Social Media Use in Emerging Adults: Investigating the Relationship With Social Media Addiction and Social Behavior

Abstract

In the 21st century, use of online communication has skyrocketed, and this is particularly true for young people who have grown up in the age of the smartphone. In the world of online communication, adolescents and young adults especially seem to gravitate toward social media. The present study examined a mediational model wherein social media use in emerging adults predicts social media addiction through altered social behaviors, including face-to-face interactions, communication apprehension, and social skill deficits. More than 100 undergraduate students reported on their social media use and social behaviors via an online questionnaire. Contrary to expectations, social media use was only significantly correlated with social skills deficits, r(108) = .204, p = .017, and social media addiction, r(108) = .495, p < .001. Face-to-face interactions, communication apprehension, and social skills deficits did not function as mediators of the relationship between social media use and addiction and had no significant correlations with social media addiction. A modified mediation model is proposed, wherein impoverished face-to-face behavior and communication apprehension predict social skills deficits and those deficits predict social media addiction only when social media use is high.

Fostering Global Resilience Through Cross-Cultural Collaboration

“…Companies have been compelled to strive for an online presence and visibility through digital means. Solutions such as automation and artificial intelligence have been implemented to leverage user data effectively, transforming it into opportunities (Larson et al, 2021). In the Business-to-Business (B2B) sector, a similar scenario emerged, where companies also had to reinvent themselves.…”

“…In the Business-to-Business (B2B) sector, a similar scenario emerged, where companies also had to reinvent themselves. The challenge evolved beyond data collection to obtaining a competitive advantage through the numerous data streams they could now gather (Larson et al, 2021). B2B companies capitalized on the exponential increase in the use of information and communication technology tools (Eger et al, 2021), and, in many cases, this challenge led to a shift in how companies operated, demanding greater investments in adopting, not only digital marketing strategies, but also aspects like brand management, content marketing, and continuous measurement of key performance indicators (Barbosa et al, 2020).…”

Psychological and Technology Factor Contribute to Social Media Addiction

“…The issue of social media addiction has emerged as a significant concern, particularly in the context of adolescent populations. The phenomenon of addictive behavior involves a range of inclinations, including an obsessive preoccupation with social media, compulsive usage patterns, alterations in mood, and even the development of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms (Larson, 2021). Research findings indicate that individuals in their youth are particularly susceptible to developing addictions to social media platforms.…”