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Observational Study
. 2019 Sep 1;8(3):554-563.
doi: 10.1556/2006.8.2019.49. Epub 2019 Sep 23.

Strategies for self-controlling social media use: Classification and role in preventing social media addiction symptoms

Damien Brevers  1 , Ofir Turel  2   3
Affiliations
Observational Study

Strategies for self-controlling social media use: Classification and role in preventing social media addiction symptoms

Damien Brevers et al. J Behav Addict. .

Abstract

Background and aims: Many people present excessive patterns of social networking site (SNS) use and try to self-regulate it. However, little is known regarding the strategies employed by young adult SNS users and their role in preventing the emergence of addiction-like symptoms in relation to SNS use.

Methods: In Study 1, we employed a naturalistic-qualitative approach for finding commonly employed self-control strategies in relation to SNS use. In Study 2, we examined differences between the frequency and difficulty of the strategies identified in Study 1 and tested the process through which trait self-control exerts influence on reducing SNS addiction symptomology.

Results: Study 1 revealed six families of self-control strategies, some reactive and some proactive. Study 2 pinpointed the most commonly used and most difficult to enact ones. It also showed that the difficulty to enact self-control strategies in relation to SNS use partially mediates the effect of trait self-control via SNS use habit on SNS addiction symptom severity.

Conclusions: Taken together, the present findings revealed that strategies for self-controlling SNS use are common and complex. Their theoretical and clinical significance stems from their ability to prevent the translation of poor trait self-control and strong SNS use habit to the emergence of excessive use as manifested in SNS addiction-like symptoms.

Keywords: addiction symptoms; excessive social media use; self-control strategies; trait self-control.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Ordered frequencies for self-control strategy categories
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mediation analysis of the effect (standardized regression coefficients) of self-control on SNS addiction symptom severity through SNS use habit and difficulty to undertake self-talk for controlling SNS use. The first coefficient on the path from self-control to SNS addiction represents the total effect without mediators in the model. The second coefficient on this path (in parentheses) represents the direct effect when mediators are included. *p < .05. ***p < .001
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Frequency and difficulty ratings associated with each type of SNS self-control strategies
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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