Social Networking Addiction: Emerging Themes and Issues

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) are virtual communities where users can create individual public profiles, interact with real-life friends, and meet other people based on shared interests [1]. SNS usage patterns from both consumer research and empirical research indicate that overall, regular SNS use has increased substantially over the last few years [1]. SNSs are predominantly used for social purposes, mostly related to the maintenance of established offline networks, relative to individual ones [1]. However, recent evidence suggests that individuals may feel compelled to maintain their online social networks in a way that may, in some circumstances, lead to using SNSs excessively.