scholarly journals Cybercrime Victimization and Problematic Social Media Use: Findings from a Nationally Representative Panel Study

Author(s):  
Eetu Marttila ◽  
Aki Koivula ◽  
Pekka Räsänen

AbstractAccording to criminological research, online environments create new possibilities for criminal activity and deviant behavior. Problematic social media use (PSMU) is a habitual pattern of excessive use of social media platforms. Past research has suggested that PSMU predicts risky online behavior and negative life outcomes, but the relationship between PSMU and cybercrime victimization is not properly understood. In this study, we use the framework of routine activity theory (RAT) and lifestyle-exposure theory (LET) to examine the relationship between PSMU and cybercrime victimization. We analyze how PSMU is linked to cybercrime victimization experiences. We explore how PSMU predicts cybercrime victimization, especially under those risky circumstances that generally increase the probability of victimization. Our data come from nationally representative surveys, collected in Finland in 2017 and 2019. The results of the between-subjects tests show that problematic PSMU correlates relatively strongly with cybercrime victimization. Within-subjects analysis shows that increased PSMU increases the risk of victimization. Overall, the findings indicate that, along with various confounding factors, PSMU has a notable cumulative effect on victimization. The article concludes with a short summary and discussion of the possible avenues for future research on PSMU and cybercrime victimization.

2017 ◽  
Vol 182 ◽  
pp. 150-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel Shensa ◽  
César G. Escobar-Viera ◽  
Jaime E. Sidani ◽  
Nicholas D. Bowman ◽  
Michael P. Marshal ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Mustafa Savci ◽  
Muhammed Akat ◽  
Mustafa Ercengiz ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths ◽  
Ferda Aysan

AbstractProblematic social media use (PSMU) among adolescents has become an area of increasing research interest in recent years. It is known that PSMU is negatively associated with social connectedness. The present study examined the role of family life satisfaction in this relationship by investigating its mediating and moderating role in the relationship between problematic social use and social connectedness. The present study comprised 549 adolescents (296 girls and 253 boys) who had used social media for at least 1 year and had at least one social media account. The measures used included the Social Media Disorder Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, and Family Life Satisfaction Scale. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed using Hayes’s Process program. Regression analysis showed that PSMU negatively predicted family life satisfaction and social connectedness. In addition, family life satisfaction and PSMU predicted social connectedness. Mediation analysis showed that family life satisfaction had a significant mediation effect in the relationship between PSMU and social connectedness. Family life satisfaction was partially mediated in the relationship between PSMU and social connectedness. Moderation analysis showed that family life satisfaction did not have a significant effect on the relationship between PSMU and social connectedness. The study suggests that family life satisfaction is a meaningful mediator (but not a moderator) in the relationship between problematic social media use and social connectedness.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehwish Majeed ◽  
Muhammad Irshad ◽  
Tasneem Fatima ◽  
Jabran Khan ◽  
Muhammad Mubbashar Hassan

Social media plays a significant role in modern life, but excessive use of it during the COVID-19 pandemic has become a source of concern. Supported by the conservation of resources theory, the current study extends the literature on problematic social media usage during COVID-19 by investigating its association with emotional and mental health outcomes. In a moderated mediation model, this study proposes that problematic social media use by workers during COVID-19 is linked to fear of COVID-19, which is further associated with depression. The current study tested trait mindfulness as an important personal resource that may be associated with reduced fear of COVID-19 despite problematic social media use. The study collected temporally separate data to avoid common method bias. Pakistani employees (N = 267) working in different organizations completed a series of survey questionnaires. The results supported the moderated mediation model, showing that problematic social media use during the current pandemic is linked to fear of COVID-19 and depression among employees. Furthermore, trait mindfulness was found to be an important buffer, reducing the negative indirect association between problematic social media use and depression through fear of COVID-19. These results offer implications for practitioners. The limitations of this study and future research directions are also discussed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Shannon ◽  
Katie Bush ◽  
Paul Villeneuve ◽  
Kim Hellemans ◽  
Synthia Guimond

UNSTRUCTURED This study sought to systematically examine problematic social media use in youth and its association with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Our hypothesis was that problematic social media use increased the risk of each mental health outcome measure. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies in adolescents and young adults, using the databases Engineering Village, Psychinfo, Pubmed, and Web of Science. A total of 21 studies were identified in our review and included in the meta-analysis. Our meta-regression shows moderate, but statistically significant correlations between problematic social media use and depression (r = .257, p < .001), anxiety (r = .342, p < .001), and stress (r = .313, p < .001). We did not find evidence of heterogeneity of these summary correlations by age. This study provides further evidence of the association between problematic social media use and negative mental health among adolescents and young adults, and supports future research to focus on the underlying mechanisms of problematic use.


