Научная статья на тему 'Personal Exposure to Social Media and Variations by Gender among Cuban Youth '

Personal Exposure to Social Media and Variations by Gender among Cuban Youth Текст научной статьи по специальности «СМИ (медиа) и массовые коммуникации»

CC BY
0
0
i Надоели баннеры? Вы всегда можете отключить рекламу.
Ключевые слова
digital socialization / personal exposure / youth / social media / disorders

Аннотация научной статьи по СМИ (медиа) и массовым коммуникациям, автор научной работы — Jorge Enrique Torralbas Osle, Emely Corcho Rosales

Background. Personal exposure is a crucial aspect of digital socialization. It pertains to the amount of time spent on social networks, the number of active accounts, interactions on different platforms, the content published on social networks, the purpose for which the content is shared, the degree of personal exposure, and the changes in social life caused by the exposure. Gender plays an important role in predicting online behavior, but previous studies have yielded contradictory results. Objective. To characterize personal exposure to social media in young Cubans (networks used, hours of exposure, published content, how much of one’s private life is exposed, alterations due to its use). To define the differences in personal exposure based on the gender variable. Design. A survey specifically created for this research was used. The sample was composed of 3345 young Cuban residents between 18 and 35 years old. Results. The young people spent a considerable amount of time per day on WhatsApp, Instagram*, and Facebook/Messenger*. Users shared content related to humor, music/art, and their personal lives. These interactions served as a source of entertainment, a means of communication and socialization, and a platform for expressing opinions on various topics. Personal content was shared frequently. The young people reported experiencing disturbances such as family demands, decreased attention span, difficulty sleeping, and decreased social interactions. There were gender differences in the level of personal exposure, with females reporting higher levels of exposure. Conclusion.There are high levels of personal exposure among Cuban youth. Different qualities are manifested according to gender. Females reflect the highest levels of personal exposure.

i Надоели баннеры? Вы всегда можете отключить рекламу.
iНе можете найти то, что вам нужно? Попробуйте сервис подбора литературы.
i Надоели баннеры? Вы всегда можете отключить рекламу.

Текст научной работы на тему «Personal Exposure to Social Media and Variations by Gender among Cuban Youth »

Psychology in Russia: State of the Art Volume 16, Issue 4, 2023

Russian Msri Psychological III J Society

Personal Exposure to Social Media and Variations by Gender among Cuban Youth

Jorge Enrique Torralbas Osléa*, Emely Corcho Rosales3

a University of Havana, Cuba

Corresponding author. E-mail: jetorralbas@gmail.com

Background. Personal exposure is a crucial aspect of digital socialization. It pertains to the amount of time spent on social networks, the number of active accounts, interactions on different platforms, the content published on social networks, the purpose for which the content is shared, the degree of personal exposure, and the changes in social life caused by the exposure. Gender plays an important role in predicting online behavior, but previous studies have yielded contradictory results.

Objective. To characterize personal exposure to social media in young Cubans (networks used, hours of exposure, published content, how much of one's private life is exposed, alterations due to its use). To define the differences in personal exposure based on the gender variable.

Design. A survey specifically created for this research was used. The sample was composed of 3345 young Cuban residents between 18 and 35 years old.

Results. The young people spent a considerable amount of time per day on WhatsApp, Instagram*, and Facebook/Messenger*. Users shared content related to humor, music/art, and their personal lives. These interactions served as a source of entertainment, a means of communication and socialization, and a platform for expressing opinions on various topics. Personal content was shared frequently. The young people reported experiencing disturbances such as family demands, decreased attention span, difficulty sleeping, and decreased social interactions. There were gender differences in the level of personal exposure, with females reporting higher levels of exposure.

Conclusion.There are high levels of personal exposure among Cuban youth. Different qualities are manifested according to gender. Females reflect the highest levels of personal exposure.

Keywords: digital

socialization, personal exposure, youth, social media, disorders

* — Activities of Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook and Instagram), and the X Corp. (as the successor of Twitter Inc.), are prohibited in the Russian Federation.

ISSN 2074-6857 (Print) / ISSN 2307-2202 (Online) http://psychologyinrussia.com

The journal content is licensed with CC BY-NC "Attribution-NonCommercial" Creative Commons license.

Introduction

The use of digital technologies, particularly social media, is steadily increasing across all age groups, especially among the youth (Chaffey, 2016; Ko^ et al., 2019). Social media provides young people with a sense of freedom to express themselves, a platform to make new friends and maintain regular contact with them, and an opportunity to create different communities.

Digital socialization refers to the process of socialization that occurs through technological means such as online platforms (Soldatova et al., 2020). It involves the acquisition of social experiences and the transmission of social identity, which includes traditions, culture, and social roles. Personal exposure is an essential dimension of this process, which refers to the sharing of personal life and intimacy on digital platforms, such as photographs, videos, and opinions. The following parameters can be used to analyze digital socialization: hours spent on social networks; number of active accounts; interactions on different platforms; content published on social networks; the purpose for which content is shared; the degree of personal exposure; the level of concern about one's projected image on digital media; and alterations in social life as a result of the exposure.

