Social media adoption in Italian firms. Opportunities and challenges for lagging regions
Social media are an important growth opportunity for firms, especially small‐sized ones operating in peripheral and lagging regions. In this paper, we investigate not only whether firms are able to take this opportunity, but also if they are able to face the challenge of adopting social media at a professional level to obtain a significant economic impact, measured in terms of exporting activities. Exploring the Italian case, our empirical study indicates that smaller firms in lagging areas are more likely to adopt social media but at the same time less likely to use them at a professional level. This reflects poor strategic targets of social media adoption and lower probabilities of enteri…
The Role of Existential Concerns in the Individual’s Decisions regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: A Survey among Non-Vaccinated Italian Adults during the Third Wave of the Pandemic
Recent studies have suggested that health constructs embraced by the Terror Management Theory (TMT) and the Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT) may drive individuals’ COVID-19 health-related decisions. This study examines the relationships between existential concerns (ECs; within the TMT), basic psychological needs (BPNs; within the BPNT) and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (VH), as well as the mediating role of negative attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines. A cross-sectional survey was carried out from April to May 2021 on a sample of two hundred and eighty-seven adults (Mage = 36.04 ± 12.07; 59.9% females). Participants provided information regarding existential concerns, basic psychologica…
Electronic surveillance in the couple: The role of self-efficacy and commitment
Abstract Researchers have shown a significant effect of using social networking sites (SNSs) on romantic relationships. Surveillance is one of the motives for social network use. Social networking surveillance is related to controlling a romantic partner's online behaviours. The purpose of the study was to search for antecedents of electronic surveillance (Study 1) and to examine their role in behaviours related to electronic surveillance among romantic couples (Study 2). Following the uses and gratification theory and technology acceptance model of using SNSs, antecedents of electronic surveillance in adult Facebook users were examined. In Study 1, the relationship between electronic surve…
ONLINE SOCIAL COMPARISON ITS ROLE IN PREDICTING INDIVIDUALS’ WELL-BEING
Social comparison is the practice through which people compare their own opinions, abilities, behaviours, and emotions with those of others as an external guide and a source for self-evaluation. Social comparison has been put forward as a core feature of interpersonal relationships both in the offline context and in virtual interactions through social media. A growing number of studies has highlighted that online social comparison through social media can influence individuals’ everyday life. In this thesis, I will examine the role of online social comparison in influencing individuals’ well-being in three research designs with different outcomes. In the first empirical study, a cross-lagge…
Entrepreneurship on Social Networking Sites: The Roles of Attitude and Perceived Usefulness
Background: Social media platforms are a significant growth opportunity for enterprises, especially for microenterprises, due to the possibility of establishing direct contact with their customers. We investigate the psychological reasons that drive entrepreneurs towards the use of social networking sites (SNSs) for their business, following two important social psychology theories: the theory of planned behaviour and the technology acceptance model. We also tested for two personality traits: openness to experience and dominance. Methods: Data were acquired by examining 325 microentrepreneurs who decided to use either SNSs or traditional sales methods for their businesses. Results and concl…
A longitudinal investigation on problematic Facebook use, psychological distress and well-being during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic
AbstractThe social isolation and the subsequent, increased use of Social Networking Sites due to the COVID-19 pandemic have had an impact on subjective well-being around the world. The present longitudinal study examined whether changes in psychological distress and well-being during the Italian second wave of the pandemic differ among people with different levels of Problematic Facebook Use (PFU). A total of 493 participants (Mage = 24.55 ± 7.25; 80.3% females) completed measures of passive use of Facebook, social comparison orientation on Facebook, fear of missing out, psychological distress (depressive symptoms and fear of COVID-19 pandemic) and well-being across three waves. Latent clas…
Interaction through social media: Development and validation of a social network site self-efficacy scale (SNS-SES)
Today, more than ever before, awareness of our ability to interact with others through and use social network sites (SNSs) is of fundamental importance, in light of the fact that we are connected to the Web 24 h a day, 7 days a week. Studies of social media in recent decades have shown that self-efficacy is one of the key variables affecting individual online behavior. The general aim of the studies presented here was to develop and validate a new self-report scale measuring self-efficacy in SNS use (an SNS self-efficacy scale, or SNS-SES). Across two studies, a total of 1295 Italian adolescents and adults (ages 15 to 89; M = 38.21, SD = 15.6) participated. The SNS-SES consists of 24 items …
