Tracing Relations Between Attachment, Social Media Use, Self-Esteem, Loneliness, and Depression: A Mediation Model

An extensive amount of correlational research has well-established the link between insecure attachment style and subsequent adverse interpersonal and psychopathological outcomes. Moreover, the rise of social media has precipitated a shift in the methods by which individuals communicate; consequently, this has resulted in the shifting of preexisting dispositions toward dysfunctional behaviors to a more ubiquitous route of manifestation. Given that attachment literature has indicated notable differences in both underlying mechanisms and resulting outcomes of both avoidant and anxious attachment, examination of this alongside social media use provides valuable insight into potential relationships between the two. Further, research has examined the implications of each of these constructs in relation to self-esteem and loneliness; however, despite the extensive research, there remains a lack of consensus on the positive or negative implications of these interactions. Accordingly, much of the previous literature has neglected to examine the potential psychopathological implications following the combination of each of these constructs. A series of regression analyses revealed significant indirect effects between attachment style and depression. Results indicated a significant positive relationship between best friend attachment anxiety and social media usage; further examination revealed notable significant mediating roles of both self-esteem and loneliness in the indirect relationship between insecure attachment style and depression. Collectively, these findings not only extend research’s understanding of the complex dynamics amongst these variables, but it also advocates the value of further research into attachment style-specific outcomes

Attitudes toward Self-Disclosure on Facebook: A Review of Perception, Emotion and Behavior in University Students

A number of social networking platforms have emerged as a result of the development of information and communication technology which have become increasingly user-friendly and full with valuable features. The social networking site with most users is Facebook. Teenagers, particularly college students use Facebook most frequently to study, gain information, entertain themselves and connect with others through self-disclosing personal information on the Facebook profile page. This quantitative study aimed to analyze the attitude of pedagogical students regarding self-disclosure on Facebook as represented through cognition, emotion and behavior concerning academic achievement. The survey was completed by 535university student’s majority in pedagogy. There were 41 students who used it for less than three years between three to five years by 218 students and 276 students who use it more than five years. The questionnaire was self-reported by participants to assess university students' attitudes toward self-disclosure on Facebook. The results indicate that pedagogical students with excellent academic achievement and more than five years of Facebook experience had the highest-level attitude toward self-disclosure on Facebook. The results indicate a positive relationship between cognition, emotion and influence factors students' Facebook attitudes. Future research on methods that enhance student positive disclosure can benefit from this study. Future research should examine how self-disclosure on Facebook relates to other aspects, such as Facebook usage time, financial state and perception of advantages and its disadvantages of Facebook in order to evaluate students' attitudes objectively

The Role of Personality, Self-Disclosure, and Envy in Maladaptive Social Media Engagement

Through online social networks, individuals establish and maintain social connections to satisfy their need to belong. Recent research suggests that taken too far, one’s need to belong can increase envy and lead to maladaptive social media behavior aligned with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This study examines the role of two personality traits, one’s intrinsic need to belong and trait reactance, on feelings of envy and the self-disclosure processes that lead to obsessive-compulsive disorder on social networks. A sample of 354 U.S. adult users of Facebook completed a survey measuring individuals’ need to belong, trait reactance, envy, self-disclosure, and online social network obsessive-compulsive disorder. Regression analyses reveal that need to belong and trait reactance both independently and interactively relate to envy, and that self-disclosure mediates the relationship between envy and obsessive-compulsive disorder on social networks. Those with low trait reactance appear at the lowest risk of online social network OCD no matter their need to belong. The highest risk profile for online OCD is found in those with both high trait reactance and high need to belong. Overall, our findings support further exploration of one’s intrinsic need to belong and trait reactance as personality indicators of risk for online social network OCD

Turbulence, Turmoil, and Termination: The Dark Side of Social Networking Sites for Romantic Relationships

Excerpt: Social networking websites (SNSs) have become an integral medium for communicating within and about interpersonal relationships (boyd & Ellison, 2008; Stafford & Hillyer, 2012). SNSs have been lauded for their ability to unite distal friends, maintain relational ties, facilitate relationship development, and promote social capital (e.g., Ellison, Vitak, Gray, & Lampe, 2014; Fox, Warber, & Makstaller, 2013; McEwan, 2013). Although considerable research has elected to focus on the benefits of using SNSs, it is also important to examine the dark side of computer-mediated communication (DeAndrea, Tong, & Walther, 2011). For example, SNS use has been tied to decreases in psychological well-being (Chen & Lee, 2013), and scholars have noted negative psychological outcomes when users experience rejection on SNSs (e.g., Bevan, Ang, & Fearns, 2014; Tokunaga, 2011a, 2014)

