Uses And Gratifications Research Papers (original) (raw)

This article employs uses and gratifications theory to conduct an audience analysis on crime drama viewership. To the best of our knowledge, this theory has not yet specifically been applied to this genre, thus providing a basis for the... more

This article employs uses and gratifications theory to conduct an audience analysis on crime drama viewership. To the best of our knowledge, this theory has not yet specifically been applied to this genre, thus providing a basis for the research study. Three independent variables (age, sex, frequency of crime drama viewing) were tested against four dependent variables (curiosity/information, identification, social interaction, and entertainment), as well as all variables together (full gratification) in order to determine if they were statistically significant predictors of each specific type of gratification. Results indicated that frequency of viewing crime dramas was a statistically significant predictor for only full gratification and curiosity/information. The study‟s limitations and future research directions are discussed.

In this exploratory study, 191 students at a Deep Southern university were surveyed about their locus of control and use of religious media. Given that this was the first research into the relationship between this personality trait and... more

In this exploratory study, 191 students at a Deep Southern university were surveyed about their locus of control and use of religious media. Given that this was the first research into the relationship between this personality trait and religious media use, only research questions were advanced on this subject. Questions were raised as to whether internally or externally-oriented individuals would use religious media more extensively, have greater satisfaction with religious media, and be more likely to find these messages credible. Internals were found to gain more from religious media than did externals. Suggestions are made for the improved understanding of locus of control and religious belief. One hypothesis was stated on the indirectly related topic of the effect of a person’s “parasociability” on the intensity of the perceived relationship with media ministers. Based on past research, it was predicted that someone who was highly “parasociable,” would have a stronger parasocial interaction (PSI) relationship than an audience member that was less “parasociable.” Results bore out this prediction.

This chapter integrates literature on both expectations toward and perceptions of media. The author argues that thise expectations and perceptions are important explanatory variables for the selection and effects of media. The chapter... more

This chapter integrates literature on both expectations toward and perceptions of media. The author argues that thise expectations and perceptions are important explanatory variables for the selection and effects of media. The chapter brings together ideas from the uses-and-gratifications tradition, research on hostile media and theird-person perceptions, and from media credibility research in a model of the uses and perceptions of media. In the model audience perceptions are introduced as important antecedents of media use as well as of future expectations toward media. The chapter emphasizes the importance of media perceptions as their effects are not limited to the attitudinal level, but also regard political participation, voting and behavioral responses. The chapter concludes with a call for more scholarly efforts linking uses and perceptions of media in political communication research

This study explores the differences between Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter in terms of intensity of use and use motivations. Grounded in the theory of Uses and Gratifications, the current research compares the three platforms with... more

This study explores the differences between Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter in terms of intensity of use and use motivations. Grounded in the theory of Uses and Gratifications, the current research compares the three platforms with exploratory factor analysis. A cross-sectional survey methodology of college students in Kuwait (N=692) asked respondents to identify the time they spend using social media, satisfaction with social media content, the intensity of using Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter as well as seven use motivations. The analysis of the data indicated that Instagram is the most popular platform among social media users, while Snapchat intensity of use is the highest. Based on the factor analysis results, motivations to use Snapchat are passing the time, self-expression, selfpresentation, and entertainment. While the motivations to use Twitter are selfpresentation, entertainment, and social interaction. Finally, passing time, social interaction, self-presentation, and en...

Uses & Gratifications has long asked a useful question: " What do people do with media? " (Katz, 1959). Numerous critics, however, have called for a substantive response to digital media's radical change in the way users consume and... more

Uses & Gratifications has long asked a useful question: " What do people do with media? " (Katz, 1959). Numerous critics, however, have called for a substantive response to digital media's radical change in the way users consume and create content. A new question is in order: " What do mediated people do with their experience? " For the purposes of studying User-Generated Content, this paper builds off Sundar & Limperos " Uses & Grats 2.0 " (2013), adding Ecosystem to the MAIN model and concludes with a case for online ethnography.