The role of online social comparison as a protective factor for psychological wellbeing: A longitudinal study during the COVID-19 quarantine
During the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the experience of quarantine has been an undesirable condition for people and it can have a negative impact on mental health and psychological wellbeing. Social isolation has led to an increase in time spent on social network sites, with people interacting more frequently with each other, and comparing online the way in which they are experiencing the same state of home confinement. Our study aimed to investigate the role of online social comparison on individuals' psychological distress and life satisfaction during the COVID-19-related quarantine. Specifically, a cross-lagged panel study at three-waves was conducted in Italy in order to examine the chan…
Effects of COVID‐19 lockdown on eating disorders and obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Abstract Objective This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to examine: the pooled prevalence of symptomatic behaviours and mental health deterioration amongst individuals with eating disorders (EDs) and obesity during the COVID‐19 confinement. Moreover, we examined changes in EDs and distress before and during the confinement, and the association between psychosocial factors and EDs symptoms. Method A systematic search was carried out in biomedical databases from January 2020 to January 2021. Both cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies that used quantitative measures of ED symptoms and psychological distress during and after the COVID‐19 confinement were included. Results A total o…
Social Media usage in enterprises. Empirical evidence from different perspectives
Il nostro mondo è in continua evoluzione a causa dell'impatto pervasivo delle tecnologie dell'informazione e della comunicazione (TIC), come ad esempio gli Smartphone, i Social Media, i Blog e molto altro ancora. Molte di queste tecnologie non esistevano alcuni anni fa ma, oggi, stanno diventando fondamentali per la nostra vita, per la società e per le imprese. Nello specifico, questa tesi si concentra sugli aspetti economici e psicologici dell'uso dei Social Media nelle imprese, fornendo nuove evidenze empiriche, utili a corroborare e migliorare gli attuali modelli concettuali e teorici. La tesi è strutturata in tre capitoli. Nel primo capitolo, si utilizzano dati aggregati sull'uso delle …
The role of sexting in couple wellbeing for Italian women during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic
The social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the sexuality and quality of life of people around the world. A particularly negative effect was detected on women’s sexual health. As a consequence, many women began to use social media not only to stay in touch with their social networks, but as a way of maintaining sexual contact. The main aim of this research is to observe the positive effects of sexting in women’s wellbeing as a strategy to manage the negative effects of a condition of forced isolation. We collected all our data between November 2020 and March 2021 during a period of strict restrictions in Italy due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Study …
The impact of Facebook use on self-reported eating disorders during the COVID-19 lockdown.
AbstractBackgroundThe social isolation due to the COVID-19-related lockdown has had an impact on social media consumption around the world. This study examines the relationship between fear of COVID-19, Facebook use and disordered eating.MethodsStructural Equation Modeling was used to analyse two-wave survey data (T0: Italian first lockdown; T1: after two months) during the pandemic. Young adults with self-reported dysfunctional eating behaviors (N = 115; 91.3% females; mean age = 28.60 ± 7.31) were recruited to complete an online survey at T0; 66 participants (92.4% females; mean age = 28.85 ± 7.85) completed the survey at T1. They were assessed on Facebook use, dysfunctional eating cognit…
The psychological impact of COVID-19 on people suffering from dysfunctional eating behaviours: a linguistic analysis of the contents shared in an online community during the lockdown.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread several months ago from China and it is now a global pandemic. The experience of lockdown has been an undesirable condition for people with mental health problems, including eating disorders. The present study has the aim of understanding the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with selfreported disordered eating behaviours. A linguistic analysis was carried out with regard to the online posts and comments published by 1971 individuals (86% women) in a Facebook online community focusing on EDs during the lockdown. A total of 244 posts and 3603 comments were collected during the 56 days of lockdown (from the 10th of March…
The Thin Ideal and Attitudes towards Appearance as Correlates of Exercise Addiction among Sporty People during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The stress and anxiety caused by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) have exacerbated body image concerns. A society that perpetuates the attempt for a perfect and thin appearance represents a fertile ground for the development of exercise addiction (EA). This cross-sectional study aims to explore EA during the second wave of the pandemic (October–December 2020) and to examine the independent influence of both time spent on moderate and vigorous physical activities and body image variables (i.e., drive for leanness and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance) on EA. A sample of Italian sporty people (N = 194; 48.5% females; Mage = 25.91 ± 6.32) was surveyed using the Exercise Addiction In…