Digital socialization is a socialization mediated by the available technological processes and constituting the appropriation of social experiences acquired online (Soldatova et al., 2020). It is a phenomenon with both an individual and social character; it enables the transmission of a social identity — i.e., tradition, culture, and social roles — among other things (Balea-Fernández, 2021). Personal exposure is one essential dimension of this process.

Social media, like other spaces of primary socialization, has a significant impact on the process of personality formation and a person's worldview. However, social media differs from other social spaces in various ways. For instance, it offers immediacy, allowing users to communicate with several people simultaneously while carrying out daily tasks. Social media also provides the ability to view and share private information beyond one's immediate circle, anonymity when desired, new codes of nonverbal communication, and ways of expressing emotions symbolically. However, it can give users a false sense of control over the situation and lead to the user losing a sense of time (Hodkinson, 2017; Marder et al., 2016; Santos, 2018; Pashkovsky, 2019; Prete & Redon, 2020). Social media is a new form of existence in time and space, with peculiarities concerning the configuration of identity, subjectivity, and forms of relationship.

Various studies which have explored the utilization of digital technologies among young adults, have found that these users are highly and consistently engaged with social media platforms. These results are indicative of significant cultural transformations, which are characterized by the wide-ranging adoption of digital technologies (Abi-Jaoude et al., 2020; Cantor-Silva et al., 2018; Goodyear & Armour, 2019; Go-lovchin, 2022; León et al., 2022; Prete & Redon, 2020).

Understanding people's online activities and their consequences is crucial. Online behavior can be directed towards various activities such as acquiring information, reading news, enhancing personal growth, socializing, entertainment, shopping, and playing games with different levels of intensity (Mude & Undale, 2023; Ryan et al.,

2014; van Deursen & van Dijk, 2014). Gómez (2020) proposes four techno-social dimensions that mediate this process: motivation, degree of formality, degree of sociality, and type of technological domestication.

Personal data is becoming increasingly relevant and frequently shared, which raises an important issue. There are different consequences, especially for the child and youth population. Exposure to curated content may create an unrealistic view of others' lives, leading to feelings of inadequacy or low self-esteem. Reduced face-to-face interactions, increased screen time, and sedentary lifestyles may result in issues like eye strain, poor sleep quality, and validation-seeking behavior. Additionally, loss of personal privacy may potentially expose individuals to various risks, which can impact mental health. And these are only some of the potential problems. (Abi-Jaoude et al, 2020; Allahverdi, 2022; Beyens et al., 2016; Boer et al., 2022; Munar, 2010; Onete et al., 2020)

Different people interact online in different ways. Studies on the digital divide have shown that people from different genders, age groups, educational backgrounds, and experiences use the Internet in different ways. Among these factors, gender has been found to be a particularly important predictor of online behavior (van Deursen & van Dijk, 2014).

Studies have shown that men tend to spend more time on social media compared to women. However, the differences are not limited to the amount of time spent on social media, but also to the effects the exposure has on them. Despite women spending less time on social media, it has a greater impact on their academic performance compared to men. (Ali et al., 2021; Alnjadat et al. 2019; Liu, 2018; Schodt, 2021). In contrast, other studies point to greater use by women of Snapchat, Facebook*, and Instagram*, as well as a greater focus on maintaining and building a wider network of contacts, while men move more toward other digital spaces such as video games (Allison et al., 2017; Kasahara et al., 2019; Metastasio et al., 2016).

Research on the topics mentioned above is growing, but still scarce in Cuba, which presents a unique context. Mobile data usage in the country was limited until December 2018, when it was activated for general use in a limited way. However, it only became widespread and more affordable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over time, there has been a steady increase in Internet penetration of the population, which currently stands at 68%, mostly through cellular telephony. This accelerated process, in a short period, makes Cuba a unique case, but one that can provide significant information. What are the characteristics of social network exposure of young Cubans? Is it similar to or different from that of other contexts?

The aim of this study was to analyze the personal exposure of young Cuban individuals to social media in the period from May to July 2022. The study focused on how gender influenced the understanding of this process and primarily analyzed the levels of personal exposure.

Hypothesis 1: It is hypothesized that there are high levels of personal exposure, which show up in the amount of time young people spend on social networks daily, the content they publish about their private lives, and the negative impact on their social life.

Hypothesis 2: Personal exposure varies based on gender. There are specific differences in the content males and females tend to publish, their motivations for it, and

the time they spend on social networks. These differences are influenced by social and cultural factors, and result in varying levels of personal exposure for males and females.

Methods Participants

A sample of 3,345 young people was assembled in a non-probabilistic manner by quotas. A specific number of participants per province was defined, calculated so as to be representative of the population, as indicated by the data obtained by the Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información (2022). Based on this analysis, a distribution by cluster was made, so that the sample was calculated with 99% representativeness and a 4% margin of error.

The ages of the subjects in the sample ranged from 18 to 35 years, because that is the period that is understood in Cuba to comprise Youth (M = 22.6, SD = 4.0); 63.3% were females and 36.7% were males.

Instruments

The research relied on a quantitative methodology, with a comparative and exploratory approach. This methodology was chosen to gather comprehensive and wideranging data on the phenomenon across the country. The authors of the research created a survey that was not subject to validation since it was designed to collect global information on the investigated phenomenon, rather than to standardize it.

