Differentiating Problematic from Habitual Instagram Use: A Uses and Grats 2.0 Perspective

Abstract

The popularity of Instagram among young adults has raised concerns about the excessive use of Instagram. Is it the kind of problematic media use that takes over one’s life or just habitual ritualized use characterized by mindless scrolling? How can we differentiate between the two based on the use of Instagram features and perceived gratifications from the technology itself? Drawing on the theoretical framework of Uses and Gratifications (U&G) and U&G 2.0, we conducted a survey study ( N = 482) to answer these questions. Our findings show that habitual Instagram use is positively related to the use of lurking- and connection-related features and the gratification of play. By contrast, problematic Instagram use is positively correlated with the use of broadcasting-related features and the gratification of novelty. Theoretical implications for differentiating problematic from habitual Instagram use and practical implications for designing ethical interfaces, which consider the digital well-being of users, are discussed.