Personality Traits, Boredom, and Loneliness as Predictors of Facebook Use in On-Campus and Online University Students

This study examined the relationship between individual differences (Big Five personality traits, self-esteem, loneliness, narcissism, shyness, and boredom) and social networking behaviours in two samples of Australian undergraduate students, one enrolled on-campus (n = 93) and another in a completely online (n = 113) version of the same subject. Participants completed an online questionnaire measuring personality traits, psychological variables, and Facebook use. Negative binomial regression models showed that on-campus students with higher levels of neuroticism, extraversion, and loneliness tended to have more Facebook friends, however, no significant predictors of number of friends were found for online students. There were no significant predictors of time spent using Facebook per day for either cohort. Contrary to expectations, boredom was not a significant predictor of time spent on Facebook for on-campus students, but the low participation and completion rate for this on-campus group suggests that students high on boredom proneness were unlikely to have completed the survey.