Online social networking attitudes and health behaviour

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate whether attitudes towards the Internet and social networking sites (SNS) have effects on Internet addiction. An additional focus was the effect of personality on online health behaviour. Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire completed by 435 participants, aged between 12 and 76 (M=28). The measures included scales for: Internet attitudes, Internet addiction, SNS attitudes, and personality traits. Mediation analyses revealed that perceived SNS usefulness and trust mediated the relationship between Internet attitudes and Internet addiction. Specifically, preference for online socialisation was associated with increased Internet addiction through the mediators perceived SNS usefulness and trust. Negative Internet attitudes were associated with decreased Internet addiction when the relationship was mediated by SNS usefulness and trust. As far as positive Internet attitudes were concerned, no direct effect on Internet addiction was found, but there were significant indirect effects through SNS usefulness and trust. Furthermore, SNS attitudes mediated the effects of personality traits on tendencies for Internet addiction. The findings of the study are an important indication of the interrelatedness of various online behaviours which function as an integrated mechanism. They also clarify that focusing on new additional aspects of Internet use can modify or even invert the relationships between personality traits, attitudes and Internet addiction.