Search

Relationship between social media addiction, victimization, and cyberbullying exposure among college students. Education & Pedagogy Journal. 2023;2(6):31-44. DOI:

Social media is an integral part of modern life. Internet activity among young people has increased significantly in recent years. However, the extensive use of social media has led to addiction, which has caused numerous problems. This study aims to investigate the possible relationships between social media addiction, the occurrence of cyberbullying exposure, and the victimization of social media users in the Russian-speaking community. The study collected data through an online survey of 211 Slonim State Medical College students. The average age of participants: M = 17.5 (SD = 3.7). Addiction to social media was measured using the “ЗСС-15” questionnaire developed by V.P. Sheynov and A.S. Devitsyn. Victimization was measured using the “Adult Victimization Assessment Technique” developed by V.P. Sheynov. Smartphone addiction was measured using the short version of the “САС-16” questionnaire developed by V.P. Sheynov. The study also assessed the exposure of individuals to cyberbullying using the approach of V.P. Sheynov. This study includes a factor analysis: 1) a victimization questionnaire containing propensity factors for aggressive, self-destructive, addicted, careless, and risky behavior, as well as an integrative index of victimization (V.P. Sheinov); 2) a three-factor model of social network addiction: the psychological state of the network user, communication of the network user, and information (V.P. Sheinov). The authors found a correlation between social media addiction among college students and their susceptibility to cyberbullying, victimization, and smartphone addiction. The positive correlation between social media addiction and victimization is supported by the corresponding correlations between most factors that shape these complex constructs. These findings can be used to educate students about the dangers of excessive social media use.

Keywords: social media addiction, cyberbullying, cyberbullying exposure, victimization, smartphone addiction, adolescents

Problematic smartphone use and its relationship to personality orientation, Machiavellianism, and communication skills. Education & Pedagogy Journal. 2023;4(8):18-29. DOI:

The associations found in studies between smartphone addiction and numerous manifestations of subjective unhappiness (anxiety, depression, stress, procrastination, decreased self-control and self-esteem, dissatisfaction with life, and family problems) have led to the introduction of the construct ”problematic smartphone use” and the study of its content. The study aims to test the hypothesis that there are associations between problematic smartphone use and personality orientation, Machiavellianism, and communication skills in Russian-speaking society. Data for the empirical study were collected through online testing with 713 respondents in Belarus and Russia, including 361 women aged 15–77 (M = 26.6, SD = 10.9) and 350 men aged 12–82. The working hypothesis was confirmed: The study showed that men’s and women’s problematic smartphone use is positively correlated with self-orientation, Machiavellianism, dependent and aggressive behavior, and dependence on social networks, and negatively correlated with task orientation, assertive behavior, and age. At the same time, Machiavellianism is positively related to self-orientation, negatively related to interaction with others, and unrelated to the person’s task orientation. The results on the associations between problematic smartphone use and Machiavellianism and behaviors complement similar international findings. The relationship between problematic smartphone use and personality orientation has not been studied. The practical significance of the obtained results includes their possible use in prevention work to prevent students from becoming addicted to smartphones.

Keywords: problematic smartphone use, subjective stress, personality orientation, Machiavellianism, communication skills, women, men