The big five personality traits influencing habitual Facebook usage, life satisfaction and psychological well-being of Generation Y students

Abstract

This research determined five big personality traits that influenced South African Generation Y students’ habitual use of Facebook, life satisfaction and psychological well-being. The research embraced a quantitative approach, and a structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from Generation Y students. The data were analysed using Smart PLS software version 3.2.7 for partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Neuroticism, extraversion, openness and agreeableness had positive and significant influences on habitual Facebook usage (HFU). However, conscientiousness seemed to have a positive yet insignificant relationship with HFU. Habitual use of Facebook has been found to have a positive and significant impact on life satisfaction and psychological well-being. It was also determined that life satisfaction positively and significantly influences psychological well-being. The exogenous-to-endogenous outcomes from the structural model coincided with most of prior study’s findings. Therefore, in the light of the associated literature, the findings were discussed. This study is intended to add a fresh understanding to the current body of Africa’s personality, psychology and social media literature – a context that has received little research attention in developing nations.

Habitual Facebook use as a prognosticator for life satisfaction and psychological well-being: social safeness as a moderator

“…It is imperative to compare and contrast the results of the current study with the results of Maziriri's (2020) study. According to Maziriri's (2020)…”

“…It is imperative to compare and contrast the results of the current study with the results of Maziriri's (2020) study. According to Maziriri's (2020) research, personal traits such neuroticism ( β = 0.451; t = 3.137), extraversion ( β = 0.129; t = 1.973), openness ( β = 0.331; t = 5.984) and agreeableness ( β = 0.156; t = 1.994) showed positive and significant effects on habitual Facebook usage. Additionally, Maziriri's (2020) research revealed that there was an insignificant relationship between conscientiousness and HFU ( β = 0.056; t = 0.803).…”

“…Besides the linear relationships tested by Maziriri in (2020), this study included a moderating variable (social safeness) to offer a nuanced understanding of the relationship between HFU and life satisfaction. To the best knowledge of the researchers, there are deficiencies in studies that investigated the probable moderating influence of social safeness on the link between HFU and life satisfaction.…”

“…In their study to evaluate the relationship between Facebook use and psychological well-being for baccalaureate nursing students at Benha University, Zaki, Sayed and Elattar (2018) discovered a statistically significant link between psychological well-being and Facebook usage. Maziriri (2020) discovered that habitual Facebook usage positively and significantly impacts psychological well-being. Based on the preceding arguments, the second hypothesis is as follows:…”

“…It is crucial to clarify that Maziriri's (2020) study lacked a theoretical foundation. To understand the conceptual model that was being tested by means of SEM, this study contributes to the body of literature by basing the study in a key model and theories.…”