Personal Correlates of Dependence on Social Networks of Belarusian and Russian Men and Women

Abstract

Objective. Identification and analysis of personal correlates of dependence on social networks in Belarusian and Russian respondents.
Context and relevance. Social networks have now become very popular as a means of communication, but their excessive use is associated with the psychological risks of addiction. Identification of the relationship between addiction to social networks and the personal characteristics of their active users can contribute to the timely prevention of addictive behavior.
Study design. The study was carried out using a socio-psychological survey to identify a set of personality characteristics and their relationship with indicators of dependence on social networks in Russian and Belarusian men and women separately.
Participants. The 766 respondents: 404 Belarusians (74,3% women) and 362 Russians (65,7% women). The average age of the participants was 20,5 years (SD = 5,4).
Methods (tools). The personality questionnaires; the analysis of the correlations of social media addiction with impulsivity, narcissism, exposure to manipulation, assertiveness, and smartphone addiction.
Results. The dependence on social networks in all respondents is positively correlated with impulsivity and dependence on a smartphone (smartphone addiction). The correlate social media addiction and assertiveness, narcissism, and vulnerability to manipulation differs between Belarusian and Russian men and women.
Conclusions. The correlations of dependence on social networks with the personal characteristics of users revealed during the study can be taken into account in explanatory, preventive and corrective work.