The survey had 10 questions: one on sociodemographic data; a closed question on time spent on social networks; five multiple-choice questions that explored the users' networks, content posted, purpose, and alterations; and a Likert-type scale question, which explored concern for personal image (see Appendix).

Procedure

The data collection process consisted of two phases. The first phase involved a pilot test which was administered to 60 people. Based on their feedback, some questions were modified and others were converted into closed-ended questions, resulting in the final version of the survey. In the second phase, a survey was conducted online between May 23 and July 6, 2022. It was disseminated through various digital channels using the snowball method to reach a wide audience.

A study was conducted using 100 questionnaires to compare the results obtained through face-to-face interviews, digital surveys, and self-administered surveys. The study found that there were no significant differences in the results between the online and self-administered surveys, and the face-to-face interviews.

Data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences IBM SPSS V22. To test Hypothesis 1, descriptive statistics such as frequencies and means were used; for Hypothesis 2, nonparametric tests like Chi-square and MannWhitney U were employed. Additionally, a simple correspondence analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between social networks, type of content posted, and gender.

Results

The study found that a vast majority of young people are extensively using digital social media. Specifically, almost all of the participants reported using social media, with more than half of them spending over five hours a day on these platforms. Moreover, a significant number of respondents were found to use social media for more than 10 hours a day. It was observed that females tended to spend more time on social media compared to males: X2 (3, N = 3344) = 66.35, p<.001 (see Table 1).

Table 1

Time spent on social media

Male Female Total

Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

Does not use 9 0.7 9 0.4 18 0.5

1hr — 4hrs 628 51.2 814 38.4 1442 43.1

5hrs — 9hrs 477 38.9 950 44.9 1427 42.7

More than 10hrs 112 9.1 345 16.3 457 13.7

Total 1226 100.0 2118 100.0 3344 1000

Socialization through WhatsApp was shared and generalized by almost the entire sample. There was a difference according to gender in the most used networks: X2 (9, N = 3344) = 528.87, p<.01. By comparison, females had a higher usage of Instagram*, Facebook/Messenger*, Pinterest, and TikTok/Likee, while males were more likely to use Telegram, You Tube, and Twitter* (see Table 2).

Table 2

Social media on which they were present

Social media Male Female Total

Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

WhatsApp 1198 97.7 2106 99.4 3304 98.8

Instagram* 563 45.9 1370 64.7 1933 57.8

Facebook/Messenger* 583 47.6 1296 61.2 1879 56.2

Telegram 621 50.7 704 33.2 1325 39.6

You Tube 433 35.3 454 21.4 887 26.5

Twitter* 330 26.9 322 15.2 652 19.5

Pinterest 112 9.1 424 20.0 536 16.0

TikTok/Likee 26 2.1 122 5.8 148 4.4

LinkedIn 28 2.3 31 1.5 59 1.8

Total 1226 100.0 2118 100.0 3344 100.0

The most common ways these youth were exposed to content online included chatting (70.6%), communicating stories or status updates (60.1%), reacting to posts (33.3%), posting content (24.9%), leaving comments (23.5%), and sharing content (21.2%). These types of interactions are typically active and short-lived, such as conversations or stories that disappear within 24 hours.

Almost all the participants reported publishing content on social media, with a majority of them sharing content related to humor, music/art, and their personal lives. The most recent content published on social media platforms was found to be associated with religion. There were noticeable differences in the content published by males and females: X2 (13, N = 3320) = 668.29, p<.01. Males tended to publish more content related to humor, sports, science, and politics and were less inclined to share information about their personal lives. On the other hand, females were more likely to share content related to their personal lives, buying/selling, work/study, motivation, and fashion/trends (see Table 3).

Table 3

Content they post about on social media

Male Female Total

VyUlIIClII Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

Humor 851 70.0 1313 62.4 2164 65.2

Music/Art 413 34.0 686 32.6 1099 33.1

Private life 239 19.7 767 36.5 1006 30.3

Work/Study 297 24.4 700 33.3 997 30.0

Motivational 178 14.6 552 26.2 730 22.0

Buying/Selling 200 16.4 503 23.9 703 21.2

Science 231 19.0 255 12.1 486 14.6

Promotion 139 11.4 304 14.4 443 13.3

Politic 230 18.9 194 9.2 424 12.8

Fashion and trends 93 7.6 301 14.3 394 11.9

Sport 297 24.4 95 4.5 392 11.8

None 91 7.5 121 5.8 212 6.4

Religion 45 3.7 71 3.4 116 3.5

Total 1216 100.0 2104 100.0 3320 100.0

There was an association between the content published and the social media platforms where the youth were most involved: X2 (119, N = 3320) = 1196.27, p<.01. Facebook*, Instagram*, and Pinterest were more commonly associated with content about the youth's private life, buying/selling, motivation, fashion, trends, music, and art. This kind of content had a higher female audience. By contrast, YouTube, Telegram, Twitter*, and LinkedIn had more content related to sports, science, and politics, and a higher male audience.

