Exploring the dual outcomes of mobile social networking service enjoyment: The roles of social self-efficacy and habit

Enjoyment experience has been generally regarded as a positive element which can drive various aspects of system usage. Little research has examined its potential adverse outcomes, especially in an emerging mobile services context. This study investigates the dual effects of enjoyment on mobile social networking service (Mobile SNS) usage behaviors by focusing on not only its positive outcomes but also its potential adverse consequences. In addition, this study explores the impacts of social self-efficacy and habit on these dual causal processes. A research model is developed and empirically tested using data collected from 398 mobile SNS users in China. The structural equation modeling analysis results indicate that enjoyment significantly affects both mobile SNS high engagement and mobile SNS addiction behaviors. Mobile SNS habit mediates the associations between mobile SNS enjoyment and mobile SNS addiction behaviors. Social self-efficacy directly affects mobile SNS users' enjoyment experience, and it also has important indirect impacts on the dual processes by effectively enhancing mobile SNS users' high engagement and alleviating their addiction behaviors. The theoretical and practical implications of our findings are also discussed.     

Responses to ambivalence toward social networking sites: A typological perspective

A common assumption in prior research on social networking sites (SNS) has been that users' orientations toward SNS use are positioned somewhere along a bipolar, univalent continuum, stretching from negative to positive orientation. However, considering recent findings unfolding the intricacy and variety of SNS use patterns, such a linear conceptualization of users' orientations is too simplistic with limited ability to explain the intricate patterns of SNS use. To alleviate this deficiency in this paper, we draw on the ambivalence literature and explain that users can simultaneously experience both positive and negative orientations toward SNS use based on the positive and negative aspects of their SNS use experience. Focusing on post- adoptive SNS use context, we theorise archetypes of SNS users' attitudinal responses to ambivalence, and their associated behavioural outcomes in terms of SNS use patterns. We first follow a typological perspective and develop typologies of attitudinal and behavioural responses to ambivalence toward SNS use. Then, we offer six hypotheses that explain the relations between the archetypes of attitudinal responses to ambivalence toward SNS use and users' SNS use patterns. Lastly, we empirically test our hypotheses using latent profile analysis and ANCOVA applied to two-wave data collected from 370 ambivalent SNS users. The findings support the hypotheses and validate our typologies. The findings ultimately point to likely choices from a range of post-adoption SNS use patterns as plausible outcomes of SNS users' attitudinal responses to ambivalence.     

Family and work-related consequences of addiction to organizational pervasive technologies

While organizational pervasive technologies, such as mobile computing, can contribute to increased productivity, their nature can also result in technology addiction. We applied the behavior–environment interface of social cognitive theory to explain several negative familial and organizational consequences of addiction to work-related pervasive technologies. Our empirical study of 241 organizational mobile email users revealed that their levels of addiction to mobile email increased their perceived work overload and technology–family conflict. Perceived work overload, in turn, reduced their organizational commitment. Furthermore, elevated levels of perceived work overload together with augmented technology–family conflict fostered work–family conflict. Implications for research and practice are suggested.     

Giving too much social support: social overload on social networking sites

As the number of messages and social relationships embedded in social networking sites (SNS) increases, the amount of social information demanding a reaction from individuals increases as well. We observe that, as a consequence, SNS users feel they are giving too much social support to other SNS users. Drawing on social support theory (SST), we call this negative association with SNS usage ‘social overload’ and develop a latent variable to measure it. We then identify the theoretical antecedents and consequences of social overload and evaluate the social overload model empirically using interviews with 12 and a survey of 571 Facebook users. The results show that extent of usage, number of friends, subjective social support norms, and type of relationship (online-only vs offline friends) are factors that directly contribute to social overload while age has only an indirect effect. The psychological and behavioral consequences of social overload include feelings of SNS exhaustion by users, low levels of user satisfaction, and a high intention to reduce or even stop using SNS. The resulting theoretical implications for SST and SNS acceptance research are discussed and practical implications for organizations, SNS providers, and SNS users are drawn.     

A framework for mobile SNS advertising effectiveness: user perceptions and behaviour perspective

This study develops and empirically tests a framework for mobile social network service (SNS) advertising effectiveness. The study sets the advertising value, attitude towards advertising, and behavioural intentions as the key variables for the assessment of advertising effectiveness. Regarding antecedents of advertising effectiveness, the study identifies the salient attributes of mobile SNS advertising as social, mobile convenience, and active control; the main sub-values of mobile SNS advertising as informativeness, entertainment, and irritation.     

