongly associated, however, the relationship was stronger in the group of Facebook users than in the group of TikTok users. Further, the manifestation of problematic use was not consistent between TikTok and Facebook. Loneliness was positively associated with both PFU and PTTU, while self-esteem was negatively associated with PFU only. The optimal cut-off score of the PTTU scale was determined to be 21, giving 8.7% as the estimated prevalence of PTTU. The criteria with the highest predictive power in the diagnosis of addiction among university students were "withdrawal" and "relapse". The study concludes that while the underlying addiction pathways are similar between platforms the manifestation of maladaptive behavior and the drivers for usage intensity and problematic use are unique.

Risk Factors Associated With Social Media Addiction: An Exploratory Study

The use of social media is becoming a necessary daily activity in today’s society. Excessive and compulsive use of social media may lead to social media addiction (SMA). The main aim of this study was to investigate whether demographic factors (including age and gender), impulsivity, self-esteem, emotions, and attentional bias were risk factors associated with SMA. The study was conducted in a non-clinical sample of college students (N = 520), ranging in age from 16 to 23 years, including 277 females (53%) and 243 males (47%). All participants completed a survey measuring impulsivity, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, social anxiety, loneliness, and attentional bias. The final hierarchical regression model indicated significant risk factors for SMA with an accuracy of 38%. The identified set of associated risk factors included female gender (β = −0.21, t = −4.88, p < 0.001), impulsivity (β = 0.34, t = 8.50, p < 0.001), self-esteem (β = −0.20, t = −4.38, p < 0.001), anxiety (β = 0.24, t = 4.43, p < 0.001), social anxiety (β = 0.25, t = 5.79, p < 0.001), and negative attentional biases (β = 0.31, t = 8.01, p < 0.001). Finally, a discussion of the results is presented, followed by corresponding recommendations for future studies.

The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale Validity in a Romanian Sample Using Item Response Theory and Network Analysis

The validation of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) in different cultural contexts is contributory in adding to the extant research body on psychometric qualities of the scale. The main purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the BSMAS, based on classical test theory and advanced psychometric testing, namely item response theory (IRT) and network analysis in a Romanian sample of 705 participants (39% males, aged 18-54 years, M = 30.24, SD ± 9.15). Composite reliability and McDonald's omega proved the very good internal consistency of the BSMAS-RO. The CFA highlighted the unifactorial model fitted well and measurement invariance across gender was revealed. Females obtained significantly higher scores on social media addiction (SMA) than males. As for concurrent validity, SMA correlated with social media intensity use, anxious attachment, social anxiety, need to belong, self-esteem, and happiness. IRT analysis proved adequate discrimination and difficulty parameters for all items. The highest discrimination was registered by salience criterion and the highest difficulty by conflict, withdrawal, and mood modification criteria. Relapse criterion had the lowest values of both parameters. Network analysis revealed that salience and withdrawal criteria had the highest indicators of centrality and relapse the lowest. Our findings revealed that the most relevant criteria to the diagnosis of SMA in Romanian people are salience, conflict, withdrawal, and mood modification. The robust psychometric properties of the BSMAS-RO provide health professionals a valid instrument for assessing SMA. Programs to prevent SMA must focus on dispositional traits as AATT, social anxiety, respectively unsatisfied need to belong, and promoting the ability to initiate and maintain rewarding social relationships.

The association between problematic social networking site use, dark triad traits, and emotion dysregulation

BACKGROUND

Social networking sites (SNSs) allow people to socially connect with each other, collaborate, and share information. However, problematic SNS use (PSNSU) may be associated with negative personality traits. The present study investigated the associations between PSNSU, dark triad personality traits, and emotion dysregulation.

METHOD

In the present study, 555 SNS users (Mage = 33.32 years, SD = 10.88) completed an online survey comprising measures of PSNSU, dark triad personality traits, and emotion dysregulation.

RESULTS

Bivariate correlations showed that PSNSU was significantly associated with dark triad traits as well as emotion dysregulation. Structural equation modelling (where the effect of the dark triad traits on PSNSU was mediated by emotion dysregulation) showed that 33.5% of the variance of PSNSU was explained by Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism.

CONCLUSION

The findings provide suggestive evidence of why PSNSU may occur as a function of the presence of dark triad traits and emotion dysregulation. The study also highlighted the important role that emotion regulation plays in the association between dark triad traits and PSNSU.

Is Selfie Behavior Related to Psychological Well-being?

Background

The reasons and consequences of people's activity on social networks have not been sufficiently studied. Most studies have focused on identifying the dangers and risks associated with posting self-portraits on social networks, but it is an open question as to whether such behavior serves to increase people's psychological well-being.

Objective

We asked ourselves what are the main motives for publishing selfies and whether online activity contributes to psychological well-being.

Design

Our study involved 96 respondents from Moscow, mainly psycho logy students, who provided information about their activity on social networks, and completed questionnaires on their motivation, social support, and psychological well-being.

