Is it meaningful to distinguish between Facebook addiction and social networking sites addiction? Psychometric analysis of Facebook addiction and social networking sites addiction scales

Abstract

Studies conducted on Social Networking Sites (SNSs) addiction have to a large extent focused on Facebook as a prototypical example of SNS. Nonetheless, the evolution of SNSs has spawn conceptual and methodological controversies in terms of the operationalization of SNS addiction. In order to bring more clarity to this field the present study aimed to investigate the construct validity of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) in comparison to the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) among 1099 young subjects (146 Facebook-only users and 953 who had an account on Facebook and at least one additional SNS). Furthermore, the study aimed to investigate the unique contribution of SNS addiction to stress and general well-being above and beyond personality characteristic and Facebook addiction specifically. Participants completed a survey assessing SNS addiction, Facebook addiction, demography, Big Five personality traits, perceived stress, and general subjective well-being. BSMAS had acceptable fit with the data and demonstrated good reliability. Results showed that the scores of BSMAS were strongly associated with those of BFAS and that the relationship between the two measures was stronger in the group of Facebook-only users than in the group of multisite-social networkers. Moreover, SNS addiction was positively associated with perceived stress and negatively associated with subjective well-being after controlling for Facebook addiction and other study variables. Theoretical and methodological implications of the findings are discussed.