Relationship 2.0: A systematic review of associations between the use of social network sites and attachment style

Abstract

Today, Social Network Sites (SNSs) offer a wide variety of functions for initiating and maintaining personal relationships (i.e. sharing private information, messaging, commenting, liking or viewing others profiles). According to the uses and gratifications approach, individuals chose how they use media in order to satisfy given needs. Regarding personal relationships, attachment style is associated with distinct needs and behaviors. Thus, SNS use should differ with distinct attachment styles. This review aims to answer the question, how attachment style is related to SNS usage pattern and provide a comprehensive overview, by identifying and integrating associations with different facets of SNS use. Results were based on a systematic review of 17 studies. Measures of SNS use could be attributed to the facets of three categories: (1) Quantitative use (i.e. time spent on SNSs, number of friends/followers), (2) qualitative use (social use, parasocial use, self-presentation, monitoring) and (3) SNS motive (anxiety reduction, avoiding closeness). Especially insecure attached individuals strive to satisfy attachment needs through SNS use. While anxious individuals aim to reduce anxiety i.e. by seeking feedback via online social interaction, avoidant users can feel connected browsing others’ profiles without facing the threat of closeness. Insecure attachment was associated with negative outcomes related to SNS use, such as addictive behaviors. Limitations and implications of the findings are discussed.

Keywords

Attachment anxiety attachment avoidance attachment style psychology social media social network sites

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