Relationship Between Individual’s Personality and Social Media

Relationship Between Individual’s Personality and Social Media Use

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Abstract

Due to the development of user-generated web such as Instagram, individual personality attributes have been linked to the factors that contribute to the frequency of social media use. This study predicts introvert and extrovert traits as factors that lead to online interactions. Using a sample of 59 college students, the study investigated the relationship between the introvert and extrovert traits to Instagram usage. It also examined the frequency of social media use between Instagram users and non-users. The findings showed that Instagram users spend more time on the screen than non-users, though the frequency of the usage of other media platforms is the same. However, the study showed that there is no relationship between a person’s trait and social media use. The usage depends on the benefits acquired from the various social media platforms.

Contribution of Individual’s Personality to Social Media Use

Introduction

In modern society, there is approximately four billion active users of social media, meaning it occupies a part of most people’s lives as it is used to understand news, events and changes in society as a whole. Young people are the most recognized users of social media. According to broadband statistics, 88% of people aged between 18 and 29 years, use at least one social media platform compared to 60% of people above 30 years of age (2019). The usage is believed to be connected to an individual personality trait; hence, studies have been conducted to explain the concept. The researches would explain why some youth are so much influenced by social media while other individuals of the same age do not have an interest in media. Therefore, a study using a sample population of young people, who are the most users of social media, would help understand the relationship between personality and social media usage.

This study uses Instagram, one of the social platforms, to find the relationship between the use of social media and the personality of the users. With the popularity of mobile apps, Instagram is becoming more popular due to the benefits it has over other platforms such as Facebook. These benefits are such as stories integration and better discovery due to the emphasis on hashtags, making it easier to locate information. Instagram incorporates a lot of social elements on the mobile side, including the creation, reply, collection of friends and is also an image-based platform where one shares pictures. Research shows that 97% of 18-year-old to 24-year-old smartphone users use social networking, instant messaging and blogging applications (Quorus Consulting Group Inc., 2012). These young people have media accounts, including Instagram where they share ideas on a larger platform of wider audience.

The study uses two personality traits to explain the connection between attributes and social media use; introvert and extrovert. Introverted people are good at discovering their inner world and deep thinking. They are independent and critical. Extroverts are passionate about socializing and are more likely to accept new things (Condon & Ruth-Sahd, 2013). The big five factor model will be used in the study to explain the personality trait effect on individual’s behaviour in relation to social media use (Thompson, Brossart, Carlozzi & Miville, 2002). reveal the relationship between the personality traits

Extroversion is a stronger predictor of social media use by young participants, as openness to new experiences affects the frequency and content of their use of social media (Gil de Zúñiga, Diehl, Huber & Liu, 2017). People’s social and mental state will affect their expression, and they will show interactive communication behavior on social media (Pornsakulvanich & Haridakis, 2010). People with outward-looking personality are more likely to send messages and socialize because they desire social interaction (Ehrenberg, Juckes, White, and Walsh, 2008). Introverted people tend to observe and think, and they tend to contemplate the words from people’s speeches rather than frequent interactions (Correa, Hinsley, and Zúñiga, 2010). From a research conducted by Erin (2010) on Facebook’s use and personality type from the basic behavior and motivation of users, a large number of Facebook users who spend more than two hours a day on the site perceive themselves as extroverts and are perceived by others as extraverts. In an online survey of Facebook, social media (Facebook) gives extroverted people the ability to communicate and respond promptly. They will join more groups and have more friends on Facebook (Ross et al., 2009).

However, it is not accurate to state that extroverts tend to use social media more based on their openness and sociable characters. This is because some extroverts are more involved in one on one conversations than social media. Burke, Marlow and Lento (2010) divides the types of individuals using social media into “direct communication” and “consumption” which could be understood as active and passive through the results of the social media interaction platform. Active users are frequently commenting, posting and liking posts on social media for communication purposes or to air their views. They see it as a means of expressing their identity in self and society. Extroverts are much closer to active users who tend to show themselves, attract attention and form identities via social media while introverts are much closer to passive users who prefer to review other’s posts, stay silent, and keep their identities. The activeness and passiveness of these two traits in social media are also the core issues of this study.