With the ubiquity of computer-mediated communication, it is becoming increasingly difficult to choose which medium or content to employ in gratifying whatever use or need people may seek at each point in time. Empirical results in 2012... more

With the ubiquity of computer-mediated communication, it is becoming increasingly difficult to choose which medium or content to employ in gratifying whatever use or need people may seek at each point in time. Empirical results in 2012 from questionnaires administered among 289 college students ranging in age from 18 to 28 years show that college students use Social Media Network Sites (SMNSs) for so many reasons. These include keeping in touch with friends (98.9%), sharing photos (81.7%), keeping in touch with family (79.3%), and entertainment (70.9%), among others. Facebook emerged as the preferred SMN site followed by Twitter, while LinkedIn was the least popular site among this group. While some participants still maintain their MySpace account, they depicted this site as archaic and a rarely visited site. Overall, ease of use and potential for eclectic tasks are qualities that garnered Facebook most preferred status as a social networking site.

This article reviews research into why people watch television. Christensen (2003) proposes businesses are best understood by looking at the way they help people address their jobs-to-be-done. If new forms of television are more likely to... more

This article reviews research into why people watch television. Christensen (2003) proposes businesses are best understood by looking at the way they help people address their jobs-to-be-done. If new forms of television are more likely to succeed to the extent that they do the jobs now done by traditional television; then to understand how people will use future forms of TV, we must understand how viewers use traditional TV.

Development Communication covers the ground of social development activities of the Media. In common they revolve around persuasion, education and information. The role of communication in development is based upon social responsibility... more

Development Communication covers the ground of social development activities of the Media. In common they revolve around persuasion, education and information. The role of communication in development is based upon social responsibility theory. Development Communication is to use communication processes and media to bring social and economic improvements. Chris Paterson, a critic calls Development Communication as, “winning hearts and minds over to a capitalistic way of life.”

In this study,we examined gender differences in video game use by focusing on interpersonal needs for inclusion, affection, and control, as well as socially constructed perceptions of gendered game play. Results of a large-scale survey (n... more

In this study,we examined gender differences in video game use by focusing on interpersonal needs for inclusion, affection, and control, as well as socially constructed perceptions of gendered game play. Results of a large-scale survey (n = 534) of young adults’ reasons for video game use, preferred game genres, and amount of game play are reported. Female respondents report less frequent play, less motivation to play in social situations, and less orientation to game genres featuring competition and three-dimensional rotation. Implications for game design are discussed.

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to analyze key factors that could influence the choice of digital newspapers: usability of newspaper web sites, reputation, trust, privacy and familiarity. Design/methodology/approach-A survey on the... more

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to analyze key factors that could influence the choice of digital newspapers: usability of newspaper web sites, reputation, trust, privacy and familiarity. Design/methodology/approach-A survey on the Internet was applied. The scales were validated and refined, after which the hypotheses were tested by way of a structural equation model. Findings-The results support an intense effect of usability and familiarity with web sites on the choice of electronic newspaper. However, reputation, privacy and trust in the web sites do not influence significantly the final choice of digital dailies. This is due to the readers who do not perceive risk and costs derived by choosing mistakes or giving data, because the change of news supplier is really fast and easy. Research limitations/implications-The main aspects which justify digital newspaper reading should be considered by the management in order to develop its use. Also, newspaper firms should make efforts to improve the levels of usability of their web sites. Moreover, digital dailies should develop strategies in order to ensure the loyalty of readers who could be familiarized with the new medium. Originality/value-This is one of the first studies that analyze online press reader behavior on the Internet. The paper identifies the main factors related to web sites that affect reading newspapers on the Internet.

There is a cultural tendency towards technological consumption that leads many people to spend an abundant amount of time interacting with technological devices. These interactions can at times make users feel stressed, annoyed,... more

