Understanding neuroticism and social media: A systematic review

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of social media: A cross-national comparison

This study investigates the impact of limited interpersonal interaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic on social media usage in the USA and Italy, considering their differences in lockdown restrictions. An online survey with 1478 participants assessed social media usage, personality traits, and life satisfaction before the pandemic (2018) and during the first lockdown (April 2020). Results showed increased social media use during the pandemic, with no significant differences between countries. Personality traits like extraversion were linked to higher social media usage, while emotional stability was negatively correlated. The study highlights that while social media served as a coping mechanism, its passive use could contribute to negative emotional states, raising concerns about mental health during crises. Full-time employees showed a more pronounced increase in usage than students, likely due to increased free time and social isolation. Active engagement on social media did not significantly increase, suggesting a tendency towards passive content consumption. These findings underscore the complex interplay of demographic, psychological, and situational factors influencing social media use during the pandemic.

Predictors of online and offline activism in hybrid regime society - Serbian study

In Serbia, categorized as a hybrid or semi-authoritarian system by Freedom House, exploring activism is crucial. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted to examine predictors of online and offline civic activism in a society favouring punitive measures and limiting open dialogue. The first study involved 1107 participants (65.1% female, 33.2% male and 1.6% in other categories; Mage = 28.15 years), while the second included 2306 individuals (67.5% female, 30.2% male and 2.3% in other categories; Mage = 28.1 years). We modelled the relationship between predictor variables and a dependent variable at different quantiles of the distribution (25th, 50th, 75th and quantile marked with theoretical middle points of online and activism scales) using quantile regression. Results highlighted perceived policy control, social generativity and conscientiousness as key predictors across different levels of both online and offline activism. Personality traits like extroversion, neuroticism and honesty have different effects on online versus offline activism, suggesting different motivations. Additionally, future-oriented people participate more offline. The quantile regression, analysing coefficients at different points in the distribution, offered valuable insights into manifestations of activism. These findings are discussed highlighting the complex dynamic of different factors in shaping civic engagement in Serbia's challenging sociopolitical landscape.

How Do Personal Attributes Shape AI Dependency in Chinese Higher Education Context? Insights from Needs Frustration Perspective

OBJECTIVE

The adoption of Generative AI in education presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly regarding its potential to foster student dependency. However, the psychological drivers of this dependency remain unclear. This study addresses this gap by applying the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model and Basic Psychological Needs (BPN) theory to explore how specific personality traits-neuroticism, self-critical perfectionism, and impulsivity-contribute to AI dependency through needs frustration, negative academic emotions, and reinforced performance beliefs.

METHOD

Data were collected from 958 university students (Mage = 21.67) across various disciplines. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationships among the variables.

RESULTS

Neuroticism, self-critical perfectionism, and impulsivity were found to be significantly associated with increase needs frustration and negative academic emotions, which in turn reinforced students' positive beliefs about performance of AI tools, deepening their dependency. The study also uncovered complex serial mediation effects, highlighting intricate psychological pathways that drive maladaptive AI use.

CONCLUSIONS

This research provides a critical insight into the interplay between personality traits and technology use, shedding light on the nuanced ways in which individual differences influence dependency on generative AI. The findings offer practical strategies for educators to promote balanced AI use and support student well-being in educational settings.

Celebrity Worship Among Adolescents is Driven by Neuroticism, Avoidant Identity Style, and Need to Belong

Media celebrities can exert significant influence on societal change, and adolescents are the most vulnerable population to such influence given that this is a period when personal identity-seeking starts to become increasingly important. However, there is a lack of research examining the factors that contribute to adolescents' vulnerability to celebrity worship. The present study investigated the relationship between neuroticism, avoidant identity style, and celebrity worship among adolescents with a particular focus on mediating the role of the need to belong among a convenience sample of Iranian adolescents (N = 396; girls = 68%; age = 15.76 ± 1.99). Structural equation modeling showed that the association between avoidant identity style and celebrity worship was partially mediated by the need to belong, while the latter fully mediated the relationship between neuroticism and celebrity worship. The findings draw attention to the need to belong as an important factor underlying celebrity worship. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Parenting-Related Social Networking Site Use and Psychological Distress in Parents of Infants: Cross-sectional Study Exploring the Moderating Effects of Loneliness and Parenting Anxiety

Background

In the digital age, social networking sites (SNSs) have revolutionized the approach to parenting. These platforms, widely used to access parenting information and support, affect parents both positively and negatively, with negative effects potentially increasing for those experiencing loneliness or anxiety.

