Social media use : attitudes, ‘detox’, and craving in typical and frequent users
Robertson, David J. and Malin, Johanna and Martin, Sophie and Butler, Stephen H. and John, Bev and Graff, Martin and Flowers, Paul and Jones, Benedict C. (2023) Social media use : attitudes, ‘detox’, and craving in typical and frequent users. Technology, Mind, and Behavior. ISSN 2689-0208 (In Press) (https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000120)
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Abstract
Social media has become a core feature of daily life, with 4.8 billion users worldwide. Research on individual differences in social media use has tended to focus on the effect of differing levels of engagement on specific mental health outcomes. In contrast, few studies have directly investigated users’ own perceptions of the impact of their social media use, attempts to regulate their behaviour through periods of ‘detox’, and the drivers that compel them to return to these platforms. Therefore, in this study, we examined users’ current attitudes towards their social media use, their awareness of the impact it had on other aspects of their life, their experiences of self-initiated periods of ‘detox’, and their reasons for re-engagement. A sample of 208 UK social media users (aged 18-28), partitioned into typical and frequent user groups using the SMAQ and the SMEQ, were tested on all measures. The findings, derived from both quantitative and qualitative data, showed that users across both groups were aware of the impact of overuse, they were able to successfully engage in sustained periods of social media detox, from which they derived positive effects (e.g., on sleep, mood, productivity), and the primary driver for continued use was a desire for social connectedness and information rather than a ‘craving’ for social media per se. Taken together, these findings provide novel data on users’ perceptions of their social media use, and in particular, evidence in support of the positive benefits of periods of social media ‘detox’.
ORCID iDs
Robertson, David J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8393-951X, Malin, Johanna, Martin, Sophie, Butler, Stephen H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2103-0773, John, Bev, Graff, Martin, Flowers, Paul ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6239-5616 and Jones, Benedict C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7777-0220;-
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Item type: Article ID code: 87244 Dates: DateEvent7 November 2023Published7 November 2023AcceptedSubjects: Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology
Science > Mathematics > Electronic computers. Computer science > Other topics, A-Z > Human-computer interactionDepartment: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) > Psychological Sciences and Health > Psychology
Strategic Research Themes > Society and Policy
Strategic Research Themes > Ocean, Air and Space
Strategic Research Themes > Measurement Science and Enabling Technologies
Strategic Research Themes > Innovation Entrepreneurship
Strategic Research Themes > Health and Wellbeing
Strategic Research Themes > Energy
Strategic Research Themes > Advanced Manufacturing and MaterialsDepositing user: Pure Administrator Date deposited: 08 Nov 2023 16:50 Last modified: 29 Nov 2024 01:20 URI: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/87244