Social media was mainly used by the participants as a source of entertainment (71.4%), a platform to share and distribute content that is of interest to others (49.9%), and a way to communicate and socialize (37.0%). Participants also used social media as a space for expressing their thoughts on various topics (32.5%) and promoting their study or work (29.7%). However, social media was rarely used for buying or selling activities, offering help, or sharing personal life details.

Participants mainly shared topics related to their friendships (49.4%), spare time (49.0%), family (38.4%), study and/or work (35.8%), personal interests (28.3%), love interest (25.7%), and socio-political activities (7.1%).

Although it is not clear why the youth shared their private lives with others, the data suggests that it happens quite frequently. Only 20% of the participants stated that they never share their private content, while almost 50% reported doing so several times a month. There were also significant gender-related differences in this regard. The data shows that females tended to share more private content than males: X2 (6, N = 3344) = 122.41, p<.01. This indicates that people use social media to satisfy their need for recognition by sharing their private content with others. You can refer to Table 4 for more information (see Table 4).

Table 4

Frequency of publication of contents of private life

Frequency Male Female Total

of publication aDout private life Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

Never 370 30.2 328 15.5 698 20.9

Every several months 248 20.2 573 27.1 821 24.6

Once a month 121 9.9 290 13.7 411 12.3

Several times a month 217 17.7 511 24.1 728 21.8

1-3 time a week 172 14.0 275 13.0 447 13.4

iНе можете найти то, что вам нужно? Попробуйте сервис подбора литературы.

Every day 52 4.2 83 3.9 135 4.0

Several times a day 46 3.8 58 2.7 104 3.1

Total 1226 100.0 2118 100.0 3344 100.0

Although the respondents acknowledged that they mostly published about their private lives, the frequency of publication varied significantly. A significant portion of the sample stated that they publish about their private lives more than once a month, ranging from several times a day to several times a month. However, another group of approximately the same number of people stated that they publish every few months or never.

In general, the youth were highly concerned about the image they projected on social networks. Participants paid close attention to the content others post about them and were worried about the image they portray of themselves. Females showed more intense concern than males in these respects. These young people were also concerned about other people's comments and publications about them, albeit to a lesser extent (see Table 5).

Table 5

Concern about the image projected on social media

Proposición Male Female Global U de Mann-Whitney Sig. asintót. (bilateral)

I don't like others to post any image, comment or video of mine without consent 3.81 4.03 3.95 1180915.50 .000

I select my best images to post on my profiles 3.55 3.98 3.83 1097595.00 .000

I give importance to what is said about me on social networks 2.69 2.73 2.72 1279414.50 .470

There was a correlation between the frequency of sharing private life content and the level of concern about the image projected: X2 (6, N = 3344) = 277.68, p<.01. Participants who showed their private lives less were more concerned about the publication of images without their consent.

The sample of young people in this study acknowledged the various negative effects of social media use. They reported that their families complained about the amount of time they spent online, and they themselves reported experiencing a decreased attention-span and concentration, difficulty sleeping, and less social interaction. Women who used social media more frequently showed higher levels of negative effects compared to men: X2 (8, N = 3319) = 91.23, p<.01. It is alarming to note that 10% of the participants reported experiencing three or more of these negative effects simultaneously (see Table 5).

Table 5

Perceived disorders resulting from presence on social media

Male Female Total

ivisoruers Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

Family's claim for connection time 362 29.9 839 39.8 1201 36.2

None 473 39.1 644 30.6 1117 33.7

Decrease in attention and concentration 350 28.9 673 31.9 1023 30.8

Difficulty sleeping well 259 21.4 513 24.3 772 23.3

Decreased face-to-face social interactions 240 19.8 474 22.5 714 21.5

Feelings of anxiety, insecurity and/or distress 195 16.1 442 21.0 637 19.2

Social isolation 142 11.7 318 15.1 460 13.9

Alterations in nutritional behaviors 72 5.9 166 7.9 238 7.2

Total 1211 100.0 2108 100.0 3319 100.0

It has been found that the amount of time young people spend on social media is significantly related to the development of certain disorders. As the perceived number of hours spent on social networks increases, so does the likelihood of experiencing alterations in behavior. Individuals who realize that they spend more than 10 hours a day on social media are more likely to experience a greater number of disorders. Increased exposure to social media can lead to family complaints, feelings of anxiety and insecurity, and difficulty sleeping: X2 (24, N = 3319) = 560.55, p<.01.

Discussion

The study's results support the two hypotheses. Hypothesis 1 stated that there are high levels of personal exposure among Cuban youth, which is evident in the amount of time these young people spend on social media and the content they are exposed to, especially private life content. Social media are more than just a tool for work or consumption; they are also a means of fulfilling needs, which makes young people consider them to be a space where they can express themselves and modify the forms of their relationships. Social media not only interact with content and imitate it in real life, but they also reflect people's values and lifestyles. As suggested by Prete & Redon (2020), the narrative people project online reflects subjective elements of the individual's reality.