There is a cultural tendency towards technological consumption that leads many people to spend an abundant amount of time interacting with technological devices. These interactions can at times make users feel stressed, annoyed, distracted, or left with feelings of constant pressure to 'check-in' with their online environments. Since such feelings are undesirable, their occurrence is likewise problematic. An important solution to one part of this problem lies with implementing better interface design for user experiences. When web designers, project managers, marketers, app developers and publishers, actively elicit and listen to reports of consumers' experiences with their products, both parties benefit from mutual guidance. The following research explored app users' experiences with, feelings towards, and overall impressions of app notifications to understand and unveil the individual differences that lead users to have different experiences and emotional responses to app notifications. Using the phenomenological approach, the researcher conducted ten in-depth, semi-structured interviews to provide a rich examination of users' experiences with app notifications by way of discussing their specific experiences in an attempt to understand what contributes to a positive or negative app notification experience. Thematic analysis was used to organize the collected data and identify possible themes. The study conclusion posits that users have negative experiences and harbor negative feelings towards app notifications because they lack additional control over their settings which helps users filter out online information that is deemed unimportant or received at undesired or inopportune times.

This experiment was designed to assess the construct validity of the Rubin, Perse, and Powell (1985) Parasocial Interaction Scale. One group of subjects viewed a situation comedy which “breaks the fourth wall. “The fourth wall is “broken... more

This experiment was designed to assess the construct validity of the Rubin, Perse, and Powell (1985) Parasocial Interaction Scale. One group of subjects viewed a situation comedy which “breaks the fourth wall. “The fourth wall is “broken “when characters recognize the existence of the audience by speaking directly to them. A second group viewed the same program with “breaks” edited out. Respondents then filled out an adapted version of the PSI Scale. As hypothesized, subjects viewing the more interactive programming scored significantly higher on the PSI Scale, thus supporting the case for construct validity.

This entry reviews the scope and character of the current research based on the uses and gratifications approach, and discusses challenges faced by contemporary uses and gratifications studies. From a theoretical perspective, the uses and... more

This entry reviews the scope and character of the current research based on the uses and gratifications approach, and discusses challenges faced by contemporary uses and gratifications studies. From a theoretical perspective, the uses and gratifications approach emerged as a response to earlier approaches that perceived the mass media as a generator of strong and uniform effects across individuals and groups. The new approach became prevalent as television was transforming people's media ecologies, prompting a need for approaches that more adequately fit the emerging media landscape. Given the significant changes in the current media ecology, we face a similar situation today, and, as with the diffusion of television, the penetration of new media again seems to be hospitable for the uses and gratifications approach

Selfies have become means of self-expression and validation. Posting selfies on social networking sites have become a global phenomenon. By uploading selfies to social media, users seek to gratify their needs. However, there are... more

Selfies have become means of self-expression and validation. Posting selfies on social networking sites have become a global phenomenon. By uploading selfies to social media, users seek to gratify their needs. However, there are psychologists that point out that the trend of taking and posting selfies is related to self-esteem values. This research examined the most sought and least sought gratifications in posting selfies on Facebook, and the relationship between gratifications and self-esteem levels of the users. Social-connection was identified as the most sought gratification and attention-seeking as the least sought gratification. Also, it was found that attention seeking was positively associated with low self-esteem level, social-influence was positively associated with high self-esteem level, and habitual was positively associated with low self-esteem level.

Vodcasts (video podcasts) have become part of the Internet multimedia experience and have been integrated into universities’ direct and interactive promotion strategies, but, more importantly, their integrated marketing communication... more

Vodcasts (video podcasts) have become part of the Internet multimedia experience and have been integrated into universities’ direct and interactive promotion strategies, but, more importantly, their integrated marketing communication (IMC) plans. While prior work has examined general advertising on the web, few studies have considered the impact of the interactive medium of vodcasts on student attitudes and behavioral intentions. This paper uses structural equation modeling to assess the effectiveness of vodcasts as an enhancer of a university’s existing integrated marketing communication strategy to recruit prospective students. Three theoretical models were tested, and our findings indicate that perceived informativeness, credibility, and irritation of the vodcasts are directly related to their perceived value to viewers. However, of those three factors, only the informativeness is directly related to students’ intent to take further action toward enrollment in a way that can utilize other universities communication resources (e.g., asking additional questions on the phone or via email). In addition, while prior work has suggested that perceived entertainment of a web site positively influences its perceived value, we find that for university-specific vodcasts, perceived entertainment is not a statistically significant factor. The results suggest that when creating vodcasts to portray campus life and activities, less attention should be given to entertainment value, and more attention should be devoted to providing useful information in a manner that is credible and not irritating to students. Implications for researchers and practitioners are provided based on these results.

