Towards a better understanding of the social media effects on young users

The purpose of this paper is to offer a clear understanding of the impact of social media use on young consumers. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire, administered to a random sample of 600 university students in Lebanon. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. The results show that social media use enhances fear of missing out among young consumers, which by in turn, has a negative impact on discontinuance intentions. Moreover, it was found that the relationship between social media use and fear of missing out is moderated by social media motivation of use. With the increasing usage of social media, there is a need to study addictive behaviour amongst the young population, in a new geographical context, Lebanon. The Middle East in general and Lebanon, in particular, has witnessed no empirical research on the subject. Consequently, this study is considered important and a major step toward establishing a theoretical base and underpinnings on the subject of social media use.