ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to identify associations between problematic social media use (PSMU), type of internet activity, various background factors, psychosocial factors (mood, fear of missing out, need to belong, social relationships) and the COVID-19-pandemic's impacts on social media use among young adults in Finland. Data were collected from 381 young adults aged 18-35 (M = 26.01;SD = 4.55) in Finland through a web-based survey conducted during the autumn of 2020. PSMU was identified using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Nine types of social media platform used were considered. Information about health-related factors was assessed using Beck Depression Inventory scale and a further single question. Social factors were measured using the Fear of Missing Out scale, the Single Item Need to Belong scale, and social engagement scale. 9.8 % of participants were found to exhibit PSMU. Younger people and women were more prone to PSMU. Social networking sites were the most used platform and were more strongly related to PSMU. Social media engagement, depression, fear of missing out and the effects of the pandemic on social media use were all positively and significantly associated with PSMU. These results may facilitate the development of guidelines for healthy social media use, and early detection of PSMU.
ABSTRACT
Background: There are over 2 billion social networking sites users worldwide and the amount of the users are rising rapidly. (Baumgartner et al., 2017;Hussain & Starcevic, 2020.) In Finland young adults are using SNS the most and are thus potentially more exposed to its effects (Baumgartner et al., 2017). For some people a pattern of problematic social networking sites (PSNS) use can be developed (Hussain & Starcevic, 2020). More knowledge is needed about how PSNS use is associated to young adult's well-being in psychosocial level and is there some background factors which are associated to PSNS use. Identifying those associations was the aim of the current study. Method: A cross-sectional study design was used. Data were collected with a national web-based survey from Finnish young adults (18-35 years old) (n=383) during autumn 2020. The questionnaire consisted of three areas: 1) background factors (e.g. gender, age, education), lifestyles, loneliness, quality of life;2) use of digital technologies and SNS (e.g. frequency and volume of use of digital devices, problematic SNS, use of SNS during the COVID-19 pandemic);3) psychosocial well-being (e.g. depression, social pressure). Results: The results will be announced in the conference. Conclusions: Conclusions will be announced in the conference. This research provides new information about PSNS use and its effects to young adults' psychosocial well-being. The results can be used in student and occupational health care and the results will help to identify factors which would cause PSNS use and the resulting disadvantages.