A cross-cultural explanatory sequential mixed method design was utilized to investigate the implementability of social networking services for educational purposes. It was aimed to shed light on the nature of relationship between the use... more

A cross-cultural explanatory sequential mixed method design was utilized to investigate the implementability of social networking services for educational purposes. It was aimed to shed light on the nature of relationship between the use of social networking services and pre-service teachers’ personality, motivation to use
Facebook, motives to use Facebook, and attitude towards using Facebook. In addition to that, it was aimed to understand the perceived usefulness and feasibility of Social networking services as educational tools and the feelings of the future teachers about
the “appropriateness” of Facebook as an educational implementation. In the quantitative phase of the research, which was carried out in both Turkey and then the United States of America, a correlational study was utilized. For scaling motives,
motivation, personality, Facebook use, and attitude towards using Facebook, five questionnaires which were developed and used in English were translated into Turkish. Multiple linear, ordinal logistic, and binomial logistic regression analyses were conducted for quantitative data analysis. In the qualitative phase, Turkish pre-service teachers were interviewed and a constant comparative analysis was conducted on the transcripts. It was found that personality is not a major predictor of Facebook
use. Pre-service teachers have a positive perception of the use of Facebook for educational purposes in both countries. However, there have been many differences between the two countries’ pre-service teachers in terms of Facebook use and motives. It was demonstrated that pre-service teachers associate Facebook mostly with relationship, communication, and learning and they see Facebook as educationally implementable.

This study investigates motives for its use, and its relationship to contextual age and narcissism. A survey of 239 college students revealed that the main reasons for Instagram use are “Surveillance/Knowledge about others,”... more

This study investigates motives for its use, and its relationship to contextual age and narcissism. A survey of 239 college students revealed that the main reasons for Instagram use are “Surveillance/Knowledge about others,” “Documentation,” “Coolness,” and “Creativity.” The next significant finding was a positive relationship between those who scored high in interpersonal interaction and using Instagram for coolness, creative purposes, and surveillance. Another interesting finding shows that there is a positive relationship between high levels of social activity (traveling, going to sporting events, visiting friends, etc.) and being motivated to use Instagram as a means of documentation. In reference to narcissism, there was a positive relationship between using Instagram to be cool and for surveillance. Theoretical contributions of this study relate to our understanding of uses and gratifications theory. This study uncovers new motives for social media use not identified in previous literature.

In this paper, we investigate how the U&G approach can be applied to the study of social media, describing its potential for yielding new insights as well as its methodological challenges. The chapter starts with a general overview of the... more

In this paper, we investigate how the U&G approach can be applied to the study of social media, describing its potential for yielding new insights as well as its methodological challenges. The chapter starts with a general overview of the approach that includes definitions of key concepts, an outline of central tenants, and an overview of the historical context in which it developed. Then, the chapter provides an extensive review of the scholarly work that has integrated U&G to study how social media is being used in society as well as the gratifications sought and obtained from its use. The chapter also discusses findings that compare the gratifications across social media sites and services, contrasting Facebook with instant messaging directly, as well as a discussion on how privacy issues associated with the use of social media affects the types of gratifications users obtain from their use of the sites. This body of work helps us to better understand why people integrate various and diverse social media sites into their communication and socializing practices, routines, and habits.

A la luz de la realidad chilena, este capítulo busca responder dos preguntas principales, relacionadas entre sí: (1) ¿Qué tan anclada está la cobertura de los noticiarios televisivos en la realidad y experiencia ciudadana del delito? (2)... more

