Published October 1, 2022 | Version v1
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Careers, demographics, and internet availability: Predictors of social media addiction

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Southern Utah University
  • 2. University of Connecticut

Description

Obsessive social media use has become a prevalent addictive behavior. The purpose of this study was to take a deeper look at what specific variables are leading to social media addiction. Specifically, we wanted to see if variables such as unlimited data and Wi-Fi availability, social media job requirements, and other demographics including education, age, gender, and marital status, predict increased addiction behaviors such as withdrawal and mood modification. As social media becomes increasingly prevalent, and the mental health issues that are connected become clearer, it is imperative that both predictors and solutions to social media addiction are identified. In the current study, a sample of 347 participants, recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk, responded to a survey using a version of the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale that was modified to represent all social media platforms. The scale measured social media salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse. Results revealed that being younger, more educated, married, male, having better access to internet, and having a job that required social media usage, all lead to a higher likelihood of social media addiction behaviors.

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