Acknowledgement

This project named “Impact of Personality traits on social media usage” was done individually
by me as a part of my assignment. Firstly, I would to express my gratitude to my subject teacher
Mr. Sudarshan Gopal Parajuli for his honest participation while teaching the subject course as
well as for his guidance throughout the completion of this project. I also feel thankful for my
friends, relatives as well as couples of neighbors for their active participation throughout the
interview process. This project will have been incomplete with the resources available in the
internet.

Lastly, I would like to express my deepest appreciation towards whole APU family for providing
me this opportunity to first-hand experience resource gathering as well as the whole process of
interviewing.
Executive Summary
This project was done as a part of assignment of my 2 nd semesters subject ‘Personality
Development’ Its title is “Impact of Personality traits on social media usage”.

According to the question, it was required to make a well-planned set of questions for interview
with required observation and research. While preparing report, it was required to first make a
short description of different topic explaining personality development and its traits. Then, I have
to find my main purpose or objectives of this research project as well as finding different
methods I can use while completing our project. Again, I do the required research for this project
with different resource gathering process available and make a whole summary result of my
research. I also included my own interview experiences as well. Finally, the report was
completed.

This project emphasis on the interconnection between targeted personality with their different
viewpoint towards the social media with respect to how they use them.
Introduction
Personality
Personality refers to the enduring traits and patterns that propel individuals to consistently think,
feel, and behave in specific ways. The unique constellation of the ways we approach the world,
interpret events, and act consistently across situations is our personality. Each person has an
idiosyncratic pattern of enduring, long-term characteristics and a manner in which he or she
interacts with other individuals and the world around them. Our personalities are thought to be
long term, stable, and not easily changed. Other people may see you differently each time they
interact with you because their perspective will influence how they perceive you.

The scientific study of personality has been evolving since Freud first proposed studying
individual differences in the late 1800s. There are many theoretical perspectives on human
personality that attempt to explain human behavior, including trait theories, unobservable
constructs and individual differences. Each perspective offers important insight into human
behavior, but also has limitations. Only by understanding all of these approaches can we truly
understand what personality really means.

Types of Personality
According to type theory, there are a limited number of personality types based on biological
influences. The four types of personality, based on what people say they are like and how they
like to behave, are:

1) The Extrovert,

2) The Introvert

3) The Sensor (meaning they prefer a quieter life),

4) The Feeler (meaning they need an emotional connection).

Factors influencing Personality

These are as follows-

a. Environmental Factors
b. Physical Factors
c. Hereditary
d. Social Factors
e. Cultural Factors
f. Psychological Factors
Traits of personality
There are five criteria to evaluate an individual’s personality. These characteristics are
represented as the “Big Five” factors, the model is referred to as Five Factor Model also
abbreviated as FFM. They are: -

a. Openness to experience
Openness to experience is among the best personality domains for interpersonal and
social success. The trait is associated with curiosity, imagination and appreciation for art,
nature and philosophy. Openness to experience often manifests itself in individuals who
are colorful and creative in their thinking.
b. Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness is the overall style of personality that measures self-discipline,
dutifulness, and efficiency. People with this personality trait have a tendency to organize
their lives and remain highly aware of the rules and regulations set by society. They are
also industrious and very cautious in their actions.
c. Extraversion and Introversion
Extroverts are people who like to be active in social situations. They tend to have many
friends, enjoy vigorous physical activity and spend most of their time interacting with
people.
Introverts are individuals who are characterized by a strong need to focus on their own
thoughts and feelings.
d. Agreeableness
Agreeability is a personality trait which teaches individuals to be adjusting in almost all
situations. Such individuals do not crib and face changes with a smile as they have
learned that it not only won’t help but also can put others off
e. Neuroticism
The characteristic of neuroticism is a disposition to negative emotions, such as anxiety,
anger, envy, guilt and so on. Neuroticism can affect one's ability to enjoy life or be
happy.
Objectives
The objectives of this project were: -

 Learn about the personalities of people and use

them to better understand yourself.
 Learn more about social media habits of various
personality types, like introverts, hard workers
and extroverts, as well as how they reply to
messages on Facebook and Twitter.
 Discover how personality features affect how
you use social media. Specifically, find out
about the role that openness or openness to
experience and agreeableness play in your social
media usage.
 Learn how to determine your personality
strengths and weaknesses, and how these traits
affect your success.
 Familiarize yourself with the various personality
qualities.