Objective

This study examined the relationship between SNS use and psychological distress among parents of young children, controlling for the moderating effects of loneliness and parenting anxiety. We hypothesized that higher SNS use correlates to greater psychological distress, particularly among parents with elevated levels of loneliness or parenting anxiety.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey design using a closed web-based questionnaire was employed. Participants included 429 parents (205 mothers and 224 fathers) of children aged 0-3 years recruited through a web-based survey company in Japan. The majority of the participants were couples, with some living with extended family members. The sample also encompassed individuals in cohabiting partnerships and single parents. The survey included measures of psychological distress, loneliness, parenting anxiety, frequency of SNS use for parenting, and covariates. Analytical models to explain psychological distress included interactions between loneliness or parenting anxiety and SNS use, individually for both fathers and mothers.

Results

For mothers, a significant interaction effect was determined only between parenting anxiety and SNS use (b=0.247, SE 0.091; P=.008). Meanwhile, for fathers, significant interaction effects were observed for both loneliness (b=0.324, SE 0.127; P=.012) and parenting anxiety (b=0.144, SE 0.069; P=.038) with SNS use. A simple slope analysis for mothers indicated that SNS use was related to psychological distress only at higher levels of parenting anxiety (b=0.304, SE 0.090, β=.317; P<.001). Among fathers, SNS use was associated with psychological distress at higher levels of either parenting anxiety (b=0.330, SE 0.069, β=.346; P<.001) or loneliness (b=0.390, SE 0.098, β=.409; P<.001).

Conclusions

The study concluded that the relationship between SNS use and psychological distress among parents of young children is moderated by loneliness and parenting anxiety. The findings highlight the need for tailored approaches to help parents manage SNS use, particularly focusing on those with higher levels of loneliness and parenting anxiety. It is imperative that health professionals provide nuanced guidance to parents on SNS use, considering individual psychological factors and potential gender differences in the impact of SNSs on mental well-being.

Understanding Social Media Information Sharing in Individuals with Depression: Insights from the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Schema Activation Theory

Purpose

How individuals engage with social media can significantly impact their psychological well-being. This study examines the impact of social media interactions on mental health, grounded in the frameworks of the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Schema Activation Theory. It aims to uncover behavioral differences in information sharing between the general population and individuals with depression, while also elucidating the psychological mechanisms underlying these disparities.

Methods

A pre-experiment (N=30) and three experiments (Experiment 1a N=200, Experiment 1b N=180, Experiment 2 N=128) were executed online. These experiments investigated the joint effects of information quality, content valence, self-referential processing, and depression level on the intention to share information. The research design incorporated within-subject and between-subject methods, utilizing SPSS and SPSS Process to conduct independent sample t-tests, two-factor ANOVA analyses, mediation analyses, and moderated mediation analyses to test our hypotheses.

Results

Information quality and content valence significantly influence sharing intention. In scenarios involving low-quality information, individuals with depression are more inclined to share negative emotional content compared to the general population, and this tendency intensifies with the severity of depression. Moreover, self-referential processing acts as a mediator between emotional content and intention to share, yet this mediation effect weakens as the severity of depression rises.

Conclusion

Our study highlights the importance of promoting viewpoint diversity and breaking the echo chamber effect in social media to improve the mental health of individuals with depression. To achieve this goal, tailoring emotional content on social media could be a practical starting point for practice.

