Relationship between self-esteem, fear of COVID-19 and Instagram addiction among undergraduates in Malaysia

Lee, Jia Jie and Loon, Ling Lee and Thio, Kai Qi (2022) Relationship between self-esteem, fear of COVID-19 and Instagram addiction among undergraduates in Malaysia. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

Instagram addiction has become an alarming issue worldwide, and Malaysia is no exception. Therefore, the present study examined the relationships between self-esteem, fear of COVID-19 and Instagram addiction among undergraduates in Malaysia. Three instruments were used to measure the respective constructs, including 10-Item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, 7-Item Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and 6-Item The Instagram Addiction Scale. A cross-sectional survey design with quantitative methodology was employed. Purposive sampling method was also applied to recruit Malaysian undergraduates, aged between 18 to 24 years, who were also Instagram users with personal accounts. Hence, a total number of 183 Malaysian undergraduates (M = 21.91 years; SD = 1.00 years), wherein 74.9% of them were females (n = 137), were involved in the present research by answering the online self-administered questionnaire. The results showed that there was no significant relationship between self-esteem and Instagram addiction. Self-esteem also did not significantly predict Instagram addiction. In contrast, a positive relationship was reported between fear of COVID-19 and Instagram addiction. Fear of COVID-19 also positively predicted Instagram addiction. Not only the present findings shed new light on the extant literature about Instagram addiction in the Malaysian context, but also provided empirical support to the policymakers in designing evidence-based programs related to Instagram addiction.

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