Social media provide entertainment, and an outlet for expression, communication, content interaction, product promotion, and academic/labor activity (Abi-Jaoude et al., 2020; Candale, 2017; Colás-Bravo, et al., 2013; Domínguez & López, 2015). The expression of opinions and ideas is a crucial aspect of social media use, which satisfies the need for subjective meaning-making. Moreover, activity on the Internet contributes significantly to psychological well-being, especially when it involves interactions with others (Goodyear & Armour, 2019; Nikitina, 2021).

Young people have a tendency to showcase their private lives on social media, projecting their ways of thinking and living, which sometimes creates an idealized image of themselves. Our participants acknowledged that they tended to use social media to embellish the truth and present a perfect image of their lives. They used the platform to share their activities with others. Publishing private information not only serves as a means of expression. Rather, the online presence of an individual helps to maintain the integrity of their personality and identity in the social media realm. It also reflects the image that its creator desires to project (Pogorelov & Ryl-skaya, 2022).

It is important to note that the high levels of concern for one's image online can be attributed to the significant involvement and exposure of young people to social networks. Additionally, it highlights the awareness of the risks associated with the use of social media, particularly in regard to privacy issues.

Based on the results, it is evident that social media interactions are short-lived and fleeting in nature. The focus is on instant gratification and immediate responses. This type of participation and socialization carries a risk of decreasing users' levels of reflection and gradually losing track of history (Abi-Jaoude et al., 2020; Soldatova, et al., 2022).

The specific ways in which people are exposed to various environments can lead to either positive or negative outcomes, just as other social situations do. Our research highlighted the challenges involved in adapting to different social environments, which can result in significant changes, particularly at the cognitive and emotional levels.

Based on Hypothesis 2, personal exposure exhibits different characteristics depending on gender. Women tend to reflect higher levels of personal exposure, which leads to a higher degree of alteration, including family claims and decreased concentration levels. While most studies have concluded that the differences between men and women are not related to the amount of use, but to certain characteristics of such use, this study revealed a difference that goes both ways (Espinar & González, 2009; Liu, 2018).

It has been observed that women tend to use social networks more than men. They are more active in terms of publishing and consuming content related to their private life, work/study, fashion and trends, motivation, and buying/selling on platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram*, and Facebook*. They also tend to share their private lives more frequently, which makes them more concerned about the image they project. This aligns with previous studies that indicated that women use social networks more for personal care, employment, and training. Additionally, they prefer social networks that require the publication of images. However, this contradicts other studies that claim that men spend more time consuming content on social media (Valencia et al., 2020; Espinoza & Chávez, 2021).

The differences between men and women in the content they post, their motivations, and the time they spend on social media show that these digital spaces are not separate from the sociocultural context of face-to-face interactions. Gender can influence the process of socialization, leading to differences in the way people interact online. This also means that the stereotype that men are more reserved online and only interested in topics like sports, science, and politics is perpetuated.

This information is very relevant both theoretically and practically. These results are very similar to those from contexts with different social, economic and political organizations. They were obtained after only five years of mobile data use. Also, they occurred in a context of limited digital socialization due to issues of access to certain platforms and still limited connectivity. This speaks to the depth of the impact of digital socialization on social networks and the challenges they present in the globalization of living standards and relationships. Therefore, these results are in themselves relevant.

Conclusions

There is a trend of overexposure to social media interactions, mostly on WhatsApp, Facebook*, and Instagram*. People engage in discussions about humor, music/art, and their personal lives, such as friendships, free time, and family. This is mainly done using images and memes through ephemeral interactions. The participants are highly concerned about the image they project and tend to share a lot of their personal life, which leads to various disturbances in their daily life, such as family issues

and decreased attention span and concentration. Females tend to share more of their personal lives, leading to higher levels of personal exposure.

The exhibition of private and intimate life on the Internet reflects the attempt to be part of cyberspace, and affects the balance between face-to-face and virtual socialization spaces. This translates into alterations in social life, which, in turn, can expose youth to online risks to a greater extent. Therefore, it is necessary for future studies to analyze the phenomenon from a mixed or qualitative methodology that allows researchers to deepen our understanding of the ways in which young people are exposed to social networks, and their affective, cognitive, and behavioral impact, as well as to analyze the possible online risks that may result from such levels of exposure.

Limitations

The main limitation of this study lies in the data collection procedure. Methodologically, it was carried out through an online questionnaire, which introduces biases related to the possibility of generalizing the results, since this method meant we only worked with those participants who had access to the Internet. The data analysis was carried out only from a quantitative approach, which reduces the possibility of understanding the phenomenon from the experiences of the participants themselves.

Ethics Statement

The procedure was conducted in accordance with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists in Cuba. Participants were provided with a brief description of the study and were guaranteed complete anonymity, as no identifying information was collected. They were then required to give their consent for voluntary participation by checking a box indicating informed consent. Participation was limited to individuals age 18 years and above.

Author Contributions

J.E. Torralbas conceived of the idea. J.E. Torralbas and E. Corcho developed the theory, and performed the computations and data analysis. J.E Torralbas provided ample feedback and guidance in the capacity of a supervisor of E. Corcho's thesis. Both authors discussed the results and contributed to the final manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest. Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Havana. We are grateful to the team of testers formed by undergraduate students María Paula Valdés Torres, José Luis Martínez Torres, and Evelyn Rabí Isla.

