Moderating role of gender in the relationships between impulsivity, online shopping addiction and social media addiction among university students

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the moderating roles of gender in the relationships between impulsivity, online shopping addiction and social media addiction among university students in Ghana. The predictive relationships between impulsivity, online shopping addiction and social media addiction among students was also explored. One thousand university students recruited from a university in Ghana were included in the study. Data analysis was conducted with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings from this study showed that impulsivity had a positive influence on both social media addiction and online shopping addiction. Moreover, social media addiction had a significant positive influence on online shopping addiction. We found that the influence of impulsivity on social media addiction was greater for males than females. Similarly, the effect of impulsivity on online shopping addiction was stronger for males compared to females. In contrast, the influence of social media addiction on online shopping addiction was greater for females than males. These results suggest that it is essential for mental health professionals to develop gender-specific interventions to help university students to deal with impulsivity, social media addiction and online shopping addiction. • What is the primary question addressed by this study? To what extent do impulsivity, social media addiction, and online shopping addiction relate to one another among university students in Ghana, and does gender moderate these associations? • What is the main finding of this study? Impulsivity significantly correlates with both social media addiction and online shopping addiction, while social media addiction also positively correlates with online shopping addiction. • What is the meaning of the finding? Gender-specific patterns exist: impulsivity has stronger effects on social media and online shopping addiction among males, whereas the link between social media addiction and online shopping addiction is stronger among females, highlighting the need for tailored interventions. • What is the novelty of this study? This study provides one of the first empirical examinations of gender as a moderator in the interconnected associations of impulsivity, social media addiction, and online shopping addiction among university students in a sub-Saharan African context.