Romantic motivations for social media use, social comparison, and online aggression among adolescents

Romantic motivations for social media use, social comparison, and online aggression among adolescents

Abstract: This study examines whether adolescent motivations for social media use, social comparison tendencies and gender are related to online aggression victimization and/or perpetration. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression conducted on data from a national cross-sectional survey of middle adolescents (N = 340) reveals that social media use, romantic motivations, social belongingness motivations and greater social comparison tendencies predicted online aggression victimization (R2 = .38). Information motivations and entertainment motivations negatively predict online aggression perpetration, but romantic motivations, social comparison, and social media use were positive predictors (R2 = .34). Further examination of interactions and indirect effects reveal that romantic motivations for social media use are an important predictor of involvement in online aggression among adolescents.

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