Personality traits of young people having a profile on a social networking site
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2478/pjph-2018-0023Keywords:
social networking sites, self-image, coping with stress, personality traitsAbstract
Introduction. Social networking sites are virtual online communities, where users can design personal profiles available for public assessment, interact with friends, and meet with others, based on shared interests. SNS (social networking sites) have been defined as a “global consumer phenomenon” because they have been experiencing a sharp increase in popularity and use over the last decade. SNS websites, such as Facebook, are becoming increasingly popular, however, little is known about psychosocial variables, which are risk factors for excessive use of these websites.
Aim. The aim of the work was to characterize personality traits (self-image characteristics, ways of coping with stress and aggression intensity) of youth who have a profile on a social networking site.
Material and methods. The study included a total of 590 individuals from 16 to 18 years of age. Among the subjects, a group of 51 people without a profile was identified and 539 – with a profile on a social networking site. The group of teenagers was examined by means of statistical methods: a socio-demographic survey by the authors’ own design, H. G. Gough and A. B. Heilbrun’s Adjective Check List (ACL), Stress Coping Questionnaire (SCQ) constructed by W. Janke, G. Erdmann, K. W. Kallus, in the Polish language compilation by E. Januszewska, Buss-Durkee Hostility – Gild Inventory, developed in Polish by Choynowski.
Results. Statistically significant differences were found in terms of self-image features, ways of coping with stress and activity displayed on the Internet between the youth who had and did not have a profile on the social networking site.
Conclusions. Significantly more young people who have a profile on a social networking site share their personal data with strangers met through the Internet, use internet services and make purchases online, compared to the youth who do not have this profile. Young people with a profile on a social portal are characterized by greater timidity, difficulties in coping with stress and everyday tasks, less perseverance, entrepreneurship, effectiveness in the implementation of tasks, less self-confidence, less autonomy, responsibility and tolerance in comparison with young people who do not have a profile. Young people who have a social media profile are more likely to turn to other people in a stressful situation to request support and advice
References
1. statista.com. Statista Facts on Social Networks. (cited 2018 Nov 13) Avail¬able from: https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/socialnetworks.
2. statista.com. Statista. Most Famous Social Network Sites Worldwide as of September 2016, Ranked by Number of Active Users. (cited 2018 Nov 13) Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-bynumber- of-users
3. Kuss DJ, Griffiths MD. Social networking sites and addiction: Ten lessons learned. Int. J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(3):pii:E311.
4. Masters K. Social networking addiction among health sciences students in Oman. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2015;15(3):e357-63.
5. Makaruk K. Korzystanie z portali społecznościowych przez młodzież. Wyniki badania EU NET ADB. Dziecko krzywdzone. Teoria, badania, praktyka. 2013:12(1):67-79.
6. Wojtasik Ł. Seksting wśród dzieci i młodzieży. Dziecko krzywdzone. Teoria, badania, praktyka. 2014;13(2):79-98.
7. Kuss DJ, Griffiths MD. Online social networking and addiction: a review of the psychological literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011;8(9):3528-52.
8. O’Keeffe GS, Clarke-Pearson K. The Impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics. 2001;127(4):800-4.
9. Nadkarni A, Hofmann SG. Why do people use Facebook? Pers Individ Dif. 2012;52(3):243-9.
10. Barker V. Older adolescents’ motivations for social network site use: The influence of gender, group identity, and collective self-esteem. Cyberpsy¬chol Behav. 2009;12(2):209-13.
11. Boyd DM, Ellison NB. Social network sites: Definition, history, and schol¬arship. J Comput Mediat Commun. 2007;13(1):210-30.
12. Zywica J, Danowski J. The faces of Facebookers: Investigating social enhancement and social compensation hypotheses; predicting Facebook and offline popularity. J Comput Mediat Commun. 2008;14(1):1-34.
13. Mehdizadeh S. Self-presentation 2.0: Narcissism and self-esteem on Face¬book. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2010;13(4):357-64.
14. Orr ES. The influence of shyness on the use of Facebook in an undergradu¬ate sample. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2009;12(3):337-40.
15. Baumeister RF, Leary MR. The need to belong: Desire for inter¬personal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychol Bull.1995;117(3):497-529.
16. Baumeister RF, Tice DM. Point-counterpoints: Anxiety and social exclu¬sion. J Social and Clin Psychol. 1990;9(2):165-95.
17. Stillman TF, Baumeister RF. Uncertainty, belongingness, and four needs for meaning. Psychol inquiry. 2009;20(4):249-51.
18. Zadro L, Boland C, Richardson R. How long does it last? The persistence of the effects of ostracism in the socially anxious. J Exp Soc Psychol. 2006;42:692-7.
19. Leary MR. Motivational and emotional aspects of the Self. Annu Rev Psy¬chol. 2007;58:317-44.
20. Kim J, Lee JER. The Facebook paths to happiness: Effects of the num¬ber of Facebook friends and self-presentation on subjective well-being. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2011;14(6):359-64.
21. Gonzales AL, Hancock JT. Mirror, mirror on my Facebook wall: Effects of exposure to Facebook on self-esteem. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2011;14(1-2):79-83.
22. Back MD. Facebook profiles reflect actual personality, not self-idealiza¬tion. Psychol Sci. 2010;21(3):372-4.
23. Reich SM, Subrahmanyam K, Espinoza G. Friending, IM’ing, and hang¬ing out face-to-face: Overlap in adolescents’ online and offline social net¬works. Dev Psychol. 2012;48(2):356-68.
24. Subrahmanyam K, Greenfield P. Online communication and adolescent relationships. Future Child. 2008;18(1):119-46.
25. Subrahmanyam K, Reich SM, Waechter N. Online and offline social net¬works: Use of social networking sites by emerging adults. J Appl Dev Psy¬chol. 2008;29:420-33.
26. Juros A, Oleś P. Struktura czynnikowa i skupieniowa Testu Przymiot¬nikowego ACL H. G. Gougha i A. B. Helbruna. In: J. Brzeziński, E. Hor¬nowsk (ed). Z psychometrycznych problemów diagnostyki psychologic¬znej. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu im. A. Mickiewicza; 1993. p. 171-201.
27. Januszewska E. Kwestionariusz Radzenia sobie ze stresem. Wartość diag¬nostyczna i wyniki badań młodzieży. In: P. Oleś (ed). Wybrane zagadnienia z psychologii klinicznej i osobowości. Metody diagnostyczne w badaniach dzieci i młodzieży. Lublin: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL; 2005. p. 91-124.
28. Siek S. Wybrane metody badania osobowości. Warszawa: ATK; 1983.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2019 Polish Journal of Public Health
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.
