Authors:

Minseo Kang

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About Paper:

Social media has become one of the primary ways of communication for many college students, but it is also where they spend the majority of their time (Chegeni et al., 2021). Research has shown that social media addiction is a growing concern, with studies demonstrating its positive correlation with mental health issues such as depression and stress (Chen & Xiao, 2022). According to a study conducted in 2024, the global average usage of social media was approximately 2.5 hours per day (We Are Social, DataReportal, & Hootsuite, 2024). Other studies have shown higher rates for high school and college students. Given these findings, this study aims to expand our understanding of Auburn University students' daily social media usage and the factors associated with their potential addiction. By analyzing the number of hours Auburn students spend on social media such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube, and identifying the individual factors contributing to those hours, this research intends to provide significant insights into the current state of social media engagement at Auburn University. This study will be utilizing a Focus Group Interview (FGI) method, allowing for in-depth data collection on student behaviors and correlations between their social media usage and contributing factors. The findings of this research will show a numerical representation of Auburn University students' screen time on social media platforms, along with an analysis of the significant factors influencing their usage patterns. Understanding these factors will help in the development of future intervention programs to reduce social media addiction rates and minimize its negative impact on students' education and overall mental health. Ultimately, this research seeks to help Auburn students mitigate the negative influences of social media and further contribute to a better-informed approach to address this growing issue at Auburn University.

Source:

Auburn University / Samuel Ginn College of Engineering / 2025

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Co-authors:

Minseo Kang