A la luz de la realidad chilena, este capítulo busca responder dos preguntas principales, relacionadas entre sí: (1) ¿Qué tan anclada está la cobertura de los noticiarios televisivos en la realidad y experiencia ciudadana del delito? (2) ¿En qué medida el consumo de la televisión –el medio más usado en Chile para informarse (CNTV,2015)– influye en la opinión pública sobre la delincuencia, específicamente en la determinación del temor y preocupación por el crimen? Tomando evidencia cuantitativa levantada durante 12 años (entre 2001 y
2012), este trabajo dará cuenta de que la exposición a contenidos noticiosos sobre delincuencia en Chile sí está asociada a percepciones de las personas en torno al problema de la seguridad ciudadana, aunque en forma moderada y menos significativa que otros determinantes actitudinales, de predisposición política, vulnerabilidad y experienciales. Con ello, la percepción frente al crimen aparece situada en la realidad social y delictual, en tanto no se puede inferir que la representación que realiza la televisión sobre la delincuencia se desarrolle con total independencia a la ocurrencia real del crimen, y que la exposición a medios de comunicación sea la única causante de las opiniones de la ciudadanía sobre el tema, sino que emerge como un factor más –entre otros determinantes sociales– que actúa de manera heterogénea según el tipo de actitud o juicio ciudadano. Estos resultados han sido alcanzados a través de un trabajo conceptual y metodológico que integra múltiples indicadores y metodologías acordes a los desafíos que impone un fenómeno complejo como la opinión pública sobre la delincuencia. En particular, se realizó (1) un análisis de contenido de amplio alcance sobre la presencia de la delincuencia en los noticieros centrales de la TV chilena entre 2001 y 2012; (2) un análisis de series temporales sobre la relación entre los noticieros y la evolución del temor y preocupación por la delincuencia en encuestas públicas agregadas entre 2001 y 2012; y (3) una encuesta original a más de 1500 personas realizada a mediados de 2012 que estima a nivel individual los determinantes de la opinión pública sobre delincuencia, especialmente los asociados al consumo de medios. Con estos datos se examina hasta qué punto son aplicables algunos aspectos de las teorías de cultivación (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan y Signorelli, 1994; Romer, Jamieson y Aday, 2003), como los efectos de la TV en juicios de primer y segundo orden (Shrum, 2004), y de la agenda setting de primer nivel, referida a la influencia de los medios en la agenda temática de la opinión pública (Gross y Aday, 2003; Lowry, Nio y Leitner, 2003; McCombs, 2004; Scherman y Etchegaray, 2013). El propósito, en este caso, es explicar la opinión pública chilena en torno a la delincuencia, poniendo especial atención al tipo de percepciones más proclives a verse influidas por los medios de comunicación.

A screenshot is a digital image of content appearing on a device’s screen that can be cropped, filtered, retouched, edited, posted, and/or sent to someone else. Anecdotal evidence tells us that screenshots are integrated into our lives,... more

A screenshot is a digital image of content appearing on a device’s screen that can be cropped, filtered, retouched, edited, posted, and/or sent to someone else. Anecdotal evidence tells us that screenshots are integrated into our lives, but formalized research has yet to uncover the “how and why” of screenshot use. Drawing from a uses and gratification framework, this exploratory study examines the technicity and practice as well as motivations and gratifications of screenshot use in general and across age groups. A sample of predominately college-age students responded to an electronic survey inquiring about screenshot use (e.g. devices used to take screenshots, device preference for taking screenshots, and frequency of screenshot use) as well as motivations for taking screenshots. Results revealed that screenshots: are social, reflect a range of diverse and age-related content, occur often and on the go, and accommodate needs especially in emerging adulthood. Taking a first step in bridging the gap in screenshot literature, implications and future directions of this nascent work are discussed.

The emergence of Location-Based-Real-Time-Dating (LBRTD) apps such as Tinder has introduced a new way for users to get to know potential partners nearby. The design of the apps represents a departure from “old-school” dating sites as it... more

The emergence of Location-Based-Real-Time-Dating (LBRTD) apps such as Tinder has introduced a new way for users to get to know potential partners nearby. The design of the apps represents a departure from “old-school” dating sites as it relies on the affordances of mobile media. This might change the way individuals portray themselves as their authentic or deceptive self. Based on survey data collected via Mechanical Turk and using structural equation modeling, we assess how Tinder users present themselves, exploring at the same time the impact of their personality characteristics, their demographics and their motives of use. We find that self-esteem is the most important psychological predictor, fostering real self-presentation but decreasing deceptive self-presentation. The motives of use – hooking up/sex, friendship, relationship, traveling, self-validation, and entertainment – also affect the two forms of self-presentation. Demographic characteristics and psychological antecedents influence the motives for using Tinder, with gender differences being especially pronounced. Women use Tinder more for friendship and self-validation, while men use it more for hooking up/sex, traveling and relationship seeking. We put the findings into context, discuss the limitations of our approach and provide avenues for future research into the topic.