Margherita, Charles and Ronald (2011) studied the importance of active and passive use of social networks by 753 Italian consumers. The results showed that the use of social networking sites depends on the participants’ psychological attributes and social interactions with the public. People with extroverted personality are free to share their views and open to new ideas; hence, they will comment and post on social media and hope to know other people’s thoughts too. People with introverted personality passively listen to outside information while more focused on the content and browsing to prove its truth before accepting. The individuals with introvert trait are passive users and do spend time on social media but may fail to comment or post any information or like other people’s images.

According to an investigation on the characteristics of personality, the use of social media is related to extraversion. Both of these two groups of people have demands for social media, but the purpose of using social media is different. Extroverts are more likely to engage in interaction and comment proactively and they are willing to spend more time in group chat and interaction. This meets the social and performance needs of extroverts. However, introverts tend to observe others’ opinions and spend more time thinking deeply. Social media creates opportunities for introverts to connect with the outside world while maintaining their own comfortable world of silence. Both extroverted and introverted people use social media for various needs; hence the active and passive users’ definition. Active or passive performances cannot be used to distinguish which personality tend to depend on social media more, therefore, supporting this research hypothesis. We hypothesized that there were no significant differences in time spent on social media (Instagram) between people who have extroverted personality and those with introverted personality.

Methodology

The current research study was designed to explore the relationship between personality traits and social media usage. Establishing based on existing research that social media is a large part of our participants (namely college students’) lives, we examine whether personality contributes to the frequency of social media use, in-depth or self-disclosure. Previous studies analyzed personality in relation to the frequency of social media usage, as well as effects on mental health. However, the meaning individuals attribute to their online presence and the current study builds on past research by looking at the reliance on social media as well.

Participants

The target sample consisted of 59 college students (the control variable being age) volunteers (24males, 35 females) who use Instagram as one of the social media. Potential participants were excluded if they do not have an Instagram account. This segment of the population represents digital natives for whom social media is an essential part of their identity. We used convenience sampling and snowballing sampling to recruit participants, which may result in potential bias.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey using Qualtrics consisting of 30 Likert-scale questions and one self-reporting item.

Design & Procedure

We conducted an observational study in partial fulfillment of a course requirement. This is a cross-section survey study of youths (ages 18-25) that aims to examine the correlation between extroversion and depth of self-disclosure on Instagram. Our study sample is given three sets of questions: a Ten Item Personality Inventory, a Likert-scale type survey with 10 questions that evaluate their self-determined relatability to statements in regards to their personality, a self-reporting of their weekly screen time on Instagram, and a ten-item Likert-scale survey on their self-perceived depth of disclosure on Instagram.

Through scoring and evaluating the correlation between extroversion and depth of self-disclosure on Instagram, we will determine whether certain personality traits will lead to a higher level of frequency in use and depth in self-disclosure on social media.

Measures

In this study, we will be measuring our participants’ personalities (Independent Variable) through the Goldberg Big Five Personality based Ten Item Personality Inventory. While we focus on Extroversion, we will measure each category, which includes Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, and Openness. Extraversion and Introversion measure whether or not the person gains energy by interacting with other people or rather interacting with themselves. Conscientiousness examines if a person is cautious, planned and detail-oriented when they undertake tasks. Agreeableness looks at someone’s friendliness and sympathy towards other people. Neuroticism observes someone’s emotional stability since people with higher neuroticism are usually more sensitive to stress and anxiety. Finally, Openness looks at how open-minded someone is and how willing they are to try new things and ideas.

