Intentions Matter: The Role of Purpose in Excessive Social Media Usage and Smartphone Addiction

  • Amal Awadalla Ali*
  • , Areej Babiker
  • , Aiman Erbad
  • , Raian Ali
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Social media offer a wide range of advantages, but excessive usage can result in negative, psychological and behavioral consequences, including addiction. This study aims to explore the role of intentions of excessive social media usage in smartphone addiction. The analysis included data from 483 respondents who answered an online survey. The results showed that intentions of excessive social media usage can be grouped into four categories: social motivations, mode modification, productive reasons, and peer pressure. The results of multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the using social media excessively for mode modification and for peer pressure were significant predictors of smartphone addiction. Additionally, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated significant age groups differences in intentions of excessive social media usage for peer pressure and for productive reason. Emerging adults used social media excessively for peer pressure and productive reasons compared to adults. Conversely, a significant gender-related differences in intentions of excessive social media usage for mode modification and for social motivation. Females used social media excessively for mode modification and for social motivation compared to male. These findings enhance our comprehension of the factors impacting smartphone addiction and emphasize the role of intentions of excessive social media usage in its development, overcoming the limitation of the literature on screentime, which has paid limited focus to the purpose of use.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 2023 IEEE International Conference on Behavioural and Social Computing, BESC 2023
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9798350395884
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Event10th IEEE International Conference on Behavioural and Social Computing, BESC 2023 - Larnaca, Cyprus
Duration: 30 Oct 20231 Nov 2023

Publication series

NameProceedings of the 2023 IEEE International Conference on Behavioural and Social Computing, BESC 2023

Conference

Conference10th IEEE International Conference on Behavioural and Social Computing, BESC 2023
Country/TerritoryCyprus
CityLarnaca
Period30/10/231/11/23

Keywords

  • digital wellbeing
  • excessive social media usage
  • intention
  • mood modification
  • peer pressure
  • smartphone addiction
  • social motivation

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