scholarly journals Social Network Addiction and Its Impact on Anxiety Level among University Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 5397
Author(s):  
Raquel Lozano Blasco ◽  
Cecilia Latorre Cosculluela ◽  
Alberto Quílez Robres

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.

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1411-1413
Author(s):  
Nader Yahya Alkeinay ◽  
Norita Md Norwawi ◽  
Fauziah Abdul Wahid ◽  
Roesnita Ismail ◽  
Najwa Hayaati Mohd Alwi

Social network is term used to refer to the social structure that is made up of a set of social actors. The social actors in this case include organizations or individuals. Social networks allow people to interact and socialize as they get to learn and know each other. Through social networking sites, people from different parts of a country or the world also get to meet and interact. However, there have been issues with regards to social network privacy for those who use the internet to use social network sites. This paper will look at some of the factors that affect trust of the users as well as the privacy issues related to social networks (Fernandez, 2009).


2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Mutula

Background: With the growing adoption and acceptance of social networking, there are increased concerns about the violation of the users’ legitimate rights such as privacy, confidentiality, trust, security, safety, content ownership, content accuracy, integrity, access and accessibility to computer and digital networks amongst others.Objectives: The study sought to investigate the following research objectives to: (1) describe the types of social networks, (2) examine global penetration of the social networks, (3) outline the users’ legitimate rights that must be protected in the social networking sites (SNS), (4) determine the methods employed by SNS to protect the users’ legitimate rights and (5) identify the policy gaps and technological deficiencies in the protection of the users’ legitimate rights in the SNS.Method: A literature survey and content analysis of the SNS user policies were used to address objective four and objective five respectively.Results: The most actively used sites were Facebook and Twitter. Asian markets were leading in participation and in creating content than any other region. Business, education, politics and governance sectors were actively using social networking sites. Social networking sites relied upon user trust and internet security features which however, were inefficient and inadequate.Conclusion: Whilst SNS were impacting people of varying ages and of various professional persuasions, there were increased concerns about the violation and infringement of the users’ legitimate rights. Reliance on user trust and technological security features SNS to protect the users’ legitimate rights seemed ineffectual and inadequate.


Author(s):  
George Veletsianos ◽  
Cesar Navarrete

<p>While the potential of social networking sites to contribute to educational endeavors is highlighted by researchers and practitioners alike, empirical evidence on the use of such sites for formal online learning is scant. To fill this gap in the literature, we present a case study of learners’ perspectives and experiences in an online course taught using the Elgg online social network. Findings from this study indicate that learners enjoyed and appreciated both the social learning experience afforded by the online social network and supported one another in their learning, enhancing their own and other students’ experiences. Conversely, results also indicate that students limited their participation to course-related and graded activities, exhibiting little use of social networking and sharing. Additionally, learners needed support in managing the expanded amount of information available to them and devised strategies and “workarounds” to manage their time and participation.<br /><strong></strong></p>


2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
José A. García del Castillo

Las llamadas adiciones conductuales, entre ellas Internet, siguen encontrándose en un limbo científico por las dificultades que entraña discriminar adecuadamente entre conductas, en principio normales, y patologías que podríamos considerar adictivas. La literatura científica ha sabido conceptualizar las adicciones a sustancias de una forma exhaustiva y ahora apuesta por delimitar las adicciones conductuales y sus consecuentes comportamientos de abuso en función de parámetros que están relacionados con la frecuencia de uso, el dinero invertido, la necesidad o la compulsión, así como las interferencias que puede provocar en la vida cotidiana de una persona consiguiendo que deje de cumplir sus obligaciones. Con la llegada de los Servicios de Redes Sociales (SRS) y su amplia repercusión, nos encontramos con un nuevo frente susceptible de adicción. Estos servicios, además de su atractivo y funcionalidad, cuentan con la facilidad de conexión en cualquier momento y desde cualquier lugar, lo que los convierte en potentes reforzadores inmediatos, el mejor caldo de cultivo para una adicción. Somos plenamente conscientes de que no es posible adelantarse a las tecnologías y, mucho menos, a sus posibles consecuencias, pero sería necesario profundizar más en el estado actual de las adicciones tecnológicas, en el sentido de cómo predecir su aparición entre los más jóvenes y cómo combatir terapéuticamente de una forma eficaz sus consecuentes. AbstractBehavioral addictions including Internet addiction still remaining in a scientific limbo because of the difficulties related to a properly differentiation between normal and pathological behaviors.  Literature has conceptualized substance addiction in a comprehensive manner and now stands for define the behavioral addictions and their consequential abuse behaviors as a function of parameters related to use frequency, money invested, need or compulsion, as well as the interferences in people’s daily lives that may lead them to default on their obligations. As a consequence of the advent of the Social Networking Sites (SNS) and their wide impact among population we may find a new addiction context. These services in addition to their appealing and functionality have an easy connection everywhere at any time, which makes them powerful and immediately enhancers, becoming a breeding ground for an addiction. We are fully aware that is not possible to keep ahead to the technologies and neither their consequences but extra effort is still needed to understand their mechanisms, how can we predict the appearance among young people and how can we fight therapeutically against their consequences.


