Problematic social media use is associated with the evaluation of both risk and ambiguity during decision making

Abstract

Background and aimsPeople can engage in excessive, maladaptive use of social media platforms. This problematic social media use mirrors substance use disorders with regard to symptoms and certain behavioral situations. For example, individuals with substance use disorders demonstrate aberrations in risk evaluations during decision making, and initial research on problematic social media use has revealed similar findings. However, these results concerning problematic social media use have been clouded by tasks that involve learning and that lack a clear demarcation between risky and ambiguous decision making. Therefore, we set out to specifically determine the relationship between problematic social media use and decision making under both risk and ambiguity, in the absence of learning.MethodsWe assessed each participant's (N = 90) self-reported level of problematic social media use. We then had them perform the wheel of fortune task, which has participants make choices between a sure option or either a risky or ambiguous gamble. In this way, the task isolates decisions made under risk and ambiguity, and avoids trial-to-trial learning. Results: We found that the greater an individual's problematic social media use, the more often that individual choses high-risk gambles or ambiguous gambles, regardless of the degree of ambiguity.Discussion and conclusionsOur findings indicate that greater problematic social media use is related to a greater affinity for high-risk situations and overall ambiguity. These findings have implications for the field, specifically clarifying and extending the extant literature, as well as providing future avenues for research.

Unveiling the Digital Dilemma: Understanding Problematic Smartphone and Social Media Usage among Adults in France (Preprint)

“…Furthermore, a correlation has been observed between problematic social media engagement and increased social isolation among the elderly [26]. Comparable to phenomena observed in substance addiction, individuals with problematic social media habits may exhibit impaired decision-making capabilities and a propensity for riskier behaviors [27]. Notably, the study suggests a dichotomy in social support dynamics: while real-life social support correlates with decreased depression and anxiety levels, virtual social support garnered through social media does not exhibit a similar beneficial impact on mental health [28].…”

How to support teenagers in social media utilization: based on mother's experience

“…The high number of adolescent social media users has a positive impact on adolescents in the form of developing the capability to socialize, communicate, and friendships to cross countries, opening opportunities for learning through simplicity to access the information [1]- [3]. Contradictorily, this media is also could be able to provide unlimited access to impressions that smell of violence [4], pornography [4], [5], triggering cyberbullying [6], [7] and social media addiction [8], [9]. As the explanation of the theory of uses and gratification in the theory of communication, it is explained that each individual has a certain purpose based on his requirements by using media that are considered appropriate [10], [11].…”