Methodology
Primary Methodology
Primary research is a specific type of research that can be conducted to answer questions that
have not been asked before. It is typically more time-consuming and has higher associated costs
than secondary research, so it is in the best interest of an organization to only conduct primary
research after the gaps in available secondary research have been identified.

Primary research is the first step in a project. It should be conducted using a method that allows
for the gathering of information about a topic, in order to become acquainted with the best way
to proceed. Once you have chosen a method, you must conduct secondary research before
embarking on primary research. This is important because it helps you determine what
information is available from sources other than the Internet, and if what has already been found
by secondary researchers can be directly reused in your primary research

Secondary Methodology
Secondary research is the process of searching for more information outside of the one primary
source being studied. Secondary sources include academic databases, books, journals, newspaper
articles and more. In most cases this type of research can be applied to any discipline, but the
information gathered will not be exact. Secondary research is used when a primary source is not
available or cannot be used to answer your question because it conflicts with an alternative
school of thought or traditional method of thinking.

As you approach the secondary research process, it is helpful to know what information you need
to gather. Identify one or two research questions, and then focus on finding sources and
information that can answer those questions. When choosing your sources and information,
prioritize academic and professional publications in your discipline; academic journals are better
for establishing credibility and ownership of publications, but industry-specific trade
publications are less expensive and faster.
Research
Social media is more than just a fun way to keep in touch with friends, it’s an essential part of
people’s everyday lives. Eighty-six percent (86%) of people use social media at least once per
day, including 72% who use it multiple times per day. Social media is so popular because it
allows people to manage and accomplish their everyday activities. Social media is part of
people’s routine and is an essential way to communicate, shop, find things to do, and check the
news.

Social media use is an important aspect of the development of adolescents and young adults.
This research investigated the impact of the "Big Five" personality traits on social media use.
The well-known Big Five model divides personality traits into five categories: conscientiousness,
agreeableness, openness, extraversion, and neuroticism.

This study examined the relationship between Internet personality and internet use, specifically,
how extraversion and neuroticism affected people's Internet personality. We found a correlation
between interpersonal extraversion and the frequency of internet use, with both being positively
correlated with socializing via the Internet.

The prevailing view within psychology is that openness to experience, agreeableness and
conscientiousness are the most important personality traits when it comes to social networking.
This research has also found a reversal in the relationships between people's personalities and
some types of social media applications. It has been found that more extroverted people tend to
be drawn to social media. This research also shows that not just extraversion but neuroticism and
openness to experience are also impacted by exposure to social networking. Extraverted people
were more connected with others in the "real world" and through social networking sites. It also
shows extraversion is a positive predictor of both the number of friends in the real world and the
number of Facebook contacts.

Research has also found that more neurotic people prefer instant messaging to face-to-face
interactions when it comes to emotional stability or neuroticism. People who are less emotionally
stable generally prefer a more intimate and face-to-face contact when working with others, and
can have trouble coming up with answers without time to contemplate their responses. However,
instant messaging allows more time to think about these matters since messages tend to be brief,
which some researchers believe makes it easier for people who are emotionally unstable to
communicate with others.

The study finds that heavy social media users are more open to new experiences, exhibit greater
motivation for learning new things, and demonstrate greater cognitive flexibility. However, these
results also raise questions about the effect of social media on our mental health.
Results
Being a part of the worlds' largest network can be a great influence on our lives. It’s the best way
to keep in touch with friends and family, learn something new, share knowledge and ideas, or
simply have fun. However, the world has shifted from its initial purpose and we often find
ourselves overwhelmed by the need for constant online presence. The more we depend on social
media, the more our lives are moving towards an era where there is no escape from digital life. It
also is highly addictive as it gives us fake connection with a lot of people under one roof without
much effort.

From the research, we found out about various factors of social media that affects our
Personality. They are: -

