Fake Accounts and Extended Social Media Use: The Digital Chains of Youth

Abstract

This study examines students' social media usage patterns and their Technology Addiction Scale (TAS) scores. The research analyzes the relationships between the number of active social media accounts, daily time spent on social media, the use of fake accounts, and technology addiction. The data were evaluated using an independent groups t-test. The findings indicate that students who spend more time on social media have significantly higher technology addiction scores than those who spend less time. Additionally, students who use fake accounts were found to have significantly higher technology addiction scores than those who do not. These findings highlight the significant impact of social media usage duration and the use of fake accounts on technology addiction. Consistent with previous studies, this research supports the notion that increased time spent on social media correlates with higher levels of technology addiction. Furthermore, the findings regarding the influence of fake account usage on technology addiction contribute to the limited body of literature on this topic. The results suggest that young people should manage their social media usage more consciously and avoid using fake accounts to mitigate the risk of technology addiction.