References

Abi-Jaoude, E., Treurnicht, K., Pignatiello, N. & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media uses and youth mental health. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 192(6), E136-E141. https://doi. org/10.1503/cmaj.190434

Ali, S., Qamar, A., Habes, M., & al Adwan, M.N. (2021). Gender Discrepancies Concerning Social Media Usage and its Influences on Students Academic Performance. Utopía y Praxis Latinoamericana [Utopia and Latin American Praxis], 26, 321-333. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4556283 Allahverdi, F.Z. (2022). Relationship between perceived social media addiction and social media applications frequency usage among university students. Psychology in the Schools, 59(6), 1075-1087. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22662 Allison, C., Wiggins, S., Yan, W., Zhou, W., Olfert, M.D., Kattelmann, K., & Colby, S. (2017). Gender Differences in Use of Social Media for Health-related Information. The FASEB Journal, 31(S1). https:// doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.lb430 Alnjadat, R., Hmaidi, M.M., Samha, T.E., Kilani, M.M., & Hasswan, A.M. (2019). Gender variations in social media usage and academic performance among the students of University of Sharjah. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1016Zj.jtumed.2019.05.002 Balea-Fernández, F.J. (2021). El cambio de la socialización primaria y secundaria a la socialización virtual [The shift from primary and secondary socialization to virtual socialization]. Revista INFAD De Psicología [INFAD Journal of Psychology]. International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology, 2(2), 81-92. https://doi.org/10.17060/ijodaep.2021.n2.v2.2211 Beyens, I., Frison, E., & Eggermont, S. (2016). "I don't want to miss a thing": Adolescents' fear of missing out and its relationship to adolescents' social needs, Facebook* use, and Facebook* related stress. Computers in Human Behavior, 64, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/jxhb.2016.05.083 Boer, M., Stevens, G.W.J.M., Finkenauer, C., Koning, I.M., & van den Eijnden, R.J. J.M. (2022). Validation of the Social Media Disorder Scale in Adolescents: Findings from a Large-Scale Nationally Representative Sample. Assessment, 29(8), 1658-1675. https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911211027232 Candale, C.V. (2017). Las características de las redes sociales y las posibilidades de expresión abiertas por ellas. La comunicación de los jóvenes españoles en Facebook*, Twitter* e Instagram* [The characteristics of social networks and the possibilities of expression opened by them. The communication of young Spaniards on Facebook*, Twitter* and Instagram*]. Colindancias-Revista de La Red de Hispanistas de Europa Central [Colindancias Joutnal of the Network of Hispanists of Central Europe], 8, 201-220.

Cantor-Silva, M.I., Pérez-Suarez, E., & Carrillo-Sierra, S.M. (2018). Redes sociales e identidad social [Social networks and social identity]. AiBi Revista De Investigación, Administración E Ingeniería [AiBi Journal of Research, Administration and Engineering], 6(1), 70-77. https://doi. org/10.15649/2346030X.477 Chaffey, D. (2016). Global social media research summary 2016. Smart Insights: Social Media Marketing. Colás-Bravo, P., González-Ramírez, T., & de-Pablos-Pons, J. (2013). Young people and social networks: Motivations and preferred uses. Comunicar [Communicate], 40, 15-23. https://doi.org/10.3916/ C40-2013-02-01

Del Prete, A., & Redon, S. (2020). Las redes sociales on-line: Espacios de socialización y definición de identidad [Online social networks: Spaces for socialization and definition of identity]. Psicopers-pectivas [Psychoperspectives], 19(1), 86-96. https://doi.org/10.5027/psicoperspectivas-vol19-is-sue1-fulltext-1834

Domínguez, F. de J. & López, R. (2022). Uso de las redes sociales digitales entre los jóvenes universitarios en México. Hacia la construcción de un estado del conocimiento (2004-2014) [Use of digital social networks among young university students in Mexico. Towards the construction of a state of knowledge (2004-2014)]. Revista De Comunicación [Communication Magazine], 14(1), 48-69. Espinar, E., & González, M.J. (2009). Jóvenes en las redes sociales virtuales: un análisis exploratorio de las diferencias de género [Young people in virtual social networks: an exploratory analysis of gender differences]. Feminismo/s [Feminism/s], 14, 87-105. https://doi.org/10.14198/fem.2009.14.06

Espinoza, B.L., & Chávez, M.D. (2021). El uso de las redes sociales: Una perspectiva de género [The use of social networks: A gender perspective]. Maskana, 12(2), 19-24. https://doi.org/10.18537/ mskn.12.02.03

Golovchin, M. (2022). Manifestations of Digital Socialization among Young People: Findings of a Pilot Survey of High School Students. Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast, 5 (83). https://doi.org/10.15838/esc.2022.5.83.13 Gómez, D.C. (2020). Technological Socialization and Digital Inclusion: Understanding Digital Literacy Biographies among Young People in Madrid. Social Inclusion, 8(2), 222-232. https://doi. org/10.17645/si.v8i2.2601

Goodyear, V. A. & Armour, K.M. (Eds). (2019) Young People, Social Media and Health. Taylor & Francis. Hodkinson, P. (2017). Bedrooms and beyond: Youth, identity and privacy on social network sites. New