An Empirical Study Evaluating Social Networking Continuance and Success

Social networking site (SNS) use decisions have led to major economic and social transformations worldwide. While many organizations seek to use SNSs from a strategic perspective to reach their customer, it is important to understand what makes SNSs successful in order to use them for competitive purposes. The current research evaluates the influence of the social capital theory on SNS success measures. A model was developed and empirically tested using two data samples to ensure valid and reliable results for success of SNSs. The results display the importance of social capital in SNS success followed by practitioner and academic implications.     

Predicting Asian undergraduates’ intention to continue using social network services from negative perspectives

With the maturity of the social network service (SNS) market, the increasing sophistication of its customer or user base, and the growing intensity of competition, SNS success has now become a pressing issue. Understanding the antecedents of continuance intention is the first step to assure the success of an SNS. This study proposed a model to examine the key drivers of users’ intention to continue using SNSs from negative standpoints. The developed research model was empirically validated using the responses from a field survey of 236 Asian undergraduates. The results revealed that normative pressure and fatigue are the main determinants of the users’ intention to continue using SNSs. Moreover, the findings showed that satisfaction is a major determinant of fatigue, whereas negative critical incidents are crucial predictors of satisfaction. The negative critical incidents experienced when undergraduates use services include rumour dissemination, advertising interference, and low ease of use. The implications of the present findings for research and managerial practice were analysed and discussed.     

Does social capital affect SNS usage? A look at the roles of subjective well-being and social identity

This study views social capital as a precursor of SNS (Social Network Service) use, which departs from the previous thoughts that considered social capital as the outcome of SNS activities. Drawing upon the theoretical premises regarding network-based social capital, this study examines the roles of subjective well-being and social identity in terms of their moderating as well as mediating influences on SNS use. This study sought to sub-categorize social capital and SNS use with a view to providing more refined theoretical and practical implications. The study’s main objectives are three-fold: First, the study verifies whether social capital, categorized into bridging and bonding capital, influences one’s SNS use as measured by qualitative use and quantitative use. Second, the study aims to confirm whether subjective well-being mediates between social capital and SNS use. Third, it examines whether social identity moderates the relationship between social capital and SNS use.The study result indicates that bridging capital only had a significant impact on qualitative use. However, subjective well-being did not mediate the relationship between social capital and SNS use. Finally, the cognitive identity caused significant difference in the effect of social capital on quantitative SNS use, whereas cognitive and affective identities caused significant differences in regards to the effects of bridging capital on qualitative SNS use.     

Social networking on smartphones: When mobile phones become addictive

As the penetration of mobile phones in societies increases, there is a large growth in the use of mobile phones especially among the youth. This trend is followed by the fast growth in use of online social networking services (SNS). Extensive use of technology can lead to addiction. This study finds that the use of SNS mobile applications is a significant predictor of mobile addiction. The result also shows that the use of SNS mobile applications is affected by both SNS network size and SNS intensity of the user. This study has implications for academia as well as governmental and non-for-profit organizations regarding the effect of mobile phones on individual’s and public health.     

The puzzle of experience vs. memory: Peak-end theory and strategic gamification design in M-commerce

As businesses increasingly use gamified mobile marketing campaign (GMMC) systems to engage mobile shoppers, gamification in m-commerce systems warrants more attention in both IS research and design practices. Inspired by peak-end theory, this study focused on the puzzling differences between user experience vs. memory and empirically examined the impact of different experience orders of cognitive load on user perceptions and behavioral intentions. Overall, the outcomes of this research suggest that appropriate applications of the peak-end effect, moderated via users’ regulatory focus styles, can alleviate the negative mental utility imagery of users, reducing their perceived uncertainties and opt-out intentions from the GMMC. Important implications for research and practice are then discussed.     