Applying explainable artificial intelligence methods to models for diagnosing personal traits and cognitive abilities by social network data

This study utilizes advanced artificial intelligence techniques to analyze the social media behavior of 1358 users on VK, the largest Russian online social networking service. The analysis comprises 753,252 posts and reposts, combined with Big Five personality traits test results, as well as assessments of verbal and fluid intelligence. The objective of this research is to understand the manifestation of psychological attributes in social media users' behavior and determine their implications on user-interaction models. We employ the integrated gradients method to identify the most influential feature groups. The partial dependence plot technique aids in understanding how these features function across varying severity degrees of the predicted trait. To evaluate feature stability within the models, we cluster calculated Shapley values. Our findings suggest that the emotional tone (joy, surprise, anger, fear) of posts significantly influences the prediction of three personality traits: Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Openness to Experience. Additionally, user social engagement metrics (such as friend count, subscribers, likes, views, and comments) correlate directly with the predicted level of Logical thinking. We also observe a trend towards provocative and socially reprehensible content among users with high Neuroticism levels. The theme of religion demonstrates a multidirectional relationship with Consciousness and Agreeableness. Further findings, including an analysis of post frequency and key text characteristics, are also discussed, contributing to our understanding of the complex interplay between social media behavior and psychological traits. The study proposes a transition from the analysis of correlations between psychological (cognitive) traits to the analysis of indicators of behavior in a social network that are significant for diagnostic models of the corresponding traits.

Need for Affect, Problematic Social Media Use and the Mediating Role of Fear of Missing Out in European and Arab Samples

Purpose

The growing awareness and concern about the excessive use of social media have led to an increasing number of studies investigating the underlying factors contributing to this behavior. In the literature, it is discussed that problematic social media use (PSMU) can impact individuals' mental health and well-being. Drawing on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model, this study aimed to examine the association between the need for affect (affect approach and affect avoidance) and PSMU (operationalized via the social media disorder scale), as well as the mediating role of fear of missing out (FoMO) in that relation.

Participants and Methods

Data were collected via an online survey from 513 participants in European and Arabic countries. Regression and mediation analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between affect approach, affect avoidance, FoMO, and PSMU.

Results

Regression analysis results indicated that both affect approach and affect avoidance as part of the need for affect construct significantly predicted PSMU in both cultural contexts. Mediation analysis showed that FoMO partially mediated the relationship between affect approach and PSMU in the Arab sample but not in the European sample. Beyond this, FoMO partially mediated the relationship between affect avoidance and PSMU in both cultural samples.

Conclusion

The present study indicates that managing emotions could be an effective strategy to combat PSMU. In line with this and against the background of the data business model behind social media companies, we deem it to be of importance to minimize triggers related to FoMO in the design of social media platforms (for example, push notifications). This might be particularly relevant for individuals with a high inclination towards affect approach and affect avoidance.

Which social media platforms matter and for whom? Examining moderators of links between adolescents' social media use and depressive symptoms

INTRODUCTION

Despite extensive research on social media and risks for mental health, not enough is known about individual differences in these risks.

METHODS

The present study, with data collected from 2018 to 2020, investigated the association between social media use (total and for specific platforms) and depressive symptoms in a sample of 237 American adolescents (Mage  = 15.10; SD = 0.49; 51.1% girls and 48.5% boys). We investigated several moderators: gender, self-esteem, personality, and negative reactions to social media. Covariates were gender, timing of the follow-up (pre vs. during the pandemic), and depressive symptoms a year earlier.

RESULTS

Results indicated that greater total time spent on social media was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. This effect held for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube (but not Snapchat, Facebook, or Twitter). Several moderated effects were found. Twitter was associated with more depressive symptoms for girls but not boys. More frequent Instagram use was linked to more depressive symptoms for less or average-level extraverted teens but not for more extraverted teens, suggesting extraversion may be protective. More frequent TikTok use was associated with more depressive symptoms, particularly for teens who said they have more or average-level negative reactions to social media a year earlier.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that certain adolescents may be at increased risk for serious mental health challenges, like elevated depressive symptoms, when using TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter more frequently, underscoring the importance of examining individual differences and particular social media platforms.

The relationship between neuroticism and passive use of mobile social networks among Chinese young adults: The mediating role of fear of missing out and online social support

Many studies have shown that passive use of mobile social networks affects people's physical and mental health. However, few studies have explored the association between neuroticism and passive use of social networks, and the mediating factors that may indirectly contribute to this relationship. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate the relationship between neuroticism and passive use of mobile social networks and explore the sequential mediating role of fear of missing out (FOMO) and online social support. In the present study, data from a total of 531 Chinese undergraduates were collected by using the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory, Online Social Support Scale, the Fear of Missing Out Scale, and Passive Use of Mobile Social Networks Scale. The results showed that neuroticism positively predicted passive use of mobile social networks through the indirect paths of FOMO and online social support and the chain mediating path of "online social support-FOMO".