Author(s):  
Claire van Duin ◽  
Andreas Heinz ◽  
Helmut Willems

Social media use has increased substantially over the past decades, especially among adolescents. A proportion of adolescents develop a pattern of problematic social media use (PSMU). Predictors of PSMU are insufficiently understood and researched. This study aims to investigate predictors of PSMU in a nationally representative sample of adolescents in Luxembourg. Data from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Luxembourg were used, in which 8687 students aged 11–18 years old participated. The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. A range of sociodemographic, social support, well-being and media use predictors were added to the model in four blocks. The predictors in the final model explained 22.3% of the variance in PSMU. The block of sociodemographic predictors explained the lowest proportion of variance in PSMU compared with the other blocks. Age negatively predicted PSMU. Of the predictors related to social support, cyberbullying perpetration was the strongest predictor of PSMU. Perceived stress and psychosomatic complaints positively predicted PSMU. The intensity of electronic media communication and preference for online social interaction were stronger predictors of PSMU than the other predictors in the model. The results indicate that prevention efforts need to consider the diverse range of predictors related to PSMU.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. e0169839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fanni Bányai ◽  
Ágnes Zsila ◽  
Orsolya Király ◽  
Aniko Maraz ◽  
Zsuzsanna Elekes ◽  
...  

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110164
Author(s):  
Lian Tang ◽  
Siti Zobidah Omar ◽  
Jusang Bolong ◽  
Julia Wirza Mohd Zawawi

The widespread use of social media has promoted extensive academic research on this channel. The present study conducts a systematic analysis of extant research on social media use among young people in China. This systematic literature review aims to identify and bridge gaps in topics, theories, variables, and conceptual frameworks in studies of social media usage among young people in China. The study aims to develop a cause–effect framework that shows the causal relationships among research structures. The PRISMA method is used to review 20 articles drawn from the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. From the analysis, 10 major research topics, eight theories or models, and a complete framework of causal relations emerge. It is recommended that future research on social media should include a greater diversity of types of social media, investigate a wider range of research topics, and adopt different theories or models. Researchers should also implement a more complete and detailed systematic method for reviewing literature on social media research in China.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Dagher ◽  
Youssef Farchakh ◽  
Sam Barbar ◽  
Chadia Haddad ◽  
Marwan Akel ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundPsychological factors such as depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia and problematic social media use are able to alter our memories and might have an impact on memory function and retrieval. More studies are needed to better understand the relationship between memory performance and mental health disorders, especially the ones that could be related to problematic social media use. The objective of this study was to evaluate any association between problematic social media use, depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia vs memory performance among a representative sample of Lebanese people.MethodsThis cross-sectional study, conducted between January and May 2019, enrolled 466 community dwelling participants using a proportionate random sample from all Lebanese governorates. The questionnaire consisted of the following measures: the Memory Awareness Rating Scale (MARS) to assesses views of memory performance, the problematic social media use scale to measure the degree of addiction to social media, the Hamilton depression rating scale and Hamilton anxiety scale to assess depression and anxiety respectively, the Beirut Distress Scale to assess stress and the Lebanese Insomnia sale to assess insomnia. The data analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 25. A linear regression was conducted, taking the memory performance scale as the dependent variable. A mediation analysis was performed to test the effect of problematic social media use on memory performance mediated by depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia.ResultsHigher problematic social media use (Beta = − 0.21) and higher anxiety (Beta = − 0.25) were significantly associated with lower memory performance. The association between problematic social media use and memory performance was partially mediated by anxiety (21.19%) but not depression, stress or insomnia.ConclusionConcerning problematic social media use, a clear correlation was demonstrated in this study linking it to lower memory performances. Future studies should evaluate the possible mechanisms and methods for effective awareness especially towards the younger generation.


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