Unveiling the dark side of social networking sites: Personal and work-related consequences of social networking site addiction

Although previous research has explored the effects of social networking site (SNS) use in organizations, researchers have focused little on its negative consequences. This article attempts to fill this void by examining, through the lens of social cognitive theory, the extent SNS addiction impacts personal and work environments. The results, based on 276 questionnaires completed by employees in a large information technology corporation, show that addiction to SNSs has negative consequences on the personal and work environments. SNS addiction reduces positive emotions that augment performance and enhance health. SNS addiction fosters task distraction, which inhibits performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Should I stay or should I go? The moderating effect of self-image congruity and trust on social networking continued use

Recent reports show that although users of large online social networks (such as Facebook) score low in terms of satisfaction, they manage to retain, or even increase, their user base. This study sheds an exploratory light on the reuse behaviour of online social network services (SNS). Specifically, we investigate the moderating effects of self-image congruity and trust on the relationship between satisfaction and continuance to use online SNS. To capture post-adoption behaviour of SNS users, we employ the expectation–confirmation model as a core structure for our theoretical model. The model is empirically tested using survey data collected from 288 Facebook users. Results reveal a possible trend suggesting that users perceiving a high match of the SNS with their self-image will be more loyal even if they experience low satisfaction levels. The same trend has been extracted for trust and its moderating effect on the relationship between satisfaction and usage continuance intention. This paper concludes with a discussion on the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.     

Influence of SNS User Innovativeness and Public Individuation on SNS Usage Patterns and Social Capital Development: The Case of Facebook

This paper studies the correlation between users’ psychological traits and their social network sites (SNS) usage patterns, and the correlation between SNS usage patterns and the development of social capital as it relates to Facebook. Individual personality traits, including user innovativeness and public individuation, are proposed to be positively correlated with SNS usage patterns such as usage rate and diversification of use. This study specifically classifies social capital into two types—bridging vs. bonding—based on Social Capital Theory, and examines the correlation between SNS usage patterns and social capital development. To investigate the proposed hypotheses of this study, SNS users in Korea were surveyed and a structural equation model was used to analyze and verify the hypotheses. The results showed that users exhibiting both a high degree of innovativeness and public individuation use SNS more frequently and in more diverse ways than users who exhibited lower degrees of innovativeness and public individuation. It was also found that SNS usage patterns are correlated with social capital. The results of this study contribute to SNS-related research work as this study focuses on the development of social capital—a key concept behind the creation and use of SNS—and allows for a deeper understanding of how the psychological traits of individual users affect SNS usage patterns and the development of social capital. This study also offers insights to the corporate sector by providing practical guidelines on how to utilize SNS more effectively.     

Explaining personality and contextual differences in beneficial role of online versus offline social support: A moderated mediation model

With more than three billion “Netizens” worldwide, online social support obtained through social networking sites (SNS) has a pervasive influence on their users’ affective experiences. Social support generally fosters affective well-being, but such support can also threaten some recipients’ self-esteem that compromises their affective well-being. However, little is known of whether (a) this self-esteem threat varied by the mode (i.e., online vs. offline) of supportive interactions, and (b) such variations were explained by public self-consciousness across distinct modes of supportive interactions. A moderated mediation model was formulated to test these hypothesized personality and contextual differences using a quasi-experimental design. The results revealed that the mode of supportive interactions moderated the relationship between self-esteem and public self-consciousness, indicating that individuals higher in self-esteem are less likely to feel exposed to the potentially unfavorable evaluations in online (vs. offline) supportive interactions. Moreover, the results showed that the heightened levels of public self-consciousness explained the positive link between self-esteem and negative affect in offline but not online supportive interactions, providing further evidence that social support obtained through SNS is likely superior to that obtained through face-to-face interactions.     

The Janus face of Facebook: Positive and negative sides of social networking site use

There is an increasing awareness that social networking site (SNS) use includes a socio-psychologically positive and a negative side. However, research remains largely silent on which side dominates in driving SNS use. To address this gap and to better understand the nature of SNSs we examine the positive and negative drivers of SNS use in parallel. We draw on the uses and gratifications theory and place social enhancement and interpersonal connectivity as the socio-psychologically positive gratifications and exhibitionism and voyeurism as the adverse gratifications predicting SNS use. We further link these gratifications to two key psychological needs, namely self-presentation and the need to belong. We conceptualize our dependent variable, SNS use, as a multi-dimensional second-order construct that consists of content production, content consumption, amount of usage, and comprehensiveness of one's profile information. We use longitudinal data from Facebook users to test our research model. The results show that exhibitionism, voyeurism and interpersonal connectivity predict SNS use. Furthermore, the number of friends in the SNS decreases the effect of exhibitionism and increases the effect of social enhancement. Altogether, the role of exhibitionism and voyeurism in predicting SNS use underscores the need for increased awareness of the socio-psychologically dark side of SNSs.     

