Recommendation 2: Location, Age, and Sequential Designs

Recommendation 2: Location, Age, and Sequential Designs

This research study examined the social media habits, behaviours, and perceptions of young adults, aged 18-24 in the Edmonton and surrounding area. It would be beneficial for future researchers to study other locations, either locally or globally, to compare or contrast a variety of results. The age range of the sample was chosen due to the likelihood of young adults actively participating on social media. Future research should examine other age ranges and how they are affected by social media usage and addiction. By conducting sequential research methods of different age ranges, future researchers can determine indicators at each life stage that could be attributed to SMA. A cross-sectional research design would collect a sample from a variety of age ranges at one point in time, to draw inferences about SMA and age at that current time (Merrigan et al., 2012). A longitudinal-panel study would collect SMA data at multiple different points of time in a participant’s life (Merrigan et al., 2012). By collecting data over time with consistent participants, researchers could determine the likelihood of SMA in different life stages.