The current study employed a national sample in order to investigate the phenomenon of fear-of-missing-out (FoMO), the apprehension associated with the fear that other people are having a pleasurable experience that one is not a part of.... more

The current study employed a national sample in order to investigate the phenomenon of fear-of-missing-out (FoMO), the apprehension associated with the fear that other people are having a pleasurable experience that one is not a part of. The current study investigated the role that FoMO plays in TV viewing habits, particularly binge-watching and the consumption of one-time megaevents. Results indicated that FoMO predicts the pace at which people choose to watch TV, social media use as it relates to TV, and whether they are likely to watch some one-time TV programs—such as sporting events like the Super Bowl.

Research on social network sites (SNSs) typically employ measures that treat SNS use as homogenous although the user-base, user practices, and feature sets of these tools are increasingly diverse. Using a uses and gratifications approach,... more

Research on social network sites (SNSs) typically employ measures that treat SNS use as homogenous although the user-base, user practices, and feature sets of these tools are increasingly diverse. Using a uses and gratifications approach, we address this problem by reconceptualizing SNSs as collections of features. Survey data collected from undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university (n = 267) revealed that users’ motivations for using Facebook predict their use of different features, such as status updates and Wall posts, but features that share similar capabilities do not necessarily share underlying motivations for use. When these results are contrasted against models employing a more unidimensional measure of Facebook use, we find differences between motivations for both general Facebook use and use of specific features of the site. This suggests that unidimensional measures of SNS use obfuscate motivations for using specific features. Theoretical and methodological implications of these findings and this approach are discussed.

This research attempted to develop a multidimensional measure of parasocial interaction. A 47‐item questionnaire derived from qualitative responses was submitted to principal components analysis ‐ resulting in a 22‐item, four‐factor... more

This research attempted to develop a multidimensional measure of parasocial interaction. A 47‐item questionnaire derived from qualitative responses was submitted to principal components analysis ‐ resulting in a 22‐item, four‐factor Audience Persona Interaction (API) Scale. The four sub‐scales were: Identification with Favorite character, Interest in Favorite character, Group Identification/Interaction, and Favorite Character's Problem Solving Ability. In the initial analysis, the index and it's subscales were found to be very reliable and positively correlated to program exposure level. In an additional construct validity test, mild linear relationships were found between PSI ‐as measured by the API Scale ‐ and viewing level.

What is the reaction of viewers when characters speak directly to the audience—breaking the invisible “fourth wall” of the theater—in films or television programs? Mel Brooks did this in “Blazing Saddles” and, more recently, Gary... more

What is the reaction of viewers when characters speak directly to the audience—breaking the invisible “fourth wall” of the theater—in films or television programs? Mel Brooks did this in “Blazing Saddles” and, more recently, Gary Shandling did in his television program with questions like: “Does my hair look OK?” This experiment using college students suggests that audiences do, within limits, like to be so involved in the program. Clips that broke the fourth wall were rated significantly more entertaining on a semantic differential scale, and significantly more sophisticated than were clips that did not break the wall. The study concluded that programs that break the fourth wall are more cognitively involving.

In recent years, social media usage has been rapidly increasing in Turkey and the reasons and motivations of consumers’ using social media have become frequently discussed topics. Reports about the social media usage in Turkey indicate... more

