English research paper

Source2.docx

Home >English homework help >English research paper

Research Sources

Source 2: (Scholarly Source):

Does the Use of Social Media Ensure Social Support and Happiness? Tuğba Seda Çolak1, Uğur Doğan2

1Düzce University, Education Faculty, Department of Educational Science, Düzce Turkey, 2Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Education Faculty, Muğla, Turkey

ARTICLE INFO

Article History: Received 19.02.2016 Received in revised form 12.08.2016 Accepted 25.08.2016 Available online 15.10.2016

Purpose

ABSTRACT

The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between social media use, perceived social support, and happiness. The study participants were 717 university students studying in different departments and at different class levels at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, whose participation was voluntary. The research involved using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Subjective Happiness Scale, and the Scale of Social Media Use to obtain the data. The statistical analysis methods comprised Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and path analysis. According to the results, social media use predicted perceived social support negatively and significantly, while social support predicted happiness positively and significantly. Furthermore, social media use did not predict happiness directly, but did so indirectly.

Keywords: Social media use, perceived social support, happiness

Extended Summary

One of the requirements of living in the technological era is using the Internet and social media. As knowledge acquisition (social, cultural, and artistic activities) and staying informed about one’s social circle are the primary reasons for using social media, individuals devote an average of two hours to social media daily (Bostancı, 2010; Ekşi et al., 2013; Kamiloğlu & Yurttaş, 2014). Socialization and social recognition are among people’s basic needs, and they are endeavoring to meet this need today through relationships that they establish via social media, rather than through face-to-face communication. Therefore, the research aim was to investigate the relationship between the use of social media, considered to be a socialization tool, and the variables of the perception of social support and happiness.

Method

The participants comprised 274 (38.2%) male and 443 (61.8%) female university students (717 in total), who were studying in different departments and at different class levels at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University. The data collection involved the use of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Subjective Happiness Scale, and the Scale of Social Media Use. The statistical analysis methods were Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and path analysis.

Result and Discussion:

The descriptive statistics showed a negative and significant relationship between social media use and perceived social support (r = −.08, p < .05) and a positive and significant relationship between happiness and

1 Corresponding author’s address: Duzce University Education Faculty, Konuralp/Duzce , Turkey Telephone:05448390335 Fax:03805421366 e-mail: [email protected]

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15345/iojes.2016.04.018

International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 2016, 8 (4), 229-240

perceived social support (r = .40, p < .01), but a negative and insignificant relationship between social media use and happiness (r = −.05, p > .05).

The study adopted the use of path analysis to reveal the relationship between social media use, perceived social support, and happiness. Before the analysis, the researchers calculated the measurement models for the variables, and the good fit indexes of the models were acceptable for the analyses. Indeed, all measurement models had acceptable fit indexes. Subsequently, the researchers carried out the path analysis with AMOS 20.

Social media use negatively predicted perceived social support, perceived social support positively and significantly predicted happiness, whereas social media use did not predict happiness. In addition, all fit indexes were at acceptable levels (χ2 = 0.18, df = 1, RMSEA = 0.000, NNFI = 1.00, CFI = 1.00, SRMR = 0.005, IFI = 1.00). Furthermore, social media use predicted perceived social support (β = −0.08) and happiness (β = 0.38).

Even though social media enables individuals to form a social circle through a virtual relationship network, concerns about the sincerity and credibility of the relationships that one maintains on social media as well as the fact that it does not provide a sense of completeness through direct contact with others cause a decrease in the perceived social support level as the social media use increases. An experimental study in Denmark with 1,095 participants supports this result. That study concluded that the individuals who did not use Facebook for one week had high-level happiness on the weekend and started participating in more social activities and enjoying their social life more (The Happiness Research Institute, 2015).

Social media use is high especially among adolescents and young adults. Since most youngsters log onto social media networks in their homes (Otrar & Argın, 2014; Taydaş, 2012), spending a considerable amount of time in the house and a dissatisfactory communication network within the family are factors that encourage social media use. The current research results also suggest that as perceived social support decreases, individuals can turn to social media to participate in activities aimed at obtaining this support.

Social support predicted happiness positively and significantly. A lack of social support caused individuals to become unhappy, and there is support for this finding in the literature. According to Viktor Frankl, one of the ways in which people find meaning in life is by having shared experiences through interacting with others (Graber, 2004; Karahan & Sardoğan, 2004). Individuals who have positive experiences, such as being recognized, belonging, being an individual, and being appreciated, may regard themselves as valuable and their lives as meaningful.

Conclusion

According to the findings of the present study, social media use predicted perceived social support significantly and negatively, while social support predicted happiness significantly and positively. Social media use did not predict happiness directly, but did so indirectly. The findings also revealed the existence of a relationship between social media use and motivation. People cannot feel social support via social media use as they do not find it in real life. An environment that fosters actual and suitable social interaction may reduce the amount of time spent on social media by creating happy people.