Media & Society, 19(2), 272-288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444815605454 Kasahara, G.M., Houlihan, D., & Estrada, C. (2019). Gender Differences in Social Media Use and Cy-berbullying in Belize: A Preliminary Report. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.5539/ijps.v11n2p32 Ko^, A., Gokler, M.E., & Bilgehan, T. (2019). Social media addiction and obsessive selfie behavior in university students in terms of social media usage frequency. Yeni Symposium, 57(4), 15-20. https:// doi.org/10.5455/NYS.20200422065418 León, M., Rehbein, L., Labbé, C., van Deursen, A J.A.M., & Cerda, C. (2022). Psychological, cultural and socio-structural factors associated with digital immersion in Chilean adolescents. Journal of Children and Media, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2021.1904428 Liu, Y. (2018). Gender difference in perception and use of social media tools. In Gender and Diversity: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, Vol.4, (pp. 1845-1858). IGI Global. https://doi. org/10.4018/978-1-5225-6912-1.ch097 Marder, B., Joinson, A., Shankar, A., & Houghton, D. (2016). The extended 'chilling' effect of Facebook*: The cold reality of ubiquitous social networking. Computers in Human Behavior, 60, 582-592. https://doi.org/10.1016/jxhb.2016.02.097 Metastasio, R., Brizi, A., Biraglia, A., & Mannetti, L. (2016). Gender differences in traditional media and

Social Network use. Rassegna Di Psicologia, 33(3), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.4458/8067-03 Mude, G., & Undale, S. (2023). Social Media Usage: A Comparison Between Generation Y and Generation Z in India. International Journal of E-Business Research, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.4018/ IJEBR.317889

Munar, A.M. (2010) "Digital Exhibitionism: The Age of Exposure", Culture Unbound, 2(3), 401-422.

https://doi.org/10.3384/cu.2000.1525.10223401 Nikitina, E. (2021). Is Selfie Behavior Related to Psychological Well-being? Psychology in Russia: State of

the Art, 14(3), 21-33. https://doi.org/10.11621/pir.2021.0302 Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información [National Office of Statistics and Information] Censo. Población y vivienda [Census. Population and housing]. (2022). Retrieved from http://www.onei. gob.cu

Onete, C.B., Vargas, V.M., & Chita, S.D. (2020). Study on the implications of personal data exposure on

the social media platforms. Transformations in Business and Economics, 19(2), 243-258. Pashkovsky, E.A. (2019). Internet as a communication problem. Diskurs/Discource, 5(1), 92-97. https://

doi.org/10.32603/2412-8562-2019-5-1-92-97 Pogorelov, D.N., & Rylskaya, E.A. (2022). The Development and Psychometric Characteristics of the "Virtual Identity of Social Media Users" Test. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 15(4), 101-126. https://doi.org/10.11621/pir.2022.0407 Ryan, T., Chester, A., Reece, J., & Xenos, S. (2014). The uses and abuses of Facebook*: A review of Face-book* addiction. Journal of Behavioral Addictions. Akademiai Kiado Rt. https://doi.org/10.1556/ JBA.3.2014.016

Santos, E. (2018). Construcción de la identidad digital a través de la auto-objetivación: creación del yo-objeto y su relación con la cosificación del cuerpo de las mujeres Construction of digital identity

through self-objectification: creation of the self-object and its relationship with the objectification of women's bodies. Teknokultura. Revista de Cultura Digital y Movimientos Sociales [Technokultu-re. Magazine of Digital Culture and Social Movements], 15(2), 301-309. https://doi.org/10.5209/ TEKN.59724

Schodt, K.B., Quiroz, S.I., Wheeler, B., Hall, D.L., & Silva, Y.N. (2021). Cyberbullying and Mental Health in Adults: The Moderating Role of Social Media Use and Gender. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https:// doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.674298 Soldatova, G.U., Chigarkova, S.V., & Ilyukhina, S.N. (2022) Real Self and Virtual Self: Identity Matrices of Adolescents and Adults. Kul'turno-Istoricheskaia Psikhologiia [Cultural-Historical Psychology], 18(4), 27-37. https://doi.org/10.17759/chp.2022180403 Soldatova, G.U., Rasskazova, E.I., & Chigarkova, S.V. (2020). Digital Socialization of Adolescents in the Russian Federation: Parental Mediation, Online Risks, and Digital Competence. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 13(4), 191-206. https://doi.org/Z10.11621/pir.2020.0413 Valencia, R., Cabero, J., & Garay, U. (2020). Influencia del género en el uso de redes sociales por el alumnado y profesorado [Influence of gender on the use of social networks by students and teachers]. Campus Virtuales [Virtual Campuses], 9(1), 29—39. van Deursen, A.J.A.M., & van Dijk, J.A.G.M. (2014). The digital divide shifts to differences in usage. New Media and Society, 16(3), 507-526. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444813487959

Original manuscript received June 15, 2023 Revised manuscript accepted November 17, 2023 First published online December 1, 2023

To cite this article: Torralbas Oslé, J.E., Corcho Rosales, E. (2023). Personal Exposure to Social Media and Variations by Gender among Cuban Youth. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 16(4), 72-89. DOI: 10.11621/pir.2023.0405

Appendix

Social media use questionnaire

Age: Gender:

1. How much time do you usually spend on social media on a daily basis?

_1hr — 4 hrs_5 hrs — 9 hrs_More of 10 hrs_None

2. Select the three social media you use most often

_Whatsapp _Telegram _Pinterest _TikTok/Likee _Instagram*

_Facebook* _Twitter* _Youtube _LinkedIn

How do you usually interact in those social media?

