Dimensions of Social Media Addiction among University Students in Kuwait

Abstract

This study aimed to examine social media addiction in a sample of university students. Based on the Internet addiction scale developed by Young (1996) the researcher used cross-sectional survey methodology in which a questionnaire was distributed to 1327 undergraduate students with their consent. Factor analysis of the self-report data showed that social media addiction has three independent dimensions. These dimensions were positively related to the users experience with social media; time spent using social media and satisfaction with them. In addition, social media addiction was a negative predictor of academic performance as measured by a student's GPA. Future studies should consider the cultural values of users and examine the context of social media usage.