Self-perception, Personality, and Observed Activity on Snapchat

Abstract

This study investigated the frequency of Snapchat activity (i.e., posting stories, change in user score) and the content of Snapchat stories in relation to self-perception (i.e., narcissism, self-esteem, fear of missing out (FoMO), loneliness).  Participants were 138 undergraduates (19 males, 119 females) with active Snapchat accounts.  FoMO and some aspects of narcissism were related to certain indices of Snapchat activity (i.e., posting stories, using captions, including videos in stories), but these relations were relatively weak in magnitude.  This study indicates that for more immediate, short-term social media formats, relatively stable personality or self-perception constructs may be of limited relevance. To the extent that narcissism and FoMO are relevant for Snapchat use, they may reflect self-enhancement or connectedness motives, respectively.