_Likes _Stories/States _Sharing

_Comments _Posting _Chat

3. What contents do you usually publish on social media?

_Humor _Scientific/technical _Promotion/outreach

_Political _Fashion/trends _Motivational

_Buy/sell _Private life _Music/arts

_None _Other

_Work/study

_Sports

_Religion

How you publish?

Videos _Memes _Texts _Others

_Pictures _Links _Audios

For what purpose do you publish content on social media?

_Entertainment

_Sharing/Disclosing content of interest

to others

_Promotion related to work and/or study

iНе можете найти то, что вам нужно? Попробуйте сервис подбора литературы.

_To let others know about my private life

_Communication/So-

_ Buying/Selling

cializing

_ To express my opinion on various

topics

_Giving help

Other

4. What content of your private life

_Family

_Couple

_Free time and entertainment

_Socio-political activity

_Study/work

do you usually publish on social media?

_Friendships

_Personal interests

_I do not publish about my private life

_Others

How often do you publish content related to your private life?

_Several times a day _Several times a month _Every few months

_Every day _Once a month _Never

_1-3 times a week

5. Have you felt that some of these situations have happened to you, following the use of social media?

_Difficulty sleeping well _Feelings of anxiety, insecurity and/or

_Changes in eating habits anguish when I do Mt: use ¡¡odd media

Social isolation _Decreased attention and concentration

_Decrease in face-to-face social interactions -Complaint from my family for being

connected for a long time _None °

6. In what sense these statements describe you. Mark between 1 and 5, where 1 is Not at all agree and 5 is Strongly agree.

_I select my best images to post.

_I do not like others to post any image, comment or video of me without my consent.

_I give importance to what people say about me on social media.

Social media use questionnaire (original version in Spanish)

Datos generales

Edad: Género:

¿Cuánto tiempo empleas usualmente en las redes sociales durante un día?

_1hr a 4 hrs_De 5 hrs a 9 hrs_De 10 hrs en adelante_Ninguna

Selecciona las tres redes sociales que emplees con más frecuencia

_Whatsapp _Telegram _Pinterest _TikTok/Likee _Instagram*

_Facebook* _Twitter* _YouTube _LinkedIn

¿Cómo usualmente interactúas en ellas?

_Likes _Stories/States _Sharing

_Comments _Posting _Chat

3. ¿Qué contenidos sueles publicar en tus redes sociales?

_Humor _Científico/técnico _Autopromoción

_Político _Modas/tendencias _Motivacional

_Compra/venta _Vida privada _Música/arte

_Ninguno _Otros

¿Cómo lo publicas?

Videos _Memes _Textos _Otros

_Imágenes _Enlaces _Audios

¿Con qué propósito publicas?

_Entretenimiento

_Compartir contenido de interés para otros

_Promoción relacionada con trabajo y/o

estudio

_Para dejarle saber a otros sobre mi vida

privada _Otros

4. ¿Qué contenido de tu vida privada usualmente publicas en tus redes sociales?

_Familia _Amistades

_Pareja _Intereses personales

_Tiempo libre y entretenimiento _No publico sobre mi vida privada

_Actividad sociopolítica _Otras

_Estudio/trabajo

1.

2.

_Trabajo/estudio

_Deportes

_Religión

Compar/vender _Comunicación/socialización

Para expresar mi opinion sobre varios temas Dar ayuda

Personal Exposure to Social Media and Variations by Gender among Cuban Youth 89 ¿Con qué frecuencia publicas sobre tu vida privada?

_Varias veces en el día _Varias veces en un mes _Cada varios meses

_Cada día _Una vez al mes _Nunca

_1-3 veces a la semana

5. ¿Has experimentado alguna de estas situaciones después del empleo de las redes sociales? Selecciona cuáles.

_Dificultad para dormir bien _Sentimientos de ansiedad, inseguridad y/o angustia

_Cambios en los hábitos alimentarios cuando no emPlea las redes sociales

Aislamiento social _Disminución de la atención y la concentración

_Disminución de la interacción social -Quejas de su familia Por el tiemPo que dedica a las

redes

_Ninguna

6. ¿En qué grado estas afirmaciones lo describen? Responda entre 1 y 5, donde 1 es para nada de acuerdo y 5 es totalmente de acuerdo.

_Selecciono mis mejores imágenes para publicar en las redes sociales

_No me gusta que los otros publiquen alguna imagen, comentario o video mío sin mi

consentimiento

_Le doy importancia a lo que se comente de mí en las redes sociales

i Надоели баннеры? Вы всегда можете отключить рекламу.