Explaining unplanned online media behaviors: Dual system theory models of impulsive use and swearing on social networking sites

Unplanned (i.e. spontaneous) online behaviors such as impulsive use of social networking sites (SNS) and swearing on SNS are prevalent and can adversely affect users and society. Drawing on dual system theory, this article conceptualizes and empirically investigates the etiology of such behaviors. Results of two studies ( n 1 = 295 SNS users, focuses on impulsive use; n 2 = 336 SNS users, focuses on swearing) show that both of these online behaviors are driven, in part, by cognitive-emotional preoccupation with the SNS and inhibited, in part, by cognitive-behavioral control over using the SNS. The inhibition effect is both direct and indirect, through the suppression of the cognitive-emotional preoccupation effects. The findings provide a theoretical lens of analysis through which impulsive and unitneded media use behaviors can be explained.