Enjoyment or Indulgence? Social Media Service Usage, Social Gratification, Self-Control Failure and Emotional Health

Yan Liu, Hongfa Yi () and Crystal Jiang
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Yan Liu: School of Journalism & Communication, Shanghai University, 149 Yanchang Drive, Shanghai 200072, China
Hongfa Yi: School of Journalism & Communication, Shanghai University, 149 Yanchang Drive, Shanghai 200072, China
Crystal Jiang: Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong SAR, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Social networking site smartphone applications have been widely used among Chinese young adults. However, less is known about their effects on emotional health and the mechanisms through which they function. This study analyzes the relationship between college students’ smartphone social networking service use patterns, social gratification, social media self-control failure, and emotional health. Data was collected from 360 college students in China via application log tracking and a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modeling results showed that, after controlling for demographic variables, the use of video social networking site smartphone applications was associated with decreased social gratification, and ultimately, adverse emotional health. Using social networking site smartphone applications late at night exhibited worse emotional health via more social media self-control failure. The implications for designing and using social media applications are discussed.

Keywords: mobile-based social media sites; social gratification; social media self-control failure; emotional health; app-tracking log data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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