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 from a national cross-sectional survey of adolescents (N = 340) reveal that social media use, romantic motivations, social belongingness motivations and greater social comparison tendencies are associated with online aggression victimization (R2 = 0.38). Information motivations and entertainment motivations are negatively associated with online aggression perpetration, but romantic motivations, social comparison, and social media use were positive predictors (R2 = 0.34). Further examination of interactions and indirect effects suggests that romantic motivations for social media use are an important predictor of involvement in online aggression among adolescents.