Snapchat vs. Facebook: Differences in problematic use, behavior change attempts, and trait social reward preferences

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Media Studies
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat utilize distinct features to foster continuous user engagement.
• This repeated usage can escalate into maladaptive and problematic behaviors.
• Trait social reward preferences and attempts to quit or reduce usage are under-examined aspects of problematic social media use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the differences in problematic use, motivations, and outcomes between Facebook and Snapchat.
• To explore the role of trait social reward preferences in problematic social media engagement.
• To examine quit and use reduction attempts in relation to platform-specific problematic use.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative study involving 472 participants who completed an online survey.
• Assessment of individual Snapchat and Facebook usage patterns.
• Measurement of trait social reward preferences.

Main Results:

• Participants reported higher time spent and more problematic use on Snapchat compared to Facebook.
• More attempts to quit Facebook were reported than for Snapchat, with no significant difference in use reduction attempts.
• Trait social reward dimensions (admiration, negative social potency, sociability) were associated with problematic Snapchat use, while only negative social potency was linked to problematic Facebook use.

Conclusions:

• Social media platform features and individual social reward preferences significantly influence problematic social media use.
• Findings highlight the need to consider platform-specific designs and user personality traits in understanding and addressing problematic social media engagement.
• Implications for future research and clinical practice in managing problematic social media use are discussed.