After we analyze our participant’s personality, we will analyze the frequency and depth of disclosure (dependent variable). In this test, we have developed a measure based on our understanding of the matter due to whitespace in existing research.

In scoring, we decided to use a scale ranging from 1(Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree) for each test. To which, we reverse-scored specific items in order to eliminate survey biases and ameliorate the reliability of our evaluation. All our measures regarding personality types and disclosure, while ___, will be treated as qualitative. We found a Cronbach’s alpha of __ for our TIPI scores, and ___ for our depth of disclosure index.

Procedure

The survey link, created on Qualtrics, is distributed to participants via various social media methods such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, etc. It begins with an ‘Introduction’ form, in which the participants are made to sign indicating that their decision to partake in this study is by their own free will and completely voluntary.

Once participants agree to these terms, they are to pick whether they are Instagram users. If ‘no’ is chosen, the survey reaches the end and the participant is thanked for their time. However, if ‘yes’ is chosen, the participant was directed to demographic questions regarding age, gender, etc. following which, the survey begins. At the beginning of the survey, participants have informed consent. Students were informed. At the end of the survey, students were given a debrief of the survey. We followed APA ethical guidelines throughout the study process.

Study Results

The statistics that we have collected offer a descriptive and comprehensive set of data concerning age, extraversion, frequency (how often do the participants post on social media), self-disclosure, as well as time spent on social media platforms, namely Instagram. The statistics can be divided into two groups based on whether the interviewees own an Instagram account or not.

The first group is composed of those who have an Instagram account. In the first place, as for the age of the interviewee, the oldest is aged 22, and the youngest is aged 19. The average of their age is approximately 20.75 with a not sure if needed. Generally speaking, it is safe to say that our interviewees are all young people. For extraversion, we calculate an average of 4.68 on a scale of 7 from the minimum 1.00 to the maximum figure of 6.5. Considering that the standard deviation is about 1.617, it is indicated that there are noticeable differences in terms of the level of extraversion among the participants, suggesting a remarkable deviation in people’s personalities. In the third place, when it comes to how often people post on their Instagram account, the frequency ranges from one to four days, averaging three days. In the fourth place, the figure of the level of their self-closure ranges from 1.25 to 2.59, averaging 2.03 with the standard variation of around 0.56, which is relatively small. Apparently, there is not too much deviation in people’s closure of themselves on the social media platform. Their screen time is recorded from 0 to 1680, suggesting a considerable deviation.

In the second group of participants who do not have an Instagram account, their average age is 20, which is similar to that of the first group. Their level of extraversion ranges from 1 to 7, averaging at 4.2. As for their frequency of posing on social networking platforms, it was recorded from the minimum one day to six days. Since they do not have accounts on Instagram, their self-disclosure on other social platforms is recorded, which ranges from 1.25 to 3.88, averaging at the level of 2.47. Their screen time is recorded from 0 to 1440, averaging at 231.8.

Enlightening facts could be identified by comparing the data of the two groups. In terms of the level of extraversion of those with and without an Instagram account, the mean of the former is registered at 4.68, which is slightly higher than that of the latter, 4.20. As for the frequency of using social media accounts, the interviewees without an Instagram account seem to post as frequently as those with an Instagram account, with their means of frequency recorded at approximately 3 days.

When it comes to the level of disclosure, it is astounding to find out that the mean of the disclosure level of those without an Instagram account exceeds that of those with an Instagram account by about 0.4. This could be attributed to a large number of choices of social media apps available online for internet users. For those who do not register an Instagram account, they seemed to have conducted social interactions via other social networking apps. It is noticeable that there is an enormous difference between the time people spend on browsing with those who have an Instagram account spending double of screen time of those without an Instagram account. Conclusively, considering that the level of extraversion is closely related to people’s personalities, there is no evident relationship between the use of social media and the users’ personalities. Moreover, for those with extrovert or introvert personalities, they have both displayed a high level of engagement in social media interactions.

