Factors associated with Facebook addiction among university students amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from an online cross-sectional survey

Rezaul Karim Ripon; Abdullah Al Zubayer; Quazi Maksudur Rahman; Abid Hasan Khan; Arifur Rahaman; M. Tasdik Hasan; Md. Rifat Al Mazid Bhuiyan; Md. Kamrul Ahsan Khan; Md. Ashraf Uddin Chowdhury; Md. Zakir Hossain

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0272905

Peer Review History

Original SubmissionMarch 24, 2022
7 Jun 2022 Decision Letter - Latika Gupta, Editor PONE-D-22-08770Factors Associated with Facebook Addiction among Bangladeshi University Students amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from an Online Cross-Sectional SurveyPLOS ONE Dear Dr. Ripon, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please submit your revised manuscript by Jul 22 2022 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org. When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file. 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If you have no competing interests, please state "The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.", as detailed online in our guide for authors at http://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submit-now This information should be included in your cover letter; we will change the online submission form on your behalf. Additional Editor Comments: Please consider enriching methods further with standard guidelines for reporting survey based studies e.g. CHERRIES checklist, 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e398. Please discuss limitations inherent to a survey based study. Please address reviewer comments appended below. [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] Reviewers' comments: Reviewer's Responses to Questions Comments to the Author 1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions? The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented. Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ******** 2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ****** 3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available? The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. 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(Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters) Reviewer #1: The research idea and manuscript is indeed interesting and relevant in today’s world The manuscript would benefit grammatical revisions If abbreviations are being used, they should be use consistently throughout the paper. Abstract: In the background- There could be more generalizability to the topic. Rather than using the phrase Bangladeshi university students, is this study generalizable to all university students during the covid-19 pandemic Methods What is Google form? COVID-19 related information questionnaire- what is the origin of these questions? Are they derived from any validated survey or the authors self-validated it by running a pilot? How is this information different from other studies performed about Facebook addiction? Your results are quite similar to studies that were performed in pre covid-19 pandemic era. So, how would you factor in the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant isolation in your study. The result that you have reported that physical activity is associated with increased Facebook addiction is different from previous studies. But no thought process is there to try to explain the difference. Could it be, for example that while being on an exercise machine people use social media to divert attention? I have made comments to highlighted areas in a pdf copy of the manuscript as well Reviewer #2: Nice manuscript. The authors wants to determine the factors associated with FA among university students. English writing needs some improvement. Discuss only the results/ the concept should be in the introduction section. Following the author's recommandations (table and results). Results: all Tables need some editing. References: typo in accord with the guidelines authors ****** 6. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files. If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public. Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy. Reviewer #1: Yes: Tulika Chatterjee Reviewer #2: No ******** [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/. PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org. Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step. Attachments Attachment Submitted filename: PONE-D-22-08770_reviewer comments.pdf https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272905.r001
Revision 1
20 Jun 2022 Author Response Reviewer #1: The research idea and manuscript is indeed interesting and relevant in today’s world Author Responses: Thanks for your complement for our working. The manuscript would benefit grammatical revisions Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. We revised it. If abbreviations are being used, they should be use consistently throughout the paper. Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. We revised it in line 255. Abstract: In the background- There could be more generalizability to the topic. Rather than using the phrase Bangladeshi university students, is this study generalizable to all university students during the covid-19 pandemic Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. We revised it in line 4-24. Methods What is Google form? Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were not possible to collect data through a face-to-face interview. We collected data by google form. The Google forms had several advantages which a manual questionnaire does not have, namely paperless, environmentally friendly, time-efficient, labour costs, accurate recapitulation of respondents' answers, and practical. Line 96-100. COVID-19 related information questionnaire- what is the origin of these questions? Are they derived from any validated survey or the authors self-validated it by running a pilot? Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. COVID-19-related information consists of twelve questions. We run a pilot study for these 12 questions before rolling it out for this study. Both reliability and sensitivity were good. The Cronbach alpha for these questions was 0. 864. Line 132-134. How is this information different from other studies performed about Facebook addiction? Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. In the first half of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were some studies regarding Facebook addiction in Bangladesh, but there is no study who find out the association of Facebook addiction and COVID-19 related information in Bangladesh. Many studies suggested that Facebook addiction is increased for COVID-19 related information(https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.682837). For that, we included these questions. This was one of the unique for our study. Also, this study will help to trend of Facebook addiction in Bangladesh. Your results are quite similar to studies that were performed in pre covid-19 pandemic era. So, how would you factor in the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant isolation in your study. Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. There were a few studies conducted in Bangladeshi University in pre pandemic. To conduct the actual scenery more research had to conduct. Although two studies in pre pandemic in Jahangirnagar University shown Facebook addiction can be addiction was 39.7%-78.8% and both studies were completed in 2018 with 300 sample sizes. (https://www.neliti.com/publications/263131/impact-of-facebook-obsession-among-university-students-in-bangladesh, DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.039, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2018.04.1284). That mean there were huge variation of the percentages. Many research showed peoples fear and psychological subject were prone to decline trend after the 1st wave of Covid-19( http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040620, https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S354083) . Many people are starting to ignoring the national guideline (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/2nd-wave-of-covid-19-hits-bangladesh/1983091) of COVID-19 after 1st wave. Our study conducted in the mid-2021 of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. Although COVID-19 information is linked to Facebook addiction(https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.682837). That can affect our result. The result that you have reported that physical activity is associated with increased Facebook addiction is different from previous studies. But no thought process is there to try to explain the difference. Could it be, for example that while being on an exercise machine people use social media to divert attention? Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. This study revealed that those involved in any physical activities in this pandemic had higher Facebook addiction. A prior study also showed that problematic smartphone use is linked to physical inactivity during this COVID-19 outbreak [37] and that these trends in smartphone use may increase [37]/decrease [38] the use of Facebook, which turns into an addiction. Other studies also revealed that the increase in physical activities reduces/increase Facebook addiction. [14] [31] [38]. As an adaptation measure to personal and work life, COVID-19-induced lockdown resulted in people becoming more attached to their smartphones [32] [33], and such problematic use may lead them to use their smartphones and social media sites even during any type of physical activity like a workout. But the inconsistency between these two findings varies due to unclear reasons. This inconsistency may occur for the “Internet Plus Exercise” campaign to promote health. I have made comments to highlighted areas in a pdf copy of the manuscript as well Reviewer #2: Nice manuscript. The authors want to determine the factors associated with FA among university students. Author Responses: Thanks for your compliment. English writing needs some improvement. Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. We revised it. Discuss only the results/ the concept should be in the introduction section. Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. We revised it. Following the author's recommendations (table and results). Results: all Tables need some editing. Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. We revised it. References: typo in accord with the guideline’s authors Author Responses: Thanks for your comment. We revised it. Attachments Attachment Submitted filename: Facebook Comment.docx https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272905.r002
19 Jul 2022 Decision Letter - Latika Gupta, Editor PONE-D-22-08770R1Factors Associated with Facebook Addiction among University Students amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from an Online Cross-Sectional SurveyPLOS ONE Dear Dr. Ripon, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please submit your revised manuscript by Sep 02 2022 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org. When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file. Please include the following items when submitting your revised manuscript: A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'. A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'. An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'. If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter. If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols. Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols. We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript. Kind regards, Latika Gupta Academic Editor PLOS ONE Additional Editor Comments : Please detail survey pilot testing and validation using standard reporting guidelines. Rest of the revision seems adequate. [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/. PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org. Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272905.r003
Revision 2
25 Jul 2022 Author Response Editor Comments: Please detail survey pilot testing and validation using standard reporting guidelines. Rest of the revision seems adequate Author responses: COVID-19-related information consists of twelve questions. We run a pilot study for these 12 questions before rolling it out for this study. Before the initiation of data collection, we conducted a pilot study to determine whether the study's questionnaires were understandable for the general public, particularly for university students, and to examine the viability of the data collection tools for gathering data swiftly without imposing onerous conditions. Upon completing the pilot study, we revised some questions and altered wordings as per the convenience of the respondents. In addition, the pilot study was also conducted to determine whether the data showed too much or too little variability and to cross-check the eligibility criteria for the respondents. To assure validity, the researchers committed to upholding the study's credibility at every stage of the data collection and analysis process. We further reinforced the credibility by ensuring that each respondent understood the questionnaire and the purpose of the study. Both reliability and sensitivity were good. The Cronbach alpha for these questions was 0.864. Attachments Attachment Submitted filename: PLOS ONE.docx https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272905.r004
1 Aug 2022 Decision Letter - Latika Gupta, Editor Factors Associated with Facebook Addiction among University Students amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from an Online Cross-Sectional Survey PONE-D-22-08770R2 Dear Dr. Ripon We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements. Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication. An invoice for payment will follow shortly after the formal acceptance. To ensure an efficient process, please log into Editorial Manager at http://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/, click the 'Update My Information' link at the top of the page, and double check that your user information is up-to-date. If you have any billing related questions, please contact our Author Billing department directly at authorbilling@plos.org. If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org. Kind regards, Dr Latika Gupta Academic Editor PLOS ONE Additional Editor Comments (optional): - Reviewers' comments: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272905.r005
Formally Accepted
16 Aug 2022 Acceptance Letter - Latika Gupta, Editor PONE-D-22-08770R2 Factors Associated with Facebook Addiction among University Students amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from an Online Cross-Sectional Survey Dear Dr. Ripon: I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department. If your institution or institutions have a press office, please let them know about your upcoming paper now to help maximize its impact. If they'll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information please contact onepress@plos.org. If we can help with anything else, please email us at plosone@plos.org. Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access. Kind regards, PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff on behalf of Dr. Latika Gupta Academic Editor PLOS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272905.r006

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