Resumo

Social media platforms are one of the most popular and widely used applications on the Internet. Instagram is now one of the most-used social platforms in the world. Previous studies on social media have yielded mixed results but mainly highlighted its negative implications for mental health. In the context in which the Covid-19 pandemic boosted social media usage to bring people closer while they cannot meet physically, it becomes more relevant than ever to understand the effects of its use for mental health.

Given the relevance of this social problem, the main objective of this research is to identify the factors and the relationship between Problematic Social Media Use and Anxieties in Instagram Users. Specific objectives include identification of the primary mental health effects caused by Instagram, analysis of the impact of various features for each mental health effect, identification of the behavior on Instagram by generation, and presenting a framework that relates behavioral and attitudinal variables to mental health effects.

Social media provides users with constant access to content and interactions that carry complex social meaning and serve as powerful self-assessment tools. Users receive reactions to their own social media posts and witness the ones received by others, serving as quantified social acceptance. Problematic social media use includes perceiving more interpersonal control online than offline, excessive use, withdrawal signs, and others. It can also contribute to many types of Social Anxiety: such as Shared Content Anxiety, Privacy Concern Anxiety, Interaction Anxiety, and Self-Evaluation Anxiety.

The research is descriptive, with a quantitative approach, developed through a survey (n=757) developed with scales adapted for this study and with data collection being carried out online. The sample can be classified as non-probabilistic for convenience and by judgment, for the exploratory function in opinion research about Instagram use. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were used. The confirmatory method was done using structural equation modeling based on covariance using LISREL software.

All formulated hypotheses were supported. The findings pointed out that Compulsion increases the effects of specific Anxieties and Withdrawal decreases them. Individuals with private accounts suffer more from Privacy Concern Anxiety than their counterparts with public accounts. Shared Content Anxiety and Self-Evaluation Anxiety showed higher effects from Problematic Social Media Use.

In this study, we identified the components of each of the groups of scales to analyze the relationship among problematic use of Instagram and each anxiety and identify the relationship among factors that influence them. The objective was successfully achieved since significant variables were discovered, and relevant information on Instagram use during the COVID-19 pandemic was presented, thus validating the research framework and possible replication of it in future studies.

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