Social media addiction and cyberloafing in healthcare workers

The purpose of this study is to investigate the issue of social media addiction and cyberloafing in healthcare professionals. In this context, the social media addiction and cyberloafing status of the participants, the relationship between social media addiction and cyberloafing, and the effect of social media addiction on cyberloafing are discussed. It is also aimed to reveal whether there are differences according to the demographic characteristics of the participants. Social media addiction, which is a type of internet addiction, is the excessive desire of a person to spend time on social networking sites and to stay online constantly; and the excessive use of these platforms to a degree that negatively affects their normal life and psychology. Cyberloafing can be defined as the use of computers/internet during working hours, even though it is not related to work; individual internet use, misuse of the internet, surfing for entertainment purposes and unnecessary computer use. In this research, a three-part questionnaire (survey) was used as a data collection tool. The first part of the form includes personal information of the participants; the second part includes questions about social media addiction; and the third part includes questions about cyberloafing. Healthcare workers working in Kocaeli constitute the universe of the research. The research was conducted on a sample of 426 people who accepted voluntary participation. Descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, difference analyses, correlation analyses and regression analyses were used in the analysis of the data collected through the questionnaire. According to the findings, the general average of the social media addiction level was calculated as 2.51. Accordingly, it can be said that the participants' social media addiction was at a low level. Among the sub-dimensions, the highest average was found as 2.65 in the virtual tolerance dimension; the lowest average was found as 2.34 in the virtual communication dimension. The general average of cyberloafing was calculated as 2.49. Accordingly, it can be said that the participants' cyberloafing behaviors were also at a low level. Among the sub-dimensions, the highest average was found as 2.92 in the personal transactions dimension; and the lowest average was found as 1.69 in the earning dimension. In the study, it was determined that there was a positive medium-level relationship between the social media addiction and cyberloafing behavior of the participants. According to the results, the models that reveal the effects of social media addiction on cyberloafing, personal transactions, obtaining information, having fun, and earning are significant and positive. There is a significant difference in social media addiction and all its sub-dimensions according to the age and duration of social media use of the participants. A significant difference was found in age, marital status, duration of social media use, and cyberloafing and personal transactions sub-dimensions. Participants' cyberloafing's sub-dimensions of obtaining information and earning income show a significant difference according to the gender variable. In line with the findings and results obtained, it is recommended that health institutions and their employees prioritize the issues of social media addiction and cyberloafing on their agenda. Keywords: Healthcare Workers, Social Media, Social Media Addiction, Cyberloafing.