The present study developed a scale of online social media use that measures the integration of the social behavior and daily routines of users, along with the importance of and emotional connection to this use. Using a sample of 616 emerging adults in college, exploratory factor analysis was conducted with a calibration sample of 308 participants and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using an equal hold-out sample to yield a final 10-item two-factor Social Media Use Integration Scale (SMUIS). Strong reliability evidence was found for data collected with the total scale (α = .914), the first 6-item subscale called Social Integration and Emotional Connection (SIEC) (α = .893), and the second 4-item subscale entitled Integration into Social Routines (ISR) (α = .828). Test–retest over a 3-week period suggested that SMUIS responses remained stable, with reliability correlations of r = .803 for total scale, r = .804 for subscale 1, and r = .676 for subscale 2. In addition, high correlations with previously published social media use measures provided convergent validity evidence, whereas nonsignificant correlations between the SMUIS subscales and other measures unrelated to online social media use offered discriminant validity evidence. The SMUIS was first developed to measure Facebook use; however, it was purposefully designed to be adapted to measure other forms of online social media use. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Internet use for communication and social behavior is becoming increasingly integrated into the lives of North Americans (Correa, Hinsley, & de Zúñiga, 2010; Ross et al., 2009), with 95% of young adults aged 18 to 33 years reporting activity online in recent years (Zickurh, 2010). One specific area that has seen a significant and rapid rise to prominence (Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009) has been social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook.com, online social...