Investigating the Usage Patterns and the Implications of Young Adults’ Social Media Usage in South Africa

Abstract

Social media has rapidly grown and become a prominent and integral part of our daily lives. Social media usage has various effects on users. The purpose of this research is to provide an insight on the current social media usage patterns of young adults in South Africa and to explore the implications of social media usage on social interactions. A survey was conducted and the data gathered from 103 participants was analysed. The usage pattern analysis found that most users are followers rather than posters. The following factors were found through exploratory factor analysis: Social media dependency, social interaction impact and false self-comparison/impress. It was found that social media usage affects face-to-face conversations and therefore affects the quality of relationships. It was also found that these factors are linked to social norms.