Work Hard, Use Harder? The Longitudinal Association Between Work Addiction and Social Media Addiction in Full-Time...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral addictions
• Occupational health psychology
• Digital well-being

Background:

• Social media addiction (SMA) is a growing global concern.
• Workers face increased risks of SMA and work addiction (WA) due to workplace technology use and labor market pressures.
• Understanding the interplay between SMA and WA is crucial for employee well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the temporal associations between social media addiction and work addiction in a worker population.
• To examine the bidirectional relationship between SMA and WA at both construct and symptom levels.
• To identify specific symptoms that drive the relationship between these behavioral addictions.

Main Methods:

• A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted with 1,100 workers.
• Cross-lagged panel models and cross-lagged panel network (CLPN) analyses were employed.
• Prevalence and co-occurrence of SMA and WA were assessed.

Main Results:

• High prevalence rates for both SMA (7.3%) and WA (16.9%) were observed, along with significant co-occurrence.
• Reciprocal relationships were confirmed between SMA and WA.
• Work addiction-tolerance was a significant predictor of social media addiction, particularly relapse.

Conclusions:

• SMA and WA exhibit a bidirectional relationship in the workforce.
• Interventions targeting WA, especially tolerance, may help mitigate SMA.
• Findings inform strategies for managing co-occurring behavioral addictions in employees.