Studies in Media and Communication Vol. 11, No. 6; September 2023 ISSN: 2325-8071 E-ISSN: 2325-808X Published by Redfame Publishing URL: http://smc.redfame.com 171 University Students’ Perceived Self-control and Prosocial Norms for Beneficial Social Media Use Md Shahzalal 1,2 , Hamedi M Adnan 1 , Fadli Abdullah 1 1 Department of Media and Communication Studies, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2 Department of Marketing, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Bangladesh Correspondence: Md Shahzalal, Department of Marketing, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Rangpur 5404, Bangladesh. Received: May 3, 2023 Accepted: June 23, 2023 Online Published: June 25, 2023 doi:10.11114/smc.v11i6.6103 URL: https://doi.org/10.11114/smc.v11i6.6103 Abstract Although many studies have been conducted on social media abuse, socio-psychological determinants of positive social media usage are still underresearched, specifically concerning self-control and prosocial norms for university students. These two important antecedents of accountable behavior have not been thoroughly studied in developing countries. Therefore, the current study investigated university students’ perceptions of self-control and prosocial norms and determined whether they co-exist and are associated with intended behavior and desired beneficial usage. This study modified measurement items adopted from previous studies to fit the current context. A social media survey was conducted through Facebook Messenger among students from a public university in Bangladesh. 226 voluntary responses were recorded based on purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS 4. Descriptive statistics were analyzed. Hypotheses were tested using the structural equation modeling technique, whereas the differential effects of gender and social media platforms were tested using ANOVA. The findings demonstrate that university students value self-control and prosocial norms as crucial determinants of positive social media behavior. These factors strongly correlate with intended self-control and prosocial behavior, and desired beneficial use. Additionally, gender and the type of social media platform used have no significant impact on these results. This study explored valuable insights into the role of self-control and prosocial norms in promoting beneficial social media use among university students, which may have significant implications for their personal and social well-being. Keywords: self-control, prosocial norm, beneficial social media use, structural equation modeling 1. Introduction Social media has revolutionized our interactions, making communication and information sharing easier worldwide. In recent years, social media usage among university students has increased significantly. Many students use social media to connect with peers, stay updated on current events, and share information. However, social media has also presented new challenges. Overuse of social media can lead to negative outcomes, such as addiction, procrastination, and decreased academic performance. It can also be linked to other harmful behaviors, such as cyberbullying, hate speech, and online harassment. Therefore, understanding the role of self-control and prosocial norms in promoting positive interactions on social media is crucial. Self-control and prosocial norms are complementary strategies for encouraging positive behavior among students on social media. Self-control can help university students avoid impulsive and potentially harmful behaviors, while adhering to prosocial norms can promote positive social interactions that benefit both individuals and society. However, the perception of self- control and prosocial norms among university students in the context of social media in a developing country such as Bangladesh has not been explored. This study aims to address this gap, which is crucial for the country, where the average internet addiction rate is 27.1% in general, and 28.6% among university students aged between 19-24 in particular (Hassan, Alam, Wahab, & Hawlader, 2020). In Bangladesh, young people are the most abusers of social media, contributing to many challenges for social sustainability (Haque et al., 2020). While Facebook is the most popular social media platform, it is often irresponsibly used by the country’s young population (Ahmed, Sultana, Alam, Griffiths, & Hiramoni, 2022). Social media abuse in Bangladesh includes online misinformation sharing, pornography, gambling, addiction, political and religious misuse,