Passion for an activity and its role on affect: Does personality and the type of activity matter?

While personality traits play a crucial role in a person's general affect, passion for an activity has been shown to partially mediate this relationship, with harmonious passion generally related to positive affect and obsessive passion to negative affect. However, activities are not all the same with some characterized as having "positive" consequences while others as having "negative" consequences. This study examines how passions manifest for two popular activities: physical exercise, an activity with in general "positive" consequences, and social media, an activity with potentially both "positive" and "negative" consequences. We replicate and extend earlier studies which have relied on baskets of heterogenous self-reported activities without distinguishing between activities. We find that, when fully controlling for personality, obsessive passion for physical exercise is positively associated with positive affect while obsessive passion for social media is positively associated with negative affect. However, harmonious passion for either activity has no significant association with any affect. Further, we find that passions for physical exercise relate with conscientiousness while passions for social media with neuroticism.

How to know who you are through your short video selfies?-Capturing personality via short video selfies

The extant literature has accumulated enormous knowledge on personality prediction from digital records on social networking sites (e.g., photo selfies). However, little is known about how short video selfies reflect their owner's personality and how people judge others' personalities from short video selfies. Taking short video selfies is very popular today; many people are willing to share their short video selfies with others. Based on the lens model theory, it is expected that one's personality is associated with short video selfies. By analyzing 177 Chinese TikTok (Douyin in China) users' short video selfies and their Big Five personalities, it showed that specific cues in short video selfies related to agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. But only extraversion could be predicted by short video selfies accurately. This study is the first to reveal personality-related cues in short video selfies and has practical implications for both short video platforms and their users.

What drives me to use TikTok: A latent profile analysis of users' motives

With TikTok rising in social media, the heterogeneity of users creates diversity in motives for using it. The issue of which profiles of TikTok use motives can be identified warrants greater understanding. Conducting latent profile analyses for a sample of 384 TikTok users, we identified four profiles, namely overall low motives, overall medium motives, overall high motives, and escapist addiction and novelty motives profiles. The former three profiles reflect different levels of motivations across four motives (socially rewarding self-presentation, trendiness, escapist addiction, and novelty). It is worth noting that TikTok users in the escapist addiction and novelty motives profile are mainly motivated by escapist addiction and novelty, but not socially rewarding self-presentation or trendiness motives. Through multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multinomial logistic regression, we further explore the differences in TikTok use between the profiles and the extent to which users' background characteristics and TikTok use predict their profile membership. The four profiles differ significantly in terms of the scores of almost all TikTok use motives. The frequency of TikTok use and video posting are the most notable predictors of profile membership. These results make theoretical contributions to the extant literature on social media use profiles by exploring the number and types of latent profiles of TikTok use motives, which also inform opportunities for enhancing user experience and imply tailored content recommendations to both achieve maximized gratifications and maintain mental wellbeing based on user profiles.

Personality traits and college students' internet addiction: The mediating roles of general health and self-esteem

This research aimed to explore the gender-related differences in Internet addiction levels, the associated factors behind Internet addiction, and the mediating roles of general health and self-esteem in the relationship between personality traits and Internet addiction among college students. A total of 318 college students in Iran participating in this study completed sociodemographic information form and self-report measures of Internet addiction, personality traits, general health, and self-esteem. The results showed higher frequencies of low and moderate-severe levels of addiction among female and male students, respectively. Further, younger age, male gender, singleness, high scores on neuroticism, poor general health, and low self-esteem might be linked to Internet addiction. The overall hypothesis that general health and self-esteem mediated the effect of neuroticism on Internet addiction was also supported. Our findings highlighted the necessity of evaluating general health and self-esteem among Internet-addicted students. Further, these variables can be targeted by psychiatrists and psychologists for effective cognitive-behavioral therapy among Internet-addicted students.

Facebook use intensity and depressive symptoms: a moderated mediation model of problematic Facebook use, age, neuroticism, and extraversion

BACKGROUND

Research on the relationship between Facebook use intensity and depressive symptoms has resulted in mixed findings. In contrast, problematic Facebook use has been found to be a robust predictor of depressive symptoms. This suggests that when intense Facebook use results in a problematic usage pattern, it may indirectly predict depressive symptoms. However, this mediation pathway has never been examined. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the possible indirect relationship between Facebook use intensity and depressive symptoms through problematic Facebook use is moderated by demographic (age), and personality (neuroticism and extraversion) characteristics.

