A Social Media Give and Take: A Study of What Young Adults Would Give up to Stay Connected

Background: Social media presents both opportunities and risks for young adults. Although they may experience increased connectivity and creativity, excessive use can result in neglect of other aspects of life (e.g., physical activity, sleep). Purpose: Investigate social media usage patterns and addictions among young adults, while exploring what trade-offs they would be willing to make to stay connected on social media. Methods: Participants (N = 750) completed an online survey containing questions concerning demographics, social media usage patterns, relationships with social media, and trade-offs participants would make to remain on social media. A weighted least squares hierarchical multiple linear regression was performed to examine whether usage patterns/addiction predicted total trade-off scores. Results: Most participants (n = 727) had 2+ social media accounts, with Instagram (n = 693) being the most popular. Almost half of the sample (n = 342) reported checking social media 9+ times/day and more than three quarters spend at least one hour/day using social media (n = 626). More participants were willing to make food/drink or hobby-related trade-offs than health or life-related trade-offs. The regression was significant, F(6, 733) = 21.941, p \u3c.001, R2 = .390, with the number of social checks/day (p \u3c 0.05), time/day spent on social media (p \u3c 0.01), and social media addiction (p \u3c 0.001) all predicting increases in the number of trade-offs participants were willing to make. Conclusion: Higher social media usage rates/addiction can increase young adults\u27 willingness to make trade-offs in their personal lives to remain on social media