An exploratory investigation into social media use in Trinidad and Tobago

A comparison of Facebook and TikTok

Authors

Keywords:

Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, TikTok Problematic Use Scale, Uses and Gratification Theory, Big Five personality traits, social media addiction, mental health

Abstract

This study draws on past studies on problematic social media use (PSMU) to assess trends and deduce predictive factors associated with problematic Facebook use (PFU) and problematic TikTok use (PTU) amongst university students in the Trinidad and Tobago using Multivariate Multiple Linear Regression. The study fills the gap in the extant literature associated with TikTok and limited research outside of North American and Europe. In addition, this is the first study to empirically compare the prevalence and predictors of problematic use between two social media platforms. Further, the study uses a comprehensive list of predictors based on an examination of the literature: five dimensions of gratification (motives of social media use), psychological variables (self-esteem and loneliness), Big Five personality traits, demographics (sex and age) and level of engagement (duration and frequency of use). The study found that PFU and PTU had a prevalence of 0.57% and 3.70% respectively. PFU and PTU use were both correlated to level of engagement, self-presentation, and age. The additional predictors of content gratification, process gratification, social gratification, technical gratification, extraversion, loneliness, and sex were identified for PTU. Additionally, the findings suggest that females have higher levels of engagement on social media and problematic use scores.

Author Biography

Troy Smith

is a graduate of the Doctor of Philosophy programme offered by the Institute of Criminology and Public Safety, University of Trinidad and Tobago. He is a scholar with multiple peer-reviewed articles and ongoing international projects focusing on the areas of cybercrime, problematic social media use and the effect of exogenous shocks on crime patterns. He also actively seeks to enhance research within the social sciences through the use of alternative statistical methods where appropriate; for example, the use of Bayesian analysis and Rasch measurement. He has over fourteen years of experience working in the area of national security in various specialty areas within Trinidad and Tobago. He is currently one of the directors of Research Analysis Inquiry and Development, a research non-profit entity focused on producing quality multidisciplinary research within the Caribbean.

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Published

2023-04-01

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2023): Caribbean Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies

Section

Articles