Results

Three main motives for publishing selfies were identified: 1) to increase self-esteem; 2) maintain social contacts; and 3) preserve and exchange information. The higher the ratio of selfies taken to preserve information, the higher was the user's psychological well-being. We found significant differences between the characteristics of those participants with high and low activity, and larger and smaller numbers of "friends" in social networks. For those with high activity, their sense of psychological well-being was largely determined by interaction with others. For these persons, communication (including with virtual contacts) was the important resource of well-being. The other group was less dependent on others, and for them, psychological well-being was not related to their activity on social networks.

Conclusion

Our results confirm the connection between the personality traits and characteristics of the respondents' network behavior and their psychological well-being. The study showed that the type of correlation constellation differs between groups of respondents depending upon how much or how little they are oriented toward social support.

Dark Triad of Personality and Problematic Smartphone Use: A Preliminary Study on the Mediating Role of Fear of Missing Out

The present study examined whether the relationship between the Dark Triad (DT) of personality and problematic smartphone use (PSU) can be explained by the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO). The role of FoMO in this relationship has yet to be examined. A total of 457 participants completed an online survey. Results indicated that males scored high on measures assessing DT of personality, while females scored high on PSU. Structural equation modelling showed that narcissism was directly associated with PSU. FoMO partially mediated the association between narcissism and PSU. Machiavellianism and narcissism were directly associated with FoMO. In the fully mediated model, narcissism (but not Machiavellianism) was still associated with FoMO, and in turn, FoMO was related to PSU. Although preliminary, the results of the present study indicated that Machiavellianism and narcissism might represent antecedents of FoMO, in addition to the Big Five personality traits, and both could be involved in the development of PSU.

Social media use in China before and during COVID-19: Preliminary results from an online retrospective survey

BACKGROUND

More people reported symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression during the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). They might have increased their social media use during the outbreak of COVID-19 compared to before COVID-19.

METHODS

An online retrospective survey was conducted on a total sample of 10,963 participants. Social media use patterns before and during COVID-19, Social media addiction (SMA), and mental health problems (stress, anxiety, and depression) were assessed.

RESULTS

This study found that, compared with before COVID-19, weekly social media use was significantly increased during COVID-19 (from 17.2 to 21.4 h). Nearly 40% of SMA respondents increased their weekly social media use ≥3.5 h. The prevalence rate of was 6.8%, and the prevalence rates of moderate or severe stress, anxiety, and depression were 10.8%, 26.4%, and 18.2%, respectively, during COVID-19. Female gender, experiencing moderate or severe stress, and SMA were associated with increased weekly social media use ≥3.5 h. Male gender, experiencing moderate or severe stress, anxiety, depression, and increased weekly social media use ≥3.5 h were associated with SMA.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests a significant increase in social media use and a relatively high prevalence rate of SMA in China during COVID-19. Our findings identify factors associated with increased social media use and SMA that could be used to develop psychological interventions to prevent SMA during the COVID-19 epidemic.

An Investigation into Smartphone Addiction with Personality and Sleep Quality among University Students

Over the past two decades, smartphones have become common, and the accompanying devices have also become much more popular and easily accessible worldwide. With the development of smartphones, accompanied by internet facilities, excessive smartphone use or smartphone addiction may cause sleep disturbance and daily dysfunction. This study proposed examining the association between personality traits and smartphone addiction and its effects on sleep disturbance. Four hundred and twenty-two university participants (80 male and 342 female participants) with a mean age of 20.22 years old were recruited in this study. All participants were asked to complete the following questionnaires: Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI), Tri-dimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ), and Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire Index (CPSQI). The results showed that people with a high tendency toward novelty seeking (NS) as a personality trait, compared to those with lower tendency toward NS, are more likely to become addicted to smartphone use. Moreover, those with a stronger trait of being NS and specific impulsivity factor were found to have higher total scores in the SPAI (p < 0.05). In addition, linear regression analysis showed that the individuals with higher scores for withdrawal symptoms on the SPAI and anticipatory worry factor on the TPQ tended to have higher CPSQI total scores (p < 0.05). This information may be useful for prevention in individuals with personality traits making them vulnerable to smartphone addiction and for designing intervention programs to reduce intensive smartphone use and programs to increase capability in managing smartphone use.

The effects of social comparison on the relationships among social media addiction, self-esteem, and general belongingness levels

BACKGROUND

Social media addiction (SM) is a widespread and severe problem in today's world. It is associated with both self-esteem (SE) and general belongingness (GB). There are many studies related to these associations in the literature, but in this research an attempt was made to explain this mechanism based on social comparison theory. The aim of this study is to examine the indirect effect of social comparison (SC) on the relationship among SM, SE, and GB.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

The sample consisted of 311 university students studying at a state university in Turkey. Data were gathered by using a demographic information form, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the General Belongingness Scale, the Social Comparison Scale, and the Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form. The mediator effect of SC was determined via structural equation modelling.

