1. The Effect of Instagram on Text Messaging, Age, and Pinterest
Caitlin Toliver
Longwood University
Introduction
A common assumption is that younger people use their cellphones and computers more than those who are older than them because they are texting and using social media. This project explores the relationships between social media, age, and text messaging habits.
Research Question
How is Instagram related to age, text messaging habits, and other social media.
Hypotheses
Text Messaging Habits
People with Instagram will send and receive more text messages than those without Instagram
People with Instagram and Pinterest will send more text messages than those with only one or without both.
Knowing an individual’s age will predict the number of texts messages sent per day.
Social Media
People with Instagram will be younger than people without Instagram
People without Pinterest will be younger than people without Pinterest
People who have both social media will be younger than people who have only one or neither
Instagram and Pinterest will not be independent of one another
Method
Participants
191 participants
Restricted the sample due to outliers
Convenience study
Method Continued
Materials & Procedure
Participants were given a link to complete the survey and were then asked to send the link to at least three other people
Social Media
the survey asked participants to indicate whether they had an Instagram or not
Text Messaging
participants were asked to record the number of text messages they send and receive per day
Age
the survey asked participants to record how old they were
Results Continued
The results of a correlational analysis suggest a negative association between age and number of sent text messages, r(191) = -.25, p < .01.
A person’s age is a significant way to predict the number of text messages they send each day, R(1, 189) = .25, p < .01, Ŷ = – 1.91(x). Age makes up 6.3% of the variability in the number of sent text messages.
*Hypothesis 3 was supported
Discussion
With the exception of the predictions that people with Pinterest will send more text messages than people without Pinterest and people with Pinterest will be younger than people without Pinterest, all hypotheses were supported.
For the ANOVAs, results should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size
Future research could explore whether sex influences the age of people with certain social media habits.
Results
Two 2 (Instagram: yes or no) x 2 (Pinterest: yes or no) factorial ANOVAs resulted in a significant main effect of Instagram on sent text messages, F(1, 185) = 5.39, p = .02, and an a significant main effect of Instagram on age, F(1, 195) = 29.26, p < .01.
People with Instagram (M = 68.87, SD = 67.43) send significantly more text messages than people without Instagram (M = 42.26, SD = 50.75).
*Hypothesis 1 was supported
People with Instagram (M = 21.51, SD = 5.89) are significantly younger than people without Instagram (M = 32.23, SD = 15.58).
*Hypothesis 4 was supported
The results of an independent t-test suggest that participants report receiving significantly more texts messages if they have Instagram, t(188) = -3.52, p < .01.
A chi square test of independence indicates that there is a relationship between Instagram and Pinterest, χ2(1, N = 189) = 16.32, p < .01.
*Hypothesis 7 was supported
Figure 1. The relationship between age and number of text messages sent per day.

2. Independent t-test

3. Independent t-test (age)

4. Factorial ANOVA

5. Linear Regression (with Correlation and Scatterplot)

6. Chi Square Test of Independence