Relationship between Need for Belongingness and Facebook Addiction: Mediating Role of Number of Friends on Facebook

Abstract

As humans, we need to connect with one another, our friends and families, our culture and country. Present age is the era of information and technology and social media. College and University students spend significant amount of time on Social Networking Sites like Facebook etc. The present study was conducted to explore role of number of friends on Facebook on the relationship between individual's need for belongingness and Facebook addiction. A sample of 180 university students was selected as sample through the non-probability sampling technique. Findings suggested that male Facebook users had significantly higher number of friends on Facebook than female Facebook users. Findings also explored significant positive correlation among need for belongingness, number friends on Facebook, and Facebook addiction. The relationship between need for belongingness and Facebook addiction was partially mediated by number of friends on Facebook. The study findings would be helpful to mental health practitioners to effectively deal with emerging problem of Facebook addiction.Present age is the time of facts, technology and social media. Social media are generally defined as forms of electronic communication where users can create communities to share information, ideas, pictures, videos and other content. Social networking sites are a subcategory of social media, which generally entail the creation and maintenance of online relationships both personal and professional via various platforms (Schauer, 2015). The leading platforms of SNS are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.

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

“… Seidman (2013) stated that satisfying the need to belong and acceptance are major motivations for Facebook usage, and individuals who use social media might increase their self-esteem and sense of belongingness. Furthermore, there are some studies which detected positive relationships between social media and the need to belong (e.g., Casale & Fioravanti, 2018 ; Hodgins, 2015 ; Rashid et al, 2019 ). Nonetheless, these results should be considered differently according to ordinary usage of social media and social media addiction, because addictive usage might trigger some interpersonal troubles and withdrawal ( Chen et al, 2003 ).…”

Facebook Addiction among Afghan University Students: A Structural Equation Modelling

“…Several studies have reported that the Facebook addiction is a common problem among students and youth generations [24], [24], [40], [42], [44]. Although, Facebook addiction had received slightly consideration in the literature and founded that Facebook addiction have positive correlation with Facebook motives such as entertainment, communication and social interaction [10], [17], [40], [44], [58], [63], [64]. Further, its argued that the Facebook addiction is related with being male, being a heavy Facebook user [65], being in a higher year level at university [24].…”

“…In recent years, it has been recognized that the Facebook Addiction has become the considerably more important. Several studies have been conducted on this topic [12], [17], [28], [40], [41], [41], [42]. It is reported that Facebook addiction has become a universal concern and considered as a health issue [43], although it has been a worldwide problem among university students and youth generation [2], [10], [17], [28], [40], [42], [44].…”

“…Several studies have been conducted on this topic [12], [17], [28], [40], [41], [41], [42]. It is reported that Facebook addiction has become a universal concern and considered as a health issue [43], although it has been a worldwide problem among university students and youth generation [2], [10], [17], [28], [40], [42], [44]. It is clear that the symptoms of Facebook addiction can be exhibited in attitudes [45], cognition [46], physical and emotional reaction [47], and interpersonal and psychological problems [7], [34], [44], [48].…”

“…Although, those who addicted in Facebook and other social media facing with many challenges such as skipping sleep, feeling anxiety, stressed, ignoring family responsibilities, showing up late in academic performance and professional works [34], [40], [44]. Further, these are evidences of physical and psychological disorder which meet up with the criteria for impulse control disorder, mental illness characterized by an uncontrollable desire to perform behavior [17], [40], and [42]. Moreover, there are very limited studies conducted regarding Facebook addiction in Afghanistan; therefore, it is important to conduct a study in order to fill this gap.…”