Mediating Role of Personality Traits and Moderating Influence of Gender in the Relationship between Social Media and Life Quality

Abstract

The prevalence of social media within contemporary media landscapes requires an enhanced comprehension of the potential impact of social media exposure and engagement on an individual’s overall life quality. The current study aims to investigate the impact of social media consumption on young individuals’ personalities and life quality. A total sample of 287 individuals aged between 13 and 32 years and enrolled in higher educational institutions were recruited. Moreover, the frequency of social media exposure was assessed through participants’ self-reported estimations. The study results demonstrated a positive correlation between social media consumption, extraversion, and life quality. Contrarily, an insignificant positive relationship existed between social media consumption and other dimensions of the Big Five personality traits. A notable gender disparity was also observed in the correlation between social media usage and overall life quality. Nevertheless, outcome generalisation should be conducted with discretion following the variations in personality and social media usage across different cultures and time zones.