How social media defines us : an analysis of the relationship between social media habits and human personality traits of people resident in Malta

Abstract

Social media use and general internet communication has become ubiquitous in the contemporary world, and further adoption and development of these virtual tools is continuously on the rise. As such, a significant portion of everyday human communication takes place online, and specifically, through social media. This dissertation details the analysis of a study in which social media behaviour and habits were compared and contrasted across test subjects based in Malta, across Generations X, Y, and Z, according to their dominant personality trait, i.e. introversion or extroversion. Hence, a quantitative approach was utilized in order to answer the research question: To what extent do social media habits impact the personality traits of residents in Malta? Results of such research were cross-referenced according to test-subjects’ dominant personality trait and age-group, so as to investigate a number of hypotheses related to a correlation between introversion and, or extroversion, and certain behaviours and, or habits observed on contemporary social media platforms. The paper adopts a mixed methodology approach in utilizing personality theory based on Jungian psychology, as well as the Three, and Five Factor models of personality types. Results were, in turn, validated with relevant literature on the subject of online human communication.