Social networking addiction, attachment style, and validation of the Italian version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale

Abstract

AimResearch into social networking addiction has greatly increased over the last decade. However, the number of validated instruments assessing addiction to social networking sites (SNSs) remains few, and none have been validated in the Italian language. Consequently, this study tested the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), as well as providing empirical data concerning the relationship between attachment styles and SNS addiction.MethodsA total of 769 participants were recruited to this study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multigroup analyses were applied to assess construct validity of the Italian version of the BSMAS. Reliability analyses comprised the average variance extracted, the standard error of measurement, and the factor determinacy coefficient.ResultsIndices obtained from the CFA showed the Italian version of the BSMAS to have an excellent fit of the model to the data, thus confirming the single-factor structure of the instrument. Measurement invariance was established at configural, metric, and strict invariances across age groups, and at configural and metric levels across gender groups. Internal consistency was supported by several indicators. In addition, the theoretical associations between SNS addiction and attachment styles were generally supported.ConclusionThis study provides evidence that the Italian version of the BSMAS is a psychometrically robust tool that can be used in future Italian research into social networking addiction.

Attachment and behavioral addictions in adolescents: The mediating and moderating role of coping strategies

“…A strong attachment between child and parent(s) is a protective factor for a youth's chemical use or abuse (Crosnoe, Erickson & Dornbusch, ). Specifically, secure attachment orientation negatively predicted three online addictive behaviors including problematic Internet use, Internet gaming addiction, and social media addiction (Demircioğlu & Göncü Köse, ; Monacis et al ., ,b; Shin, Kim & Jang, ). Individuals with high secure attachment are comfortable initiating and maintaining social connections with others and are more likely to have larger social networks and social ties of better quality than those who have insecure attachment styles (Jenkins‐Guarnieri et al ., ; Yaakobi & Goldenberg, ).…”

“…This may be the case because they perceive themselves as being able to manage social media sites, use them as a tool to have more social ties with others, and are more likely to increase their sense of social belonging and interpersonal competency using those tools (Jenkins-Guarnieri et al, 2012;Oldmeadow et al, 2013). This could explain why they may be more capable of managing social networking sites use without developing addictive tendencies (Monacis et al, 2017b). In conclusion, early childhood attachment is a primary protective or risk factor (Black-Hughes & Stacy, 2013), and the intersection of attachment and addictive disorders highlights the importance of developing secure bonds throughout the lifespan (Fletcher, Nutton & Brend, 2015).…”

“…One of the key factors interacting with coping strategies is attachment styles. The attachment system is considered a behavioral regulatory system that mediates close relationships, reflects individuals' characteristic cognitions and emotions, and predicts different ways of interacting with acquaintances and strangers (Monacis, de Palo, Griffiths & Sinatra, 2017b). Although originally the attachment theory focused on infantcaregiver interactions, in the following years it has become a fertile framework for explaining relational cognitions and behaviors across the entire life span (Rom & Alfasi, 2014).…”

“…In general, the style of secure attachment is a factor of protection and resilience with respect to the development of psychopathological disorders in adulthood (La Torre & Vilchez, 2014). Specifically, a study found that secure attachment orientation negatively predicted three online behavioral addictions (i.e., problematic Internet use, online gaming addiction, and social media addiction) (Monacis et al, 2017a(Monacis et al, , 2017b. Securely attached individuals are characterized by high self-esteem and enjoyment in intimate relationships, and in sharing feelings with others (Bowlby, 1969(Bowlby, , 1973(Bowlby, , 1980(Bowlby, , 1982(Bowlby, , 1987.…”

Problematic Instagram Use: The Role of Perceived Feeling of Presence and Escapism

“…While some of these studies have focused on the use of social media more generally (Bányai et al 2017;Kırcaburun 2016a;Kircaburun, Alhabash, Tosuntaş, & Griffiths, 2018a;Kircaburun, Demetrovics, & Tosuntaş, 2018b;Kircaburun et al, 2018c;Monacis et al 2017;Wegmann et al 2015), some studies have specifically investigated problematic and addictive use of specific social networking sites such as Facebook (Satici 2018;Young et al 2017), Twitter (Kırcaburun 2016b), and YouTube (Balakrishnan and Griffiths 2017). Although there is no official diagnostic system (e.g., DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association 2013) or widely accepted diagnostic criteria (Spada 2014) for social media disorder, problematic social media use-which is a specific type of problematic Internet use (Griffiths et al 2014)-has been conceptualized as a potential behavioral addiction within a biopsychosocial framework comprising core addiction components (Griffiths 2005).…”