Creation and validation of an instrument to evaluate the use of social media in university students and its influence on psychological well-being

Abstract

This study addresses the creation, design, and validation of a questionnaire focused on evaluating the use of social media among university students and its impact on psychological well-being. Two main tools were used: an ad hoc questionnaire, centered on knowledge and use of social media, validated by experts and whose reliability was measured with Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) by Goldberg & Williams (1988) to assess the influence on psychological well-being. The validation of the first instrument revealed four crucial dimensions: knowledge of social media, usage profile, purposes of use, and awareness of associated problems. Only the knowledge and usage profile dimensions met the criteria for validation. With a sample of 797 university students, the analyses confirmed the suitability of both instruments for investigating the use of social media and its effect on psychological well-being.