Author(s):  
Carson K.-S. Leung ◽  
Irish J. M. Medina ◽  
Syed K. Tanbeer

The emergence of Web-based communities and social networking sites has led to a vast volume of social media data, embedded in which are rich sets of meaningful knowledge about the social networks. Social media mining and social network analysis help to find a systematic method or process for examining social networks and for identifying, extracting, representing, and exploiting meaningful knowledge—such as interdependency relationships among social entities in the networks—from the social media. This chapter presents a system for analyzing the social networks to mine important groups of friends in the networks. Such a system uses a tree-based mining approach to discover important friend groups of each social entity and to discover friend groups that are important to social entities in the entire social network.


2014 ◽  
pp. 1717-1730
Author(s):  
Joanne Kuzma

The growth of Online Social Networking sites has brought new services and communication methods to consumers. However, along with benefits, serious problems such as online cyber harassment have recently come to the forefront of the electronic media. This behavior can have significant negative effect on individuals, businesses and the social networks. Some sites have begun to provide some levels of protection and create specific anti-harassment policies in their terms of service along with implementing protection technologies. However, these protective measures are not consistent among social media, leaving some consumers at greater risk. This study analyzed 60 worldwide social sites and determined the level of cyber-harassment protection. It reviewed statistical differences among geographical-based social networks. The results showed significant gaps among various social networks, but suggests methods for improving consumer safeguards to provide consistent levels of protection.


2011 ◽  
pp. 1286-1297
Author(s):  
Malcolm Shore

This chapter is about the way in which computer hackers invoke social networking paradigms to support and encourage their activities. It reviews the evolution of hacking as a form of social networking, from its roots in Bulletin Board systems to the current attacks on Second Life, and considers the motivation for hacking. Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior and Beveren’s Flow Theory model are, when considered together, found to explain many of the observed characteristics of early hacker activity. The place of social networks in motivating hacking is explored, and some observations are made in relation to hacking and the Second Life environment. A number of control variables are identified which can be used to reduce the likelihood of people engaging in the hacking activity. Addressing the social network factors which motivate hacking provides an important early step in addressing cybercrime.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-37
Author(s):  
N. Veerasamy ◽  
W. A. Labuschagne

The use of social network sites has exploded with its multitude of functions which include posting pictures, interests, activities and establishing contacts. However, users may be unaware of the lurking dangers of threats originating from Social Networking Sites (SNS) which include malware or fake profiles. This paper investigates the indicators to arouse suspicion that a social networking account is invalid with a specific focus on Facebook as an illustrative example. The results from a survey on users’ opinions on social networks, is presented in the paper. This helps reveal some of the trust indicators that leads users to ascertaining whether a social networking profile is valid or not. Finally, indicators of potentially deceptive agents and profiles are given as a guideline to help users decide whether they should proceed with interaction with certain contacts.


Author(s):  
Jaymeen R. Shah ◽  
Hsun-Ming Lee

During the next decade, enrollment growth in Information Systems (IS) related majors is unlikely to meet the predicted demand for qualified IS graduates. Gender imbalance in the IS related program makes the situation worse as enrollment and retention of women in the IS major has been proportionately low compared to male. In recent years, majority of high school and college students have integrated social networking sites in their daily life and habitually use these sites. Providing female students access to role models via an online social network may enhance their motivation to continue as an IS major and pursue a career in IS field. For this study, the authors follow the action research process – exploration of information systems development. In particular, a Facebook application was developed to build the social network connecting role models and students. Using the application, a basic framework is tested based on the gender of participants. The results suggest that it is necessary to have adequate number of role models accessible to students as female role-models tend to select fewer students to develop relationships with a preference for female students. Female students likely prefer composite role models from a variety of sources. This pilot study yields valuable lessons to provide informal learning fostered by role modeling via online social networks. The Facebook application may be further expanded to enhance female students' interests in IS related careers.


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