During the past year have you…
1. Regularly found that you can’t think of anything else but the moment you will be able to use social media again? Yes/No (Preoccupation).
Answer: NO
2. Regularly felt dissatisfied because you want to spend more time on social media? Yes/No (Tolerance).
Answer: NO
3. Often felt bad when you could not use social media? Yes/No (Withdrawal).
Answer: YES
4. Tried to spend less time on social media, but failed? Yes/No (Persistence).
Answer: YES
5. Regularly neglected other activities (i.e. hobbies, sports, homework) because you wanted to use social media? Yes/No (Displacement).
Answer: NO
6. Regularly had arguments with others because of your social media use? Yes/No (Problems).
Answer: NO
7. Regularly lied to your parents or friends about the amount of time you spend on social media? Yes/No (Deception)
Answer: NO
8. Often used social media to escape from negative feelings? Yes/No (Escape).
Answer: YES
9. Had serious conflict with parents, brother, sister (friends, relationships etc.) because of your social media use? Yes/No (Conflict).
Answer: NO
I counted about two (2) of “YES” responses after I have answered the above questions.
The Itemized scale is a criteria to classify a “disordered social media user” as one who receives at least five “yes” responses. Upon reflecting on the items in the scale, it appears that they encompass a variety of social media usage factors that can affect daily life, including preoccupation, tolerance, withdrawal, persistence, deception and conflict. The purpose of these items is to identify behaviors that could indicate a problematic relationship with social media. Various factors, including cultural differences, the availability of technology, social norms, and economic conditions, contribute to the diverse patterns of social media use that are observed worldwide. For instance, in certain cultures, social media may be more deeply ingrained in daily life and social interactions, whereas in others, it may be less prevalent or utilized differently. Furthermore, individuals’ access to technology and internet infrastructure can significantly influence their social media usage.