A mixed-methods study of problematic social media use, attention dysregulation, and social media use motives

Abstract

Problematic social media use (PSMU) refers to excessive uncontrolled use of social media which impacts upon daily functioning (Blackwell et al., 2017). Self-regulation is central to the development and experience of PSMU, and conceptually interrelates with individual usage motivations (Reinecke et al., 2022). While there is a growing body of research on social media use motivations, how usage motivations and self-regulation combined influence PSMU is not well understood. There are also persistent questions around the effectiveness of addiction-based measures of PSMU. The quantitative component of this nested mixed-methods study (N = 607) employed hierarchical regression and structural equation modelling, principally identifying that impulsive social media usage mediates the pathway between perceived executive/attentional functioning and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS, Andreassen et al., 2012, 2016), a popular tool used to measure PSMU. In contrast, social-engagement motivations had a negative influence on the BSMAS. The qualitative component, comprising interview/open-ended questionnaire, explored individual experiences self-regulating social media use. Participants (N = 24) were recruited from the survey study, based on meeting screening criteria for executive dysfunction (Adult Self-Report ADHD Scale, Kessler et al., 2005), with sub-groups defined by top and bottom quartile BSMAS scores (evenly grouped). Thematic analysis found that most individuals with attention dysregulation, regardless of their BSMAS category, perceive self-regulation of social media use as highly challenging and effortful, describing broadly problematic relationship with social media. They also described rich combination of motivations and context of using social media, and strategies for managing use. This research questions the effectiveness of the BSMAS as a measure of general PSMU (lacking a formed self-regulation component), especially in individuals with attentional dysregulation. Future research investigating self-regulation strategies and focusing on characteristics of positive social media use is needed.

Work engagement, emotional disorders and conflict management styles in paediatric nurse: A mediating effect model

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From “online brains” to “online lives”: understanding the individualized impacts of Internet use across psychological, cognitive and social dimensions

“…In recognition of this, various self-regulation strategies have been reported by participants in qualitative studies, such as reducing accessibility by moving phones out of reach or hiding them, muting phones, disabling notifications, setting alarms, planning out the day, and keeping busy 41,42,44 . In some studies with adults, participants expressed a strong motivation to uphold digital discipline, but acknowledged the need for more severe restrictions, such as uninstalling apps, to achieve self-determined disconnection, especially during periods of emotional vulnerability 44 .…”

“…This captures the broader experiences of young people, who often voice concerns about the impact of smartphones on attention span and concentration, leading to struggles with distraction during unstructured time 39,43 . Within this, the phenomenon of getting lost in social media is often highlighted, with participants entering a "trance" or "mindlessly scrolling" 42 , leading to a loss of track of time 39,42,84 .…”

“…The difficulty of self‐regulation when engaging with social media is also depicted by the novel qualitative literature capturing the experiential aspects of this topic, with participants describing in detail the challenges towards cutting down their time on such platforms 42 . Several users describe how social media algorithms are designed to encourage prolonged, high‐frequency usage 41 .…”

Relationship between Social Networking Addiction and Academic Performance in Students of University

“…However, too much of social networking can have physical, social, psychological, as well as emotional impacts on the user. Social networking is actually addictive (Arness & Ollis, T;Ahmad & Abdelrahman, 2018).…”