Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

With the technification of modern society, social media serves as one of the main forms of social communication for young people. The use of information technologies in all spheres of life, including education, promotes social involvement and interaction of young people in the media environment and, as a consequence, possible formation of addiction to social media. The research aim was to study the relationship between social media addiction and temperament in vocational school students in eastern Latvia. The research participants were 220 vocational school students. Addiction and temperament were studied using the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and Rothbart Adult Temperament Questionnaire – Short Form (ATQ). The research results show that social media addiction positively correlates with negative affect and negatively correlates with effortful control. Addiction predictors are frustration, inhibitory control, and sociability. Students who spend too much time on social media demonstrate rather high addiction rates predicted by negative experiences and inadequate self-regulation and control when using social media. Further research needs to take into account age and gender differences of the students and study the context of how they use social media.