RESULTS

The results indicate that SC has an indirect effect on the relation between SM and SE. Similarly, SC has an indirect effect on the relation between SM and GB.

CONCLUSIONS

People tend to compare themselves with other individuals, and this SC process can be made very easily and quickly via social media tools. Moreover, social media sites offer plenty of opportunities for SC, and this comparison consists of sometimes upward SC and sometimes downward SC processes. Downward and upward SC processes can regulate individuals' emotions, SE, and GB levels in social media either in a negative or positive way. The mediating role of SC in the relationship between SM, SE, and GB can be examined in terms of these upward and downward SC processes.

Adolescents’ selfie-taking and selfie-editing: A revision of the photo manipulation scale and a moderated mediation model

‘Selfie practices’ (e.g., editing, filtering, sharing) have become adolescents’ daily behaviors. The increasing centrality of online visual self-presentation might increase adolescents’ appearance-related concerns, problematic monitoring, and photo manipulation (PM). However, few studies focused on body image control in photos (BICP) and PM, and no studies evaluated the influence of selfie-expectancies on photo-taking and photo-editing. Consequently, two studies were conducted. Study1 psychometrically evaluated the PM scale (N = 1353). Study2 evaluated the mediating role of BICP and the moderating role of gender in the relationship between selfie-expectancies and PM (N = 453). The revised PM scale showed good psychometric properties. BICP mediated the relationship between selfie-expectancies and PM and being male significantly affected the relationship between the variables. Implications for adolescents’ appearance-related issues are discussed.

Social Networking Addiction Among Hong Kong University Students: Its Health Consequences and Relationships With Parenting Behaviors

The use of social networking sites (SNSs) has been growing at a staggering rate, especially among university students. The present study investigated the prevalence of social networking addiction (SNA), its health consequences, and its relationships with parents' Internet-specific parenting behaviors in a sample of Hong Kong university students (N = 390). Adopting the 9-item social media disorder scale, 21.5% of the participating students met the criteria for SNA. Students with SNA showed longer sleeping latency, more sleep disturbance, poorer academic performance, lower levels of life satisfaction, and higher levels of depression than did students without SNA. Parental reactive restriction and limiting online behaviors of the participants were associated with higher risk of SNA. The findings suggest the severity of SNA and its negative consequences among Hong Kong university students. While parental behaviors limiting children's use of SNSs were found to increase the occurrence rate of SNA among university students, longitudinal studies are needed to further examine this causal relationship.

Problematic Internet Use in early adolescence: The role of attachment and negative beliefs about worry

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) might be a potential mental health problem. Few studies have investigated the relative contribution of individual and family factors in the development of PIU in early adolescence. The aim of the current study was to model the relationship between attachment styles, negative beliefs about worry, and PIU in early adolescence.

METHODS

Five hundred and thirty-eight Italian early adolescents (51% females, M age = 12.7 years, SD = 0.87) were included in this study. The pattern of relationships specified by the theoretical model was examined through path analysis.

RESULTS

Results showed that avoidance (mother) and anxiety (father) were directly associated with PIU. Anxiety (mother) and avoidance (father) were indirectly associated with PIU via negative beliefs about worry.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our findings show that attachment toward mother and father are differently linked to PIU and that negative beliefs about worry may play a mediating role in the association between attachment and PIU. Findings are discussed within clinical and preventive implications.

Trait Procrastination and Mobile Phone Addiction Among Chinese College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model of Stress and Gender

Recent studies have indicated that trait procrastination as a personality factor could lead to mobile phone addiction, however little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this process. The current study investigated the mediating role of stress in the relationship between trait procrastination and mobile phone addiction, and whether the mediating effect was moderated by gender. A sample including 1,004 Chinese college students completed measurements of trait procrastination, stress, mobile phone addiction, and demographic information. The results showed that trait procrastination was positively related to college students' mobile phone addiction. Mediation analyses revealed that this relationship was partially mediated by stress. Moderated mediation further indicated that the path between trait procrastination and stress was stronger for male students compared with female students. These findings broadened our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms between trait procrastination and mobile phone addiction, the implications and limitations of this study were discussed.

Motivations for the Use of Video Game Streaming Platforms: The Moderating Effect of Sex, Age and Self-Perception of Level as a Player

A particularly striking new phenomenon in recent years is the live streaming of video games through popular platforms, such as Twitch. This study focuses on the motivations and types of use underlying viewer participation in live streaming platforms. Based on the uses and gratifications theory, this paper aims to analyse how three basic motivations are related to the use of video game streaming platforms. Furthermore, it examines the moderating effects that significant variables, such as the audience member’s age, sex or self-perception of level as a player may exert on this relationship. The results reveal that the three types of motivations are positively associated with use of the platform, although notable differences appear, with informational motivations outweighing entertainment and social motivations. At the same time, no moderating effects on the results of the proposed model were found for the heterogeneity stemming from sex and age. Conversely, the influence of informational motivations on the use of these platforms is moderated by the self-perception of level as a player.