Beyond Facebook: The generalization of social networking site measures

PurposePrevious research on social networking sites (SNSs) suggests several factors that contribute to SNS use. However, the factors were specific to a particular website. We wished to know if similar factors could predict the use of a new SNS in terms of usefulness and satisfaction with the goal of creating factors that would generalize across SNSs.ResultsParticipants reported their SNS Diet and performed five tasks using a new SNS. Then, participants reported which of the five tasks was most frustrating. Participants also reported if the usefulness of the SNS would affect their future use of the site. Participants with a high SNS Diet used SNSs once a day or more. The SNS Diet was predictive of a participant’s satisfaction rating and a participant’s perception of usefulness.ConclusionThe differences suggest that different groups of social networking users will respond differently based on their SNS Diet. This study finds support for both the Rational Actor Perspective and the Web Acceptance Model. We outline a new continuous measure of SNS use which generalizes across different social networks.     

Examining online citizenship behaviours in social network sites: a social capital perspective

As users have flocked to social network sites (SNSs), these sites have gained tremendous scale and concomitant social influence. This growth has come at the cost of social disruption caused by the posting of abusive comments and rumours that turn out to be false. To combat these negative phenomena, this study proposes SNS citizenship behaviour and examines it from the perspective of social capital theory. This study further examines how the key characteristics of SNS in terms of the concept of customer value affect social capital development in an SNS context. The test results explain that the structural, relational, and cognitive dimensions of social capital have significant direct and indirect effects on the SNS citizenship behaviour. These findings also explain that four key characteristics (exploration, communication support, playfulness, and responsiveness) of SNS affect the three dimensions of social capital. This study contributes to the literature in its establishment of the concept of SNS citizenship behaviour and examines it from the social capital theory perspective. Its findings have practical implications through its guidance on how to develop SNS features and manage these sites for the citizenship behaviour of their users, which are achievements for the harmonious and effective functioning of SNS.     

A cognitive-behavioral model of problematic online gaming in adolescents aged 12–22 years

The aim of this study was to apply the cognitive behavioral model of problematic Internet use to the context of online game use to obtain a better understanding of problematic use of online games and its negative consequences. In total, 597 online game playing adolescents aged 12–22 years participated in this study. Results showed that the cognitive behavioral model of problematic Internet use can also be used in the context of online game use. More specifically, preference for online social interaction, mood regulation and deficient self-regulation appeared to play an important role in predicting negative outcomes from problematic online game use. Together, these cognitions and behaviors explained 79% of the variance of negative outcomes scores. These findings can be used to develop strategies that aim at reducing problematic online game behavior and its negative consequences.     

The Impact of Cross-Addiction on Information Sharing Behaviors on Social Networking Sites

ABSTRACT

There is a rise in the interest among researchers to understand how addiction to social networking sites (SNSs) influences the use of SNS for information sharing. Much less attention has been placed on the interactive effect of multiple addictions (i.e., cross-addiction) on information sharing behaviors on SNSs. In this study, we examine the interaction effect of SNS addiction and alcohol use on two characteristic sharing behaviors on SNSs, self-promotion, and peer promotion of alcohol use. This study contributes to theory and practice as it builds a model that integrates social cognitive theory and normative social influence to explain mechanisms through which cross-addiction shapes information sharing behaviors on SNSs. The proposed model is estimated using data from a sample of college students in a North American university. The results support the theorized relationships between cross-addiction and SNS use to promote addiction-related activities. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.     

Social network site use,mobile personal talk and social capital among teenagers

Social network sites (SNSs) and mobile phones are becoming increasingly important in teenagers’ lives. Using data collected from a nationally representative survey (N = 800), this study explores the variation of social capital by SNS adoption, different SNS activities, and mobile personal talk among teenagers. The results indicate that SNS adoption and mobile personal talk can not only enhance teenagers’ close ties with friends, but also jointly promote teenagers’ civic engagement. Among SNS users, mobile personal talk also increase teens’ network capital. Different SNS activities such as commenting on friend’s Facebook pictures and joining Facebook groups have different relationships with social capital, and such relationships are moderated by mobile personal talk.