The impact of Facebook usage on one's self-esteem and personality.
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Authors
Bigler, Stephen
Issue Date
2019
Degree
BA (Hons) in Social Science
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
Abstract
Facebook use is very popular among many different groups of people in societies worldwide, but many questions remain unanswered regarding individual traits that are antecedents of individual behaviours enacted online. Research suggests that low levels of self-esteem are linked to Facebook intensity usage, however, such findings have also found to be inconsistent, as studies have put forth alternative suggestions of the opposite or no links to Facebook intensity usage. The main aim of this study was to investigate deeper the relationship between self-esteem and Facebook usage with other factors such as personality attributes, gender and age also examined. Data was collected by means of a self-report questionnaire sent to a sample of 244 Facebook users of which 176 were female, 67 were male and 1 was other. The sample had a mean age of 33 years, the minimum age being 18 years and the maximum age being 71 years. Quantitative self-report scales such as the Multidimensional Facebook Intensity Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory-(TIPI) Scale were incorporated into the questionnaire. The results reported that Facebook intensity was not associated with self-esteem. However, results did indicate an association between self-esteem and time spent on Facebook. The results showed that female participants showed a higher Facebook intensity than males. There was a small significant correlation found between personality attributes in total and Facebook intensity. However, extraversion, openness and agreeableness scored significantly high with Facebook intensity with these personality attributes associated with higher levels of Facebook intensity. The study also reported that there was no relationship between age and Facebook intensity. Future research studies in this area should investigate deeper the underlying causal relations using a longitudinal and observational research approach.