METHODS

To address these gaps, we conducted an online cross-sectional study (n = 210, 55% female, age range: 18-70 years old, M_age = 30.26, SD = 12.25). We measured Facebook use intensity (Facebook Intensity Scale), problematic Facebook use (Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised), and neuroticism and extraversion (Ten Item Personality Inventory).

RESULTS

A mediation analysis revealed that problematic Facebook use fully mediates the relationship between Facebook use intensity and depressive symptoms. Moreover, a moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that this indirect relationship is especially strong among young users and users scoring high on neuroticism.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings expand our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between Facebook use intensity and depressive symptoms and describe user characteristics that act as vulnerability factors in this relationship.

The relationship between neuroticism and mobile phone use among college students in love: The masking effect of self-emotional assessment

The relationship between neuroticism and mobile phone use is a hot research topic in the academic community. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of self-emotional assessment and love status in the mechanism through which college students’ neuroticism influences mobile phone use.We construct a moderated mediation model, and taking 869 Chinese college students as the research object and testing the mediating role of self-emotional assessment and the moderating role of love status. The results show that: (1) neuroticism was significantly positively related to mobile phone use and significantly negatively related to self-emotional assessment; self-emotional assessment was significantly positively related to mobile phone use; (2) self-emotional assessment had a masking effect on the relationship between neuroticism and mobile phone use; (3) love status not only moderated the relationship between self-emotional assessment and mobile phone use but also moderated the process through which self-emotional assessment masked the effect of neuroticism on mobile phone use. Our research expands the literature on the mechanisms underlying the effects of neuroticism on mobile phone use, enriches the understanding of the pertinent boundary conditions, and provides a better explanatory basis for the mobile phone use of college students.

Tumblr Facts: Antecedents of Self-Disclosure across Different Social Networking Sites

Previous research investigating antecedents of online self-disclosure pointed out two perspectives: social compensation and enhancement hypotheses, showing controversial findings. Furthermore, most contributions have focused on social networking sites (SNSs) considered mainstream, like Facebook and Instagram, and such results are often considered universally valid for all SNSs. Tumblr is a less-studied SNS with peculiar features—such as anonymity, higher control over the presentation of personal aspects, supportive communities—that could particularly lead individuals to self-disclose. As prior contributions highlighted that the features and affordances could define how a medium will be used, this paper aims to investigate the antecedents of online self-disclosure on Tumblr and other mainstream SNSs. We run a survey on 559 Tumblr users (aged 13−70; M = 28.86; SD = 12.34). T-test showed that Tumblr users have a higher willingness to self-disclose on Tumblr compared to another SNSs (t = 22.44, p < 0.001). A path analysis model confirmed the predictive role of some psychological variables on self-disclosure on Tumblr but not on mainstream SNSs. In particular, self-disclosure on Tumblr was predicted by self-esteem, negative emotionality, and preference for online social interactions, which was in turn predicted by social anxiety. These findings partially supported both social compensation and enhancement hypotheses, indicating that the phenomenon is more complex than expected.

Personality and Motives for Social Media Use When Physically Distanced: A Uses and Gratifications Approach

This paper explores individuals’ motives for using social media when living under ‘social distancing’ conditions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they were instructed to physically distance from other people. Adopting a ‘uses and gratifications’ approach, and using a previously established five-factor scale, we examine the relationship between individuals’ motives for using social media and their personality traits. Hundred and eighty-nine social media users living in the United Kingdom completed surveys assessing their motives for using social media and their personality. Our findings demonstrate that participants were generally motivated to use social media to ‘pass time’ and to ‘maintain relationships.’ Further, we find that those high in extraversion in particular use social media to ‘maintain relationships.’ By comparing our findings to previous studies where face-to-face interaction was not restricted, our findings indicate that individuals’ motives for using social media change when they are placed under physical distancing restrictions. We reflect on the potential application of our findings for others experiencing similar conditions, such as those working in remote locations, as well as the potential implications for living in a post-pandemic world with increased virtual ‘meetings’ using social media.