Addictive Behavior to Social Networks and Five Personality Traits in Young People

摘要

Current society is characterized by the increasing impact of online communication tools. In recent years, researchers have dedicated their efforts to the study of addictive behavior to internet and social networks as it is essential to know both the benefits and possible issues that the internet could hold for the youth and new generations. Moreover, it is fundamental to inquire about the personality traits that have influence over addictive behavior. As such the objective of this study was to measure the link between the model of five personality traits and the problematic use of social networks. In this regard, different surveys were applied online to a sample of 251 university students between the age of 18 and 24 years old. The surveys used are as follows: a questionnaire that collects socio-demographic data, the big five inventory (BFI) and the social networking addiction questionnaire (SNA). The results are: (1) a positive correlation between the neuroticism and addictive behavior to social networks, (2) a notable yet negative correlation between responsibility and kindness and (3) there was no link found between extroversion and openness to experience. In conclusion, the obtained results contribute empirical evidence of the relation between the personality and the addictive behavior to the social networks.