Social network addiction and its impact on anxiety level among university students

Lozano Blasco, Raquel (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Latorre Cosculluela, Cecilia (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Quílez Robres, Alberto (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Despite the obvious favorable effects of social networking sites, there is a risk of developing behavioral addictions. This study aims to analyze addiction to social networks and its relationship with anxiety. A sample (n = 361) of university students (undergraduate, master’s and doctoral) comprising 87.5% women and 12.5% men with a mean age of 32.58 (SD = 12.03) and 32.36
(SD = 10.21),respectively, was included. Addiction to social networks was measured using the Social Network Addiction (SNA) questionnaire and anxiety was measured using Spanish adaptation of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI Test). The regression results show how concurrent moderating variables such as age (adulthood) predispose individuals to addiction in some way (Model 5,
explained 13.5%, R2= 0.135, p = 0.040). Similarly, we found that the aspect of addiction that generates anxiety is an obsession with social networks. Anxiety arises as excessive use decreases, similar to abstinence syndrome. It is concluded that the harmlessness of social networks and their inappropriate use can lead to behavioral addiction.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/su12135397

Año: 2020

Publicado en: Sustainability (Switzerland) 12, 13 (2020), 5397 [16 pp.]
ISSN: 2071-1050

Factor impacto JCR: 3.251 (2020)

Categ. JCR: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES rank: 124 / 273 = 0.454 (2020) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES rank: 60 / 125 = 0.48 (2020) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: GREEN & SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY rank: 30 / 44 = 0.682 (2020) - Q3 - T3
Categ. JCR: GREEN & SUSTAINABLE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY rank: 6 / 9 = 0.667 (2020) - Q3 - T3

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.611 - Energy Engineering and Power Technology (Q1) - Environmental Science (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment (Q1) - Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law (Q1) - Geography, Planning and Development (Q1)

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Didáctica y Organiz. Esc. (Dpto. Ciencias de la Educación)
Área (Departamento): Área Métod.Invest.Diag.Educac. (Dpto. Ciencias de la Educación)
Área (Departamento): Área Teoría e Histª. Educación (Dpto. Ciencias de la Educación)