Debt Experience of Facebook Users in Poland : a Conceptual Model and Empirical Test

Abstract

Negative debt experiences of individuals lead to costly social and macroeconomic tensions. This study examines the impact of four latent variables, namely financial education, debt literacy, personality, and online personal network, on the debt experience of Facebook users in Poland (N= 1,055). Based on some prior research, we proposed a Structural Equations Model (SEM) testing the relationships among variables hypothesised to be linked to debt experience. The findings indicate that debt experience is a complex phenomenon determined simultaneously by many diverse factors. Surprisingly, the personal networks of Facebook users have no significant impact on the debt experience of our respondents. The findings also suggest that results of any explanatory study on debt experiences may strongly depend on the measures used.