The intersection of users’ personality and social media use

Reference: Correa, T., Hinsley, A.W., de Zúñiga, H.G. (2010). Who interacts on the Web?: The intersection of users’ personality and social media use. Computers in Human Behavior, 26:2, 247-253.

This research examines the relationship between social media use and three personality factors -- extroversion, openness to new experiences, and emotional stability.  Earlier research had found that web use was more common among introverted people.  But, the authors hypothesized and the data confirmed that extroversion is positively related to the use of social media and is the one personality factor that best explains social media use.  The authors believe that this result is due to the difference in anonymity between early web applications and social network applications.  The anonymity of the early Internet afforded introverts, who were often not comfortable with themselves and were often lonely, a way to interact with individuals they didn't know and who didn't know them.  But, social network applications are typically used to interact with people you already know.  Personal profiles remove the cloak of anonymity.  So, it seems reasonable that extroverts would be more likely to use these applications than introverts.  This finding was most pronounced among younger adults (ages 18 to 29) than older adults (age 30+).

Over the entire sample, all three tested aspects of personality affected social media usage.  Extroversion and openness to new experiences were positively related.  Emotional stability was negatively related.  Anxious and worried people tend to use social media more frequently than others.  Three control variables, race, age, and life satisfaction, were also significant.  Interestingly, the control variables explained more of the variance in social media usage (12.5%) than personality traits (3.2%).  But, this was not so for young adults.  For them, the control variables explained only 6.9% of the variance while the personality variables, of which extroversion was the only significant one, explained 11.5% of the variance.  In a number of ways, this makes sense.  For example, these young adults grew up with the internet, and so variables such as openness to new ideas, income, and education are less relevant.

This research also explored differences between the sexes in their use of social media.  For men, demographic factors and life satisfaction explain 25.6% of social media use vs. 3.4% for personality factors.  Among the personality factors, extroversion and openness to new ideas were significant.  For women, demographic factors and life satisfaction explain only 7.8% of the variance vs. 4.3% for personality factors.  Among the personality factors, only extroversion was significant.

The authors are silent on the significance of this research for practitioners, and I find it hard, myself, to see any direct application.  But, the findings are interesting, although unsurprising.  What might be more interesting is to determine differences in use by purpose (professional vs. social) and the impact of professional use on professional outcomes.