Normal and Maladaptive Personality Traits as Predictors of Motives for Social Media Use and Its Effects on Well-Being

International research has underlined that both interpersonal, self-regulation, and comorbid variables can lead to a higher risk of developing internet addiction (IA) among young adults. To date, no studies have explored the interplay between young adults’ family functioning, impulsivity, and psychopathological difficulties. In a community sample of 244 young adult university students, this study aims to assess the relationship between young adults’ IA and young adults’ gender, the perception of their family functioning, impulsivity level, and depressive and anxiety symptoms, considering the possible interplay between these variables. The presence and the severity of IA were addressed through the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Moreover, young adults filled out self-reporting questionnaires, assessing their perception of family functioning and their impulsivity levels and psychopathological symptoms. Results showed no significant association between the youth’s gender and IA. However, moderately addicted young adults were more likely to report poorer quality of family affective involvement and higher attentional impulsivity and depressive problems than other groups. Moreover, young adults’ attentional impulsivity mediated the relationship between family affective involvement and IA. This study provides new evidence on the complex interaction between individuals and interpersonal risk factors involved in IA among young adults, with important implications for the planning of intervention treatments.

The present longitudinal study assessed the direction of effects between COVID-19 experiences, general well-being, socio-emotional motives for online communication, problematic social media use, and insomnia symptoms, among a sample of emerging adults at university. Participants ( N = 619; 64% female; 66% White) completed an online survey 5 months apart during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from an autoregressive cross-lagged model showed that poorer general well-being at baseline predicted greater endorsement of socio-emotional motives for online communication and higher insomnia symptoms over time. Negative COVID-19 experiences predicted higher social (but not emotional) motives for online communication. Lastly, insomnia symptoms and more problematic social media use predicted more negative COVID-19 experiences 5 months later (but not vice versa). Understanding the mechanisms of these associations will provide a better understanding of the factors that promote positive psychosocial functioning among emerging adults during the current COVID-19 pandemic and may inform psychosocial adjustment during future pandemics.

Ao caracterizar um indivíduo como normal, queremos dizer que ele pode apresentar características como aparência e comportamento que sejam padrão para a  maioria da população daquela sociedade, tornando-se alguém socialmente aceitável aos padrões. Essas pessoas agem segundo o padrão de normalidade, sem chamar a atenção para suas vestimentas, gosto musical, pois apresentam características que o fazem se tornar comum e igual ao seu grupo. Sendo assim, o objetivo do presente estudo foi compreender o conceito de normalidade e se percepção individual está relacionada à personalidade. Trata-se de uma revisão de literatura no portal de periódicos eletrônicos da SciELO, PubMed PsycINFO e Science Direct. Sendo assim, ser normal depende de diversos aspetos sociais e culturais, pois o que pode ser normal para um pode não ser para outro. Estando assim, demonstrando uma relação da perspectiva individual, permanecendo de acordo com a personalidade.