Discussion

The study was conducted to find out the relationship between the use of social media and people’s personalities. The research involved a sample of young people using Instagram and believed to cover both extroverts and introverts’ personalities. Instagram is one of the most used apps in social media especially among young people hence the choice of the sample group. The young people fall between the age of 18 and 24 years old as most own smartphones used for interacting in social media. Before the study, it was an expectation that introverts are much reserved and are not actively involved in social media interactions as compared to extroverts. However, the psychological attributes of social interactions in Instagram depend on the demand and benefits received from its use. Therefore, the study revealed the difference between introvert and extrovert personalities.

As depicted from the sample groups used in the study, the first group are Instagram users, composing of both introvert and extrovert personalities. The study recorded a larger scale of extroversion in the group and found out that the frequency of posting and interacting through the social media specifically Instagram, is higher. The second group composed of non-Instagram users. They do not use the Instagram account but revealed that they post as much as the ones using the Instagram account but in other social media platforms. However, Instagram users spend more time on the screen as compared to non-Instagram users. The finding showed that there is no connection between the introvert and extrovert use of social media. Therefore, there is no evident relationship between the use of social media and the users’ personalities. Moreover, for those with extrovert or introvert personalities, they have both displayed a high level of engagement in social media interactions.

The findings contradict with the hypothesis made before the study was conducted that the use of social media depends on a person’s personality. This meant that since the extrovert is more talkative and sociable, they post and interact more than the introverts who are reserved, thoughtful and quiet. The finding shows that both introvert and extrovert interact at almost the same rate, the difference comes the platform of social media. The difference between the predictions and findings is due to the assumption that introverts are quiet and may not wish to share their experiences publicly. Nevertheless, the result proves that the usage of media is determined by benefits received and not the personality of a person. The result explains the existence of null finding; where an outcome does not show the expected effect. Predictions are made out of assumptions and not facts. In this study, the prediction was made assuming that personalities affect media usage but the finding shows otherwise hence a null result.

The study and findings will have a positive impact on similar future researches and create an understanding of young people involvement in technology and social media era. Also, very few studies have been conducted to explain the connection between young people’s personality in using social media. Therefore, the study has filled in the existing blank space in studies between personalities and social media. It also fits with the existing literature as the study uses the ten-item personality measure (TIPI) to gauge the relationship between the personality of individuals to social media use. TIPI measures reliability and correlations of patterns to understand scenarios (Gosling, Rentfrow & Swann, 2003). The finding is based on the elaboration of literature.

The study had some limitations that may have affected the final results. First, there is a potential lack of validity in the measure created during the study with the two groups. Validity is the extent to which measurements are allocated to represent the intended variables (Carmines & Zeller, 1979). It needs to have good test reliability and consistency, which was not applied in this study. Besides, this study may not be as replicable as individuals in the age group will greatly change their behaviour over time and we cannot operate off similar assumptions. The findings will differ with the age of individuals used in the study (Correa, Hinsley, and Zúñiga, 2010). The development in technology may also introduce new items of interest that may deviate youths use of social media.

Future research on the same subject; social media effect, could have a development to incorporate the impact on real-life experiences. The logical next steps would be to evaluate whether social media is representative of individuals’ real-life tendencies, to look at whether social media is an accurate metric of personalities’ online behaviour. As this study only links social media use to people’s personalities, more comprehensive research could explain its effect on behaviour specifically in interactions through social media. It will give an in-depth understanding of personality, behaviour and frequency of use of social media among various individuals ages.

The findings of the study can be used in the understanding of the behaviour of social media users. Technology is improving day by day in today’s world, hence there will be an increase in social media platforms, consequently increasing the number of users. It is vital to understand the factors that contribute to the increase in the number of users and the reasons behind the choice of particular platforms. According to the study, personality may change overtime hence it has no direct relation to social media use. Therefore, explaining media usage will depend on benefits received from the platforms.

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