Investigating the Preliminary Antecedents of Instagram Addiction: Evidence from Baze University’s Undergraduate Students in Nigeria

There is no doubt that Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms that meets users’ specific needs. However, the effects of addictive use on undergraduate students in developing countries, like Nigeria, have not been thoroughly studied. To fill this gap, this study, based on the Uses and Gratifications Theory, sought to find connections between the desire for fame, shortened attention spans, social validation, and Instagram usage addiction among undergraduate students at Baze University in Abuja, Nigeria. We used a quantitative research method to gather data and test our hypotheses. The findings showed strong and positive links between desire for fame, shortened attention spans, social validation, and Instagram addiction. The desire for fame was the most significant predictor of Instagram addiction among the respondents. Furthermore, the three independent variables accounted for a large portion of the variance in Instagram usage addiction. Our study suggests that addiction to Instagram among respondents is primarily driven by psychological rewards related to visibility, external approval, and cognitive engagement. Therefore, the study highlights the need for tailored digital literacy programs that address the desire for fame, dependence on validation, and attention management in academic settings.