Privacy Paradox 2.0

As a starting point, this essay offers six basic propositions. First, the \u27privacy paradox\u27 refers to inconsistencies between individuals\u27 [asserted] intentions to disclose personal information and [individuals\u27] actual ... disclosure behaviors. Put simply, we indicate-at a granular level-specific items of personal information that we will not disclose, but we then give away that same data with what appears to be little regard for the risks of doing so and for little in return. Second, the privacy paradox is a wellestablished concept in many fields of the social sciences, even though the precise contours and causes of the paradox are quite controversial. Third, broadly speaking, legal scholarship has failed to adequately consider either the various conceptions of the privacy paradox set forth in other fields of scholarship or the import of these conceptions to what may be intended or perceived as more normative legal works. Fourth, this failure creates a significant gap in what might be termed relevance, credibility, or practical effect, marginalizing the impact of legal scholarship in the formation of privacy policy. Fifth, this space in the sphere of influence elevates the role of fields that are traditionally less concerned with the core privacy values of personhood, autonomy, and control-inter alia, economics, contract law, marketing theory, and computer science. Sixth, the emergence of social network sites both alters the conditions of the privacy paradox and intensifies the rate and depth of uncontrolled disclosure, further marginalizing legal scholarship that fails to seriously consider the role of the law in privacy policy. Focusing on this final point, the goal of this essay is to describe both the current market in personal information and the privacy paradox as a product of market distortion. Part I identifies two unique phenomena that modify the conditions of the privacy paradox by creating new and powerful distortions in the market, thereby intensifying the rate and depth of personal data disclosure. The first is a transformation in social organization, which drives individuals to join social network sites and to disclose a great deal of personal information on those networks. The second is an alteration of the basic structure of the information exchange agreement that permits social networking sites to recede into the background as third-party beneficiaries to the social exchange of personal information. Part II addresses the necessity to account for the effect of these phenomena in the formation of privacy policies by briefly addressing various proposals for regulating the collection, storage, use, and transfer of personal information. This section argues that many of these proposals are misguided, either because they under-protect personal information by failing to adequately address the problems of valuation and consent or because they overprotect personal information by failing to adequately preserve functionality in socially valuable communications platforms. Part III attempts to briefly conceptualize the broad outline of a more workable solution that, rather than reforming the current notice-and-choice system of privacy protection, is guided by user expectations in imposing minimal restraints on the margins of data collection, storage, use, and transfer practices. Although a solution would impose certain boundaries on the scope of consent, significant space would remain for the negotiation and development of social norms around privacy practices

Peer Social Networks After the Transition to Secondary School : Adolescents\u27 Perspectives

The transition from primary to secondary school has a considerable impact upon the social and academic lives of adolescents. An adolescent\u27s sense of belonging (SoB) is important for determining school satisfaction and success during this transition. As SoB is partly developed through an individual\u27s peer social network, this study explored the peer social networks for adolescents who have a SoB. Using the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) scale (Goodenow, 1993a), five females and three males with a high SoB completed sociological maps and participated in interviews in order to determine the structure and function of their peer social networks. The results indicate that peer social networks contribute to SoB primarily through their structure and the psychological functions they serve. Key results include the finding that those networks which have a degree of stability, and those in which the adolescent is able to identify a close friend whom they trust, are most valuable for promoting SoB. The value of having friends with whom the adolescent feels a sense of history was reported to be particularly important by the adolescents in this study. Furthermore, the results indicate that there is no single structure of peer social networks that is most valuable in promoting SoB, as it is the psychological function of the network itself which fosters a SoB. Several areas for future research are identified, including a comparison between those students who report lower SoB at school and those who report high SoB, and a longitudinal study analysing trends in peer social networks across the school year after the transition to secondary school

A Survey of the prevalence of self-disclosure behavior in virtual social networks and related factors among the students of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Iran

BACKGROUND: The growing popularity of social networking sites (SNS) raises concerns about privacy and security, especially among teenagers and young people, as they experience different types of unsafe behaviors on SNS. In this regard, the problem of the consequences of using this communication tool has attracted the attention of psychology and sociology researchers. The aim of this study was to evaluate self-disclosure behavior in virtual social networks and its related factors.METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted among 601 students of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran. Data were collected by standard questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS software.RESULTS: Effective factors such as presence in the virtual network, obscurity, and access to the Internet and virtual networks were among the factors behind the self-disclosure behavior among students. The goal of attending virtual networks was communicating and sharing personal information, getting rid of loneliness, using in free time, accessing various information and updating information, getting to know friends and colleagues, feeling anonymity, feeling united, and lacking confidence. The findings main reason for self-disclosure behavior was presence in virtual social networks. There was a significant relationship between gender and the desire to obscurity.CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the tendency to self-disclosure behavior in virtual social networks among young people, especially students, is increasing. It is essential for the cultural and social authorities to pay attention and create effective grounds for raising awareness among the youth

Factors mediating social media-induced fear of missing out (FoMO) and social media fatigue: A comparative study among Instagram and Snapchat users

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An exploration of the relationship among online social network usage, intimacy, social comparison tendencies, and relationship satisfaction

The popularity of online social networks prompts an examination of the effects these websites have on intimate relationships. While these networks have received a considerable amount of attention in mainstream media, peer-reviewed research examining the effects these websites have on users is sparse. By their very nature, online social networks involve the creation and maintenance of interpersonal relationships. As such, the effect of these networks on relationships may be profound and with the paucity of research on the topic, the relationship between online social networks and interpersonal relationships is an important area of study. The present study sought to examine relations among online social network usage, relationship satisfaction, intimacy, and social comparison tendencies in intimate relationships. While initial analyses only found support for a relationship between intimacy and relationship satisfaction, post hoc analyses found a negative relationship between intimacy and perception of a partner\u27s use of online social networks. It was also found that intimacy mediates the relationship between online social network usage and overall relationship satisfaction

Managing employees with mental health issues in the return to work process: focus on the role of line-managers and co-workers

No abstract available.The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b162505