Relação entre a adição ao Instagram, a satisfação com a vida e a autoestima em jovens adultos

: um estudo comparativo

Abstract

Introduction: Addiction to Instagram can have severe consequences on an individual's life at a psychological, physiological and social level. On the other hand, social networks can be useful tools for an individual's daily life. Studies indicate that the problematic use of social networks, namely Instagram, can impact users' self-esteem, which is positively related to life satisfaction. Objective: The objective of the present study is to explore the relationship between addiction to Instagram, life satisfaction and self-esteem in young adult university students and to carry out a comparison between groups with and without likely addiction to Instagram with regard to the aforementioned constructs and to some sociodemographic variables. Methodology: The sample consists of 241 Portuguese university students of both sexes, between 18 and 29 years old (M = 22.03, SD = 2.29), with an Instagram account. Respondents responded to a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Bergen Instagram Addiction Scale, the Life Satisfaction Scale and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results: The average score on the Bergen Instagram Addiction Scale was 13.37 (SD = 4.41), with 29.1% showing values indicative of an Instagram addiction (n = 70). Mean scores of 27.17 (SD = 5.34) were found on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and mean scores of 16.31 (SD = 3.97) on the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The study demonstrates a strong relationship between life satisfaction and self-esteem, with males tending to have higher selfesteem values. A low magnitude negative correlation was also found between self-esteem and the total score on the Bergen Instagram Addiction Scale, which was not maintained when analyzing groups with and without Instagram addiction. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the increased use of Instagram and confirms the strong relationship between life satisfaction and self-esteem that may be associated with Instagram updates and habits developed during the pandemic period. It also portrays how paradoxical the impacts of using this social network can be, highlighting the importance of new national investigations that explore the use of Instagram and the consequences for users.

Date of Award	30 Jan 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Berta Rodrigues Maia (Supervisor) & Paulo César Dias (Co-Supervisor)