Pakistani Youth and Social Media Addiction: the Validation of Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS)

Abstract

Majority of Pakistan’s population is comprised of youth who are increasingly using social media networks like Facebook. Though Facebook provides a platform for social interaction, there are also considerable problems associated with excessive Facebook usage that can result into addiction. Measurement of usage and addiction of Facebook through a validated scale is needed to promote better policies for protection against the pernicious consequences of addiction. Until now, the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) has not been widely used and validated in Pakistan. The objective of the present study was to conduct a psychometric validation in a sample of university students of Pakistan. Responses of 713 respondents were included in the final analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis was run to confirm construct validity, and results showed that the BFAS demonstrates a one-factor solution with high factor loadings for all items. Criterion validation was also performed through structural equation modeling. Results showed that the BFAS primarily measures intensity of usage in context of addiction. Internal consistency was proven through Cronbach’s alpha analysis which was above 0.78. To conclude, the BFAS can be used in both epidemiological and clinical settings. Longitudinal use of the BFAS on larger population can help to devise policies for positive social media networking in university students to improve mental health and social development.