The Effect of Loneliness on SNS Addiction: Moderating Effect of Interpersonal Relations Orientation and Its Gender Difference

The purpose of this study is twofold: One, to investigate the effects of loneliness on the addiction to Social Network Sites (SNS), and two, to evaluate the moderating effect of interpersonal relations orientation on the relationship between loneliness and SNS addiction. We also examined whether the effect differed between female and male college students. The SNS addiction questionnaire, UCLA Loneliness scale, and Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) scale were conducted on 295 college students (age M=23.05, SD=2.69; male=143, female=152) via an online survey. Based on this data, the effect of loneliness on SNS addiction and the moderating effect of interpersonal relations orientation were analyzed. The result showed that loneliness and interpersonal relations orientation had a significantly positive association with SNS addiction in both male and female students. However, the effect of loneliness on SNS addiction was stronger in males than in females, and the moderating effect of interpersonal relations orientation on the relationship between loneliness and SNS addiction was significant only in female students. The effect of loneliness on SNS addiction was stronger in female SNS users with higher interpersonal relations orientation. These results suggest that lonely people with higher interpersonal relations orientation might be more vulnerable to SNS addiction. Furthermore, the gender difference in this study suggests that different mechanisms may underlie SNS addiction in females and males. Therefore, the relationship between loneliness and interpersonal relations orientation, as well as gender difference, should be considered in efforts to minimize SNS addiction.