The Impact of Excessive SNS Usage on Social Ties among University Students

Social Networking Site (SNS) has become a popular communication medium among adolescents. Unlike traditional face-to-face interaction, SNS, being a computer-mediated communication method, exerts constraints on human interaction. It cut out non-verbal cues and often runs in asynchronous format. These constraints raise the question of how would SNS usage affects one’s social ties. This study examined the relationship between SNS usage and adolescents’ social ties. A total of 725 undergraduate students from eight public universities in Malaysia answered the survey that consisted of SNS Addiction items and Social Provisions Scale. The findings revealed that social ties were significantly and negatively correlated with excessive SNS usage. High usage level of SNS poses poor level of social ties. All seven sub-dimensions of social ties also correlated significantly and negatively with excessive SNS usage.