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Impulsivity, Narcissism Predict Problematic Alcohol, Social Media Use
An examination of factors in common between problematic alcohol use and compulsive use of social media has concluded that narcissism and impulsivity are predictors of both.
The findings were based on a study of 143 young adults, published in the Australian Journal of Psychiatry. The results showed that alexithymia, or an inability to identify and describe the emotions of oneself and others, also predicted risky alcohol use. Behavior motivated by the prospect of access to a reward also was a factor predicting compulsive use of social media.
“Future work is needed to further elucidate both the similarities and the differences in risk factors between substance and behavioral addictions,” said lead author Michael Lyvers of Bond University in Australia. “Results would be potentially informative for clinicians involved in the treatment of those exhibiting such disordered behaviors.”
