Social Media Wisdom Scale (Unpublished)

Chugani, S., Schneider, A. B., Luchs, M. G., Kaur, T. (2023). Social Media Wisdom: Conceptualization and Scale Development. Manuscript in preparation.

Social Media Questionnaire

How well (or how often) does each of the following statements describe you? Please answer with respect to how you spend your time on social media.

(7pt scale: never, occasionally, sometimes, often, frequently, usually, always)

  1. I use social media to find solutions to challenges in my life.
  2. I use social media to connect with people and groups that I believe I can learn from.
  3. I follow accounts on social media that help me get closer to having the type of life I want.
  4. I use social media to help myself achieve my personal goals.
  5. Before sharing news or information I find on social media, I check to see if it is true.
  6. Before I share content I find on social media, I check to see if the source is reliable.
  7. Before believing news I see on social media, I verify that the source is credible.
  8. Before I share content I find on social media, I check to see if the content is accurate.
  9. I use social media to stay close to people who are special to me.
  10. I use social media to help me maintain relationships with people who are meaningful to me.
  11. I use social media to connect with people I care about.
  12. The content I share on social media allows me to strengthen my bonds with others who are important to me.
  13. I take concrete steps to limit the amount of unnecessary time and attention social media takes up in my day.
  14. I monitor the amount of time I spend on social media with the goal of limiting my social media use.
  15. I take intentional breaks from social media.
  16. I limit my use of social media by setting aside specific times during the day to engage with it.
  17. When I share something on social media, I don’t spend time thinking about how many likes or how much engagement it gets.
  18. I avoid comparing myself to others on social media.
  19. If I share something on social media that does not get too much engagement or attention, I accept it instead of dwell on it.
  20. I avoid comparing my physical appearance to how others look on social media.
  21. When I notice that an account I follow is negatively affecting me, I unfollow or block that account.
  22. I unfollow or hide updates from people who are no longer relevant in my life.
  23. I unfollow accounts that do not not add much value to my life.
  24. I unfollow or hide updates from people or companies that make me feel bad.

For researchers:

We recommend presenting the items in randomized order.

To calculate Social Media Wisdom, simply average all the items. To calculate specific dimensions of Social Media Wisdom, average the four items within each dimension as described below.

  • Growth Focus: Items 1-4
  • Content Skepticism: Items 5-8
  • Social Connection: Items 9-12
  • Moderation: Items 13-16
  • Protecting Self-Worth: Items 17-20
  • Account Pruning: Items 21-24