Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3302-1712

Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Reed College of Media

Department

Not Listed

Committee Chair

Joseph Jones

Committee Co-Chair

Bob Britten

Committee Member

Angela Cartwright

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Social Media Addiction and its Influence on the Physical Social Interactions Among West Virginia University Students

Blessing O. Omaleko

This qualitative study investigated social media addiction and its perceived influence on face-to-face interactions among 14 West Virginia University students using an open-ended qualitative survey. Grounded in Griffiths' (2013) behavioral addiction components, salience, mood modification, conflict, and relapse, the data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Findings revealed that while students characterized their social media use as a habit rather than an addiction, their descriptions aligned with multiple addiction components. Students consistently valued in-person interactions over online communication, citing lost nonverbal cues and emotional depth. Most supported the displacement hypothesis, though international students framed social media as essential for maintaining long-distance relationships. Participants demonstrated sophisticated informal media literacy, identifying algorithmic design as a driver of compulsive use. Strategies for balance included app deletion, screen time limits, and intentional disconnection. These findings offer a contextualized understanding of social media's role in students' social lives and inform targeted interventions to promote healthier digital-life balance and meaningful offline connections.

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