a. Culture of Popularity
In today's digital age, we are all looking for something to give us a sense of meaning
and identity. People want social validation that is always readily available. But being
constantly bombarded with the need to be liked can lead to an unhealthy obsession
called "being the cool kid." This phenomenon is impacting children, who are
suffering from serious mental health issues.
b. Increasing Depression and Anxiety
According to research, adolescents who use social media more frequently are more
likely to experience stress, anxiety and depression. Numerous studies have discovered
a link between emotional distress and the frequent use of Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram. These platforms can be used for entertainment, communication or both. It
is important for children to be aware of how their online behavior can contribute to
stress and feelings of inadequacy that often lead to poor self-esteem.
c. Promotion of seeking behavior
Social networking sites are not primarily anonymous. In fact, the goal of social
networking sites is typically to reach out to society and the world. The desire to gain
popularity and seek approval from others is another factor that goes unnoticed in the
widespread use and obsession with social networking.
d. Unreal standards for appearance
People want to be appreciated for their efforts on the internet, and can go above and
beyond to gain popularity. For example, individuals may try to present themselves as
attractive, helpful or rich in order to win admiration from others. The public tends to
validate whatever an individual portrays as “true” on social media as it allows them to
have a sense of belonging and self-worth that they lack in reality.
There is an expanding interest in personality traits, both as predictors and moderators of social
media use. People who are extroverted may be more willing to use social media while those who
are agreeable prefer fewer challenging interactions. Those with neuroticism may turn to the
internet for escape from their daily struggles. There may also be some personality traits that help
explain why some people are more likely to use social media than others (e.g., openness or
agreeableness).

Interview Experience
On the interview day, I felt how much fun it was to interview people with different personality
traits. Being given the chance to be an interviewer was an amazing experience for me that has
made my career change for the better. My experience taking interview was very enjoyable. At
the end of the day, I felt I had gained a lot more insight into human behavior and individuality by
interviewing. By talking to different people in different situations, I am able to get inside their
skin a little bit more and tell if they are neurotic or pleasant individuals. Additionally, as a future
IT expert, this interview gave me hands on experience in interviewing as well as improved my
ability to communicate with others through conversation.

For conducting the interview, following things were necessary to perform: -

I. Selecting the right format for the interview with necessary

procedures.
II. Selecting the interviewee with different variety
III. Selecting the right time for the interview
IV. Selecting the correct set of questions
V. Creating a right environment for interview
VI. Creating non- judgmental question
VII.
Conclusion
I gained vast array of knowledge about personality and it's different traits by doing this
assignment. I used primary methodology for this project by interviewing different individuals
and questionnaires. And I used Secondary Methodology for gaining insight on the project topic.
Finally, this project helped me to understand how personality differs from person to person and
how they interact with others completely depends on their personality.
References
Personality (2022-November-02) American Psychological Association:
https://www.apa.org/topics/personality#:~:text=Personality%20refers%20to%20the
%20enduring,%2C%20abilities%2C%20and%20emotional%20patterns

Role of social media on personality (2022-October-13) Tutorials point:

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/the-role-of-social-media-on-personality

The origins of personality (2015-October-26) M libraries:

https://open.lib.umn.edu/intropsyc/chapter/11-2-the-origins-of-personality/

What is Personality. (n.d) Back Matter: https://opentext.wsu.edu/psych105/chapter/10-2-what-is-

personality/

Personality traits (n.d) Management Study Guide:

https://www.managementstudyguide.com/personality-traits.htm

Personality (2022-November-07) very well mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-

personality-2795416

How social media influences attitudes and behaviors (2022-January-24) study.com:

https://study.com/academy/lesson/how-social-media-influences-attitudes-behaviors.html

Big Think (2018-July-13) How social media changes identity, personality, memory [Video].
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHEfCSHZfs8

Dr Christian Heim (2022-January-31) Social media addiction: The story and solutions [Video}. YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4CHY-Pp3g4
Dhruv Rathee (2022-May-12) How social media destroys your life? [Video]. YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJj8XEw-zCg

The effect of Big Five personality traits on social media usage. (2016-December-02) Science
Direct:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042816316202?
ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=7776ca2649cba913
What can we learn about people from their social media. (2020-September-21) Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/close-encounters/202009/what-can-we-learn-about-
people-their-social media#:~:text=Conscientiousness%3A%20Conscientious%20people%20are
%20more,tend%20to%20post%20more%20photos.
Appendices

1. How much often do you use social media in a day?

2. Which is your most used social media? And why?
3. Make a list of social media that you are in.
4. For what purposes do you mostly use the social media?
5. Do you feel the difference between face-to-face conversations and conversations through social
media?
6. What type of people are you comfortable to communicate?
7. What do you feel about being the first one to start any type of conversation in social media?
8. How much do you post anything through your social media per day? Also make a list of them?
9. Do you have any difference in numbers of friends in social media and real life? Which one has
more?
10. Do you think the way you use social media affect in your personal behavior and characteristics?
Give your honest answer.
11. What do you think your personality style affect your communication and your ability to
understand other words and experience?
12. How do you handle negative response towards your point of view?
13. Is there any difference between social media you and real life you? Point out the major
difference.
14. Have you ever been tired of the lifestyle that you have to maintain for social media?
15. Do you feel you are addicted to social media?