In recent years, social media usage has been rapidly increasing in Turkey and the reasons and
motivations of consumers’ using social media have become frequently discussed topics. Reports about
the social media usage in Turkey indicate that Facebook with more than 32 million users is the most
popular social networking site (SNC) and Twitter with daily average 8 million tweets follows Facebook
(TTNET, 2013). According to Socialbakers reports (2010), Turkey is in the fourth position of the top
ten countries on Facebook and Ä°stanbul is the third city in the world among the top ten Facebook
cities (Socialbakers, 2012). The largest age group of Facebook in Turkey is currently 18-24 (34%),
followed by the users in the age of 25-34(30%). Even though the social media usage becomes an
inevitable habit among the youths as it can be easily seen from the statistics, there is still not a
systematic research about this topic. Therefore, in this research we attempt to identify why university
students use the social media and which needs they try to fulfill by using social media. For this reason,
uses and gratifications theory has been applied to explain the research question. This research has been
carried out in Anadolu University which is in one of the most important student cities of Turkey,
EskiĹźehir. The data has been collected from the 450 college students of Anadolu University by face to
face questionnaires. There are nearly equal number of students from every faculty of Anadolu
University and this students comes from different cities all around Turkey. The findings indicate that
the college students mostly use Facebook and Twitter among the online social networking sites. By
using SCNs, they mostly communicate with their friends who they have face to face contact with
(93%), followed by class mates (78%), family members (59%), online friends that they only know each
other from SCNs (23%), and strangers (13%) respectively. Furthermore, the research revealed students
have 11 different reasons for use of social media. Students use social media primarily for socialization,
entertainment, presenting their status, access and getting some material gains. The findings of this
study shed light on why college students use and participate in SNSs. This study expands the use of
uses-and-gratification theory to the social media by affirming the appropriateness of it in the social
media. Practically, the findings of the study suggest that marketers using SNSs should apply strategies
by taking the primary reasons of SNSs into consideration in order to attract young people. They use
SNSs mostly for socialization, entertainment and status presentation, so marketers should develop
strategies that address these reasons mostly. Future research may be related with older users of SNSs
and their reasons and motivations of use. Moreover, effectiveness of marketing strategies targeted
young people related with the reasons of use SNSs might be searched.

The rise of news aggregator sites is a notable phenomenon in the contemporary media landscape. Outperforming traditional news outlets for and information, online news aggregators such as Yahoo News, Google News and the Huffington Post... more

The rise of news aggregator sites is a notable phenomenon in the contemporary media landscape. Outperforming traditional news outlets for and information, online news aggregators such as Yahoo News, Google News and the Huffington Post have become major sources of news for American audiences. Facing economic hardships, some news organizations cast blames on news aggregators for stealing their content and audiences. However, the relationship between news aggregators and traditional media outlets on the demand side has not received sufficient scholarly attention. Through a national survey of 1,143 U.S. Internet users, this study integrates the uses and gratifications paradigm and an economic approach to predict aggregator consumption and examine market competition. In terms of consumption, among demographic factors, age and ethnicity are the two major predictors of aggregator use. Among psychological factors, opinion motivations is the only non-predictor of aggregator use, suggesting that users do not seek opinion-driven content when they visit aggregator sites. In terms of competition, this study uncovers non-competitive relationships between three major news aggregators and 13 major TV, print and social media news outlets. Such findings are at odds with industry sentiment and the proposed model serves as a basis for further theorizing news aggregator consumption.

A quasi-experimental study examined the influence of motives and intensity of Facebook Use on Social Comparison and Affect among Filipino Facebook users as well as the mediating effect of Self-esteem on this relationship. Data gathered... more

A quasi-experimental study examined the influence of motives and intensity of Facebook Use on Social Comparison and Affect among Filipino Facebook users as well as the mediating effect of Self-esteem on this relationship. Data gathered from 329 students from Saint Louis
University indicated that among the motives of Facebook Use, Relationship Maintenance is the most salient motive of Facebook Use. Intensity of Facebook Use is correlated with Upward,
Nondirectional, and Downward Social Comparisons and Positive and Negative Affect. Facebook Use Intensity, Companionship and Social Investigation are significant predictors of Upward and
Nondirectional Social Comparison while Downward Social Comparison is positively predicted by Facebook Use Intensity and negatively predicted by Relationship Maintenance. Positive Affect is
related to Facebook Use Intensity, Self-expression, and Reconnection while Negative Affect is positively predicted by Facebook Use Intensity and Companionship, and negatively predicted by Passing Time. Mediation analyses revealed that Self-esteem does not mediate the relationship between the variables.