Psychological factors affecting social media usage: A U&G theory perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in social media usage, raising concerns about its potential impact on mental health. The pandemic has created unique stressors and challenges that have worsened the mental health conditions of individuals due to prolonged social media usage. Hence, this study explores the psychological factors affecting social media usage post-pandemic. A mixed-method approach was utilized grounded on U&G theory to identify fear of missing out, peer pressure, self-esteem, loneliness, social comparison, and habit as factors affecting social media usage. The study found that those with higher levels of peer pressure, social comparison, habit and fear of missing out (FOMO) tend to use social media more frequently, suggesting its use as a coping mechanism. The study emphasizes the need for continued investigation to understand the complex relationship between social media usage and mental health post-pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]