Abstract

SOTERO, Luciana et al. Facebook Addiction and Emerging Adults: the influence of sociodemographic variables, family communication, and differentiation of self. Escritos de Psicología [online]. 2019, vol.12, n.2, pp.81-92.  Epub Nov 09, 2020. ISSN 1989-3809.  https://dx.doi.org/10.24310/espsiescpsi.v12i2.9986.

The growing use of social networking sites places them among the most popular online activities. In particular, Facebook is gaining increasing numbers of users. For some individuals, such activity can develop into addictive online behaviour. The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of sociodemographic (e.g., gender, age), individual (e.g., differentiation of self), and family (e.g., family communication) factors on Facebook addiction in Portuguese emerging adults aged between 18 and 30 years. The study included 403 participants, who followed a protocol in which several instruments were administered (e.g., COMPA, BSI, DSI-R, and BFAS). The results showed higher Facebook use and a higher risk of addiction in individuals with the following characteristics: (1) female gender; (2) aged between 24 and 30 years; (3) lower differentiation of self; (4) physically or emotionally distanced from significant others (emotional cut-off); and (5) negative communication patterns with their parents. An association was also found between other psychopathological indicators (e.g., depression, anxiety, and interpersonal sensitivity) and Facebook use. Thus, the present study contributes to the field of research on online addictions and has implications for prevention and clinical intervention

Keywords : Social Networking Sites; Facebook Addiction; Emerging Adults; Family Communication; Differentiation of Self.

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