Research proposal

Jacqueline Dekker 12679003 01/03/2023 R. van der Voort

Introduction

In recent years, social media use has become increasingly prevalent among university students
worldwide, leading to a wealth of research exploring its impact on mental health and well-being. While
social media platforms offer numerous benefits, including easy communication, networking opportunities,
and access to information, it is also linked with potential negative effects, such as increased feelings of
anxiety, depression, and social isolation, which can negatively impact the academic performance and
social relationships of university students.

However, the specific nature and extent of these negative effects may vary across different nationalities
due to differences in cultural norms, values, and social media usage patterns. For instance, some cultures
may view social media as a way to maintain strong social connections, while others may perceive it as a
potential source of distraction and stress.

Thus, this research aims to investigate the negative effects of social media use among university students,
and explore potential differences across nationalities. This study is important as it can provide insights
into the negative impacts of social media use and inform the development of targeted interventions to
mitigate these effects among university students from different cultural backgrounds.

Moreover, understanding the unique challenges faced by different nationalities in managing social media
use can also inform the development of cross-cultural communication and digital literacy programs,
which are becoming increasingly important in today's globalized world. By addressing the negative
impacts of social media use, this research can contribute to promoting the mental health and well-being of
university students and ultimately help them to achieve their full potential both academically and
personally.

Literature Review
Most previous research has been focused on the positive effects of social media. However, it has become
more apparent that the dark side of social media is prevalent too. In the study of Baccarella et. al (2018).
They adapt on the existing honeycomb framework based on the seven social media building blocks and
explain the dark side of each. For example, the building block relationships. This is concerned with the
extent to which users can relate to others using social media platforms. Excessive use of social media can
lead to the Fear of Missing Out.

The role of FoMo pays in social media use, a sense of connection with others, and ultimately
psychological well-being. FoMo is positively associated with social media intensity, but negatively
associated with social connection, however it can have a positive impact on well being if FoMO leads to
social media use that fosters social connection (Roberts & David, 2020)

Another negative consequence that occurs among youth is the problematic social networking site use
(PSNSU). A study among Chinese college students was found by Rui She et al. (2023). This study
suggests that the intensity of social networking use was associated with PSNSU via dual mechanisms of
competitive mediation via social skills and complementary mediation via social anxiety.

Social Networking Sites (SNS) provide information that can be used by students for social comparison.
Student Social comparison Orientation (SCO) is the dependency for an individual to compare themselves
to others. In a facebook focused study done by Vogel et al. (2015) participants that showed high in SCO
were heavier facebook users. High SCO participants had poorer self-perceptions, lower self-esteem, and
more negative affect.

Research Question

What are the negative effects of social media use among university students, and how do these effects
differ across students in the US and Europe?

Research Design
In order to research this question I am going to do a mixed-methods design approach to test the
hypothesis for my thesis. By combining qualitative and quantitative insights, I can create a more complete
picture about the problem and strengthen the credibility. By starting with a qualitative approach I can
better understand the problem, context and related concepts. By further doing a quantitative approach I
can measure and test hypotheses about the relationships of the variables. Using a correlational design, the
goal of my research is to explore the relationship between nationality, personality and problematic social
media use (PSMU) in college students.

The population I want to research consists of students across the United states and Europe (The
Netherlands). This demographic ranges from 17-24 years old. For practical options I will use non-
probability sampling, even though this has its limitations and biases.

To find the variables related to each student I want to use questionnaires as they are cost effective,
flexible and allow me to collect a larger sample size. To create the questionnaire I want to use Social
Media Use Questionnaire developed by Xanidis and Brignell (2016) and Social Media Usage Aims Scale
developed by Horzum (2016) to test the usage of social network sites (SNS). To test the variable
Personality I will use the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) developed by Gosling et al. (2003)

Before I send out my questionnaires to participants I have to get approval from the Economics and
Business Ethics Committee, because it will involve personal information about behavior and social media
use.

Gosling, S. D., Rentfrow, P. J., & Swann, W. B. (2003). A very brief measure of the Big-Five personality
domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(6), 504–528.

Xanidis, N., & Brignell, C. M. (2016). The association between the use of social network sites, sleep
quality and cognitive function during the day. Computers in Human Behavior, 55(Part A), 121–126.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.09.004

Horzum, M.B. (2016). Examining the relationship to gender and personality on the purpose of Facebook
usage of Turkish university students. Comput. Hum. Behav., 64, 319-328.

Christian V. Baccarella, Timm F. Wagner, Jan H. Kietzmann, Ian P. McCarthy, Social media? It's
serious! Understanding the dark side of social media (2018) European Management Journal, Volume 36,
Issue 4, 2018, Pages 431-438, ISSN 0263-2373,

James A. Roberts & Meredith E. David (2020) The Social Media Party: Fear of Missing Out (FoMO),
Social Media Intensity, Connection, and Well-Being, International Journal of Human–Computer
Interaction, 36:4, 386-392, DOI: 10.1080/10447318.2019.1646517

Rui She, Phoenix Kit han Mo, Jibin Li, Xi Liu, Hong Jiang, Yonghua Chen, Le Ma, Joseph Tak fai Lau
(2023) The double-edged sword effect of social networking use intensity on problematic social
networking use among college students: The role of social skills and social anxiety,
Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 140, 107555, ISSN 0747-5632,

Erin A. Vogel, Jason P. Rose, Bradley M. Okdie, Katheryn Eckles, Brittany Franz, Who compares and
despairs? The effect of social comparison orientation on social media use and its outcomes, Personality
and Individual Differences, Volume 86, 2015, Pages 249-256, ISSN 0191-8869,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.06.026.