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Social networking sites (SNSs) have become common avenues for young people to share their life experience with peers, including their consumption experience. Although prior research on the media effects of SNSs has shown how online communication on SNSs promotes various volitional behaviors, current understanding is limited with respect to how young people's use of SNSs is associated with their consumption experience and materialistic values. This study examines how SNS use related to consumption experience is associated with materialistic values among young adults and how their social perceptions mediate such association. This investigation also proposes that young adults' self-regulation and close relationships with parents would buffer the impact of SNS use. Survey data gathered from 903 youths in Singapore lend strong empirical support to the hypotheses proposed. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This meta-analysis summarized the relations between social network site use and neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Sixty-one articles comprising 67 independent samples (N = 22,899 participants) were identified. The overall correlations of social network site use with neuroticism ( r ¯ = 0.08) and extraversion ( r ¯ = 0.09) were about positively small, while conscientiousness had a negative and quite small correlation with social network site use with r ¯ = −0.04. Openness and agreeableness were not significantly correlated with social network site use with r ¯ = −0.01. The effects of most moderators, including publication outlet, site participants spent time, scale of time spent, indicator of social network site use, Big Five measure, and participant age were not significant. In contrast, the effects of country where the study was conducted and participant gender were mixed. • The relations between social network site use and Big Five traits were weak or nil. • The moderator effects of study country and participant gender were mixed. • Effects of the rest of moderators were not supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of using social network sites (SNS) have spurred heated debate in academia and popular culture alike. This study sought to address the debate by formulating a new, nuanced framework highlighting two conceptual distinctions: (a) preference for versus problem in one's interpersonal relations, and (b) SNS use versus the benefits of such use. Mixed-effects meta-analysis was performed in 178 independent samples from seven regions worldwide (n = 108,068; age range = 13-68). Eligible studies were those that examined an association between at least one common proxy measure of the socially rich (vs. poor; i.e., extraversion, social anxiety, or loneliness) and a criterion measure (i.e., SNS use or online social capital). The results revealed a complex picture. SNS use was positively correlated with both extraversion and social anxiety, although the social anxiety-SNS use correlation was significant for adult samples rather than adolescent samples. Online social capital was positively correlated with extraversion but inversely correlated with loneliness. Our conclusion is that extraverted individuals use SNS to enhance their opportunities for social interactions and can acquire more online social resources, whereas adults who are socially anxious use SNS to compensate for their social deficits but such effort is unrelated to online social resource accumulation. Individuals who feel lonely tend to obtain few such resources. However, most of the studies examined the leisure use of Facebook. We advocate more thorough testing of our hypotheses in future research on therapeutic SNS use and/or the use of SNS other than Facebook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Social networking is not a new phenomenon, but what outlet people use continues to evolve. Recently, anonymous social networking applications (SNAs) have gained in popularity, particularly among young people who are reducing use of traditional social networking sites (SNSs). Anonymous SNAs prevent other users from identifying individuals, which is the most marketed appeal. Despite the popularity, little research investigates why people are moving from traditional SNSs to anonymous SNAs. Using migration theory, we consider the transition through push, pull, and mooring factors. Findings indicate social norms, not anonymity features, drive migration. These findings have important implications for developers and researchers. Highlights • Undesirable features of traditional social networks encourage use of alternatives. • Anonymity does not drive users move to anonymous social networks. • Social norms play an impactful role in people using anonymous social networks. • Open opinion expression helps drive anonymous social network migration intentions. • Users do not fully abandon the traditional social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feasible and effective interventions to promote physical activity among vocational school‐aged adolescents are strongly needed. Text messaging and Facebook are feasible and acceptable delivery modes for PA interventions among youth. However, little is known about the opinion of vocational school‐aged adolescents regarding behavioural change techniques that can be applied through Facebook or text messaging. Therefore, our aim was to gain insight into the opinions of vocational school‐aged adolescents towards the use of different behaviour change techniques and towards Facebook/text messaging as a delivery mode for PA interventions. Six focus groups were conducted with 41 adolescents from the first grade (12–14 years) of secondary vocational schools in Flanders (Belgium). In total 41 adolescents participated and completed a questionnaire about their text messaging and Facebook use prior to group discussions. Focus group discussions were audio‐recorded and analysed using a thematic analysis method in Nvivo. Participants thought that different behaviour change techniques (e.g., providing feedback, goal setting, self‐monitoring, social comparison) could be integrated in a PA intervention using text messaging and Facebook and were enthusiastic about participating in such an intervention. They indicated that text messages are an easy way to receive information about PA, and that a group page on Facebook is ideal to share information with others. Participants deemed it very important that the group page on Facebook would only include peers with whom they also share an offline connection. Furthermore, adolescents stressed the importance of having autonomy (e.g., to determine their personal activity goals, to self‐monitor their behaviour) and of being active together with friends. This qualitative study revealed that the use of Facebook and text messaging is promising as a delivery method for PA interventions among vocational school‐aged adolescents. The adolescents were keen to participate in an intervention that integrates behaviour change techniques using text messaging or Facebook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisations are using social networking sites to promote themselves and communicate with their stakeholders. This new medium has also found its way in the promotion of sporting events. In this article, the social network site of the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar 2013 was examined to understand its role in communicating with spectators and fans of the sporting event. The activity on the official Facebook page of the event was analysed by examining the posts by the organisers and comments by members of the social network site. In addition, the analysis also examined the issues that were surfaced on the social network site. The findings show that organisers of sports events did not leverage on the medium to encourage participation from members. Activity on the social media peaked during the event but tapered off after the event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]