Public university students’ use of smartphone-based online social network and family relationship

Abstract

     The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between public university students’ use of the smartphone-based online social network and the family relationship. A questionnaire was employed to gather data from 400 public university students selected by multi-stage random sampling. Data analysis comprised frequency, percentage, mean, Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression, using a computer program. The findings revealed that nearly two-thirds of the students were female with an average age of 19.93 years. Most of the students used a smartphone to connect to the social network with an average connection time of 8 hours and 33 minutes per day. The results showed that nearly three-quarters of the students rated their online social networking addiction behavior at a moderate level. More than half of the students rated their family relationship and performed all aspects of their family relationship at a good level. The relationship between the students’ use of the smartphone-based online social network and the family relationship revealed that the students’ online social networking addiction behavior was negatively correlated with the family relationship and was statistically significant at the .01 level. The stepwise multiple regression indicated that “being frustrated when they are not online and want to know what is going on” was negatively correlated with and influenced the family relationship, and the family ties, love, and unity aspects were statistically significant at the .001 level. In addition, “being frustrated when they are not online and want to know what is going on” and “being unable to stop using or quit social network” were negatively correlated with and influenced the family communication aspect and were statistically significant at the .001 level.