  While many people use social network sites to connect with friends and
family, some feel that their use is problematic, seriously affecting their
sleep, work, or life. Pairing a survey of 20,000 Facebook users measuring
perceptions of problematic use with behavioral and demographic data, we
examined Facebook activities associated with problematic use as well as the
kinds of people most likely to experience it. People who feel their use is
problematic are more likely to be younger, male, and going through a major life
event such as a breakup. They spend more time on the platform, particularly at
night, and spend proportionally more time looking at profiles and less time
browsing their News Feeds. They also message their friends more frequently.
While they are more likely to respond to notifications, they are also more
likely to deactivate their accounts, perhaps in an effort to better manage
their time. Further, they are more likely to have seen content about social
media or phone addiction. Notably, people reporting problematic use rate the
site as more valuable to them, highlighting the complex relationship between
technology use and well-being. A better understanding of problematic Facebook
use can inform the design of context-appropriate and supportive tools to help
people become more in control.
