Running Head: USES & GRATIFICATIONS Â Social Networking Sites: Uses and Gratifications Through Social Media
Amanda Koontz Department of Communication West Texas A&M University Canyon, Texas 79016 amkoontz1@buffs.wtamu.edu 806.570.9815
COMM 2376 01: Communication Theory Connie McKee Fall 2014 Abstract
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This paper applies Katz’s media uses and gratifications theory to determine significance of Generation Y or Millennial continued use of social networking sites. Millennials are individuals born after 1980 that are digital and technology raised natives. This generation was brought up and acclimated to the Internet with the first notable social networking site, SixDegrees.com, launched in 1997. Since social networking sites’ origins, they have allowed users to create profiles, list friends, and affiliate with other users. The evolution of social networking sites has led to different features and capabilities developed for users, allowing furthering networks through computer-mediated communication. Uses and gratifications theory is applied to Millennials’ use of social networking sites and social media to identify: user reason for social networking site continued use, gratifications sought and gratifications obtained by users, and alternative uses for social networking sites.
Keywords: Social networking sites, social media, uses and gratifications theory, uses and gratifications, Generation Y, Millennials
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Social Networking Sites: Uses and Gratifications Through Social Media Introduction Description of the Artifact Social networking sites (SNS) are seen as a valuable communication tools in educational, professional, as well as personal instances and have become pervasive in American society (Wang, 2012). SNSs are Internet based “websites and software that serve a primary function allowing users” to connect, communicate and interact with other users by posting, sharing, or generating content information (Wang, 2012, p. 1829). Social media is composed of SNSs (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), communication tools (e.g., email, instant messaging), and information sharing sites such as microblogs, blogs and YouTube. Users through SNSs can present themselves to personal networks of contacts and maintain or establish new or existing relationships through interactions (Pai, 2012). The first SNSs was SixDegrees.com that launched in 1997, where users could create personal profiles, generate Friend Lists, and browse other Friend Lists on the site (Boyd, 2007). Six Degrees was promoted to help users connect with and send messages to other people. The site ultimately failed in the beginning, but it provided the framework for other SNSs to develop. Social media and SNSs became popular and mainstream in 2003 with the launch of MySpace (Boyd, 2007). User-generated content and media sharing grew exponentially and was the primary focus of SNSs. As more and more users flocked to social media use, more features were developed and made available to users by the SNSs (Boyd, 2007).
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A feature is any “technical tool on the site that enables activity on part of the user” that can include status updates, posts, comments, private messages, chat functions, and groups created around common interests with like users (Smock, 2011). These features facilitate or enable user communication through various mediums. Users can experience one-to-many blog-like communications, one-to-one private synchronous or asynchronous chat conversations, and many-to-many discussions (Pai, 2012). Through SNS features, users can permit online interaction, profile sharing, and distribution of user-generated and media content and opinions (Pai, 2012).
Methodology In this literature review analysis of social media and SNS functions, uses and gratifications theory (U&G theory) is used to determine SNS users’ reasons for continued SNS use. U&G theory addresses media choice issues and consumption, and what individuals do with media, especially emerging media (Katz, 1973). Pai (2013) states that “cognitive and effective needs motivate people’s choices when consuming media and reveals consequences that follow from needs, motives, and behavior” through U&G theory (p. 1040). U&G theory helps determine why people use SNSs and social media for their own particular purposes, how individuals use SNSs and social media to gratify needs, and define what uses and gratifications result from SNSs and social media. Millennials is a term given to describe the generation of individuals born after 1980 that are digital and technology raised natives (Dictionary.com, 2014). Generation Y or Millennials, have been brought up and acclimated to the Internet with SNSs and social media, therefore they are a prime audience to analyze and study for uses and
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gratifications of SNS habits. Uses and gratifications theory is applied to Millennials’ use of social networking sites and social media to identify: user reason for social networking site continued use and gratifications sought and gratifications obtained by users. The motivation for users’ habit of social media is identified by an SNS typology of uses and gratifications. Uses and gratifications theory is applied to social media to determine wanted gratifications and actual acquired gratifications of users on SNSs.
Research Question This analysis attempts to determine why people use SNSs and social media for their own particular purposes, how individuals use SNSs and social media to gratify needs, and define what uses result from SNSs and social media through application of uses and gratifications theory.
Analysis/Literature Review Uses and Gratifications Approach Components of SNS SNS users use social media for their own particular purposes and determine which SNS features and sites become popular through use. Uses and gratifications theory determines a “close connection between media use and gratification from media” (Griffin, 2012, p. 355). Users on SNS have needs they seek to gratify and satisfy when they select particular SNS and media messages. Individuals on SNS have particular motives for media use and they are aware of their social and psychological needs. People activity seek media that fulfills their communicational purposes (Ku, 2013).
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Uses of SNS People on SNS use social media for particular purposes (Katz, 1973). Users are found to use various computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies in their daily communication repertoire and use these CMC channels based on different communication needs (Ku, 2012). Users enhance productivity of the certain communication need by using the proper CMC technology whose features satisfy the identified task’s characteristics (Ku, 2013). Individuals use SNS to develop online communities where members and users share “interests, news, knowledge with other members” (Ku, 2013, p. 227-228). Users are able to make social connections with friends or strangers through CMC on SNSs. SNS users use the media functions to maintain relationships, post and view content, generate new relationships, find old relationships, seek information, gain a sense of belonging, self-indulgence, gain self-esteem, seek entertainment, and socialize (Ku, 2013). Connections made on SNS can result in connections in between “individuals whom never would have met in the face-to-face world” (Chen, 2011, p. 757). By using SNS, users foster computer-mediated relationships that enable the need to connect with others and gain a sense of belonging (Chen, 2011).
Gratifications of SNS Users of SNS seek gratifications and obtain gratifications (Ku, 2013). Gratification sought refers to users’ expectations of gratifications from an SNS before using the site. Gratification obtained refers to the users’ experience of gratifications during use of an SNS. When users perceive an SNS that fulfills their expected gratifications sought initially, they are more likely to use that social media again (Ku,
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2013). When analyzing the SNS Facebook, users have four primary needs that are prevalent among previous research: socializing, entertainment, self-status seeking and information (Ku, 2013). Different people receive different gratifications when using SNSs, but users can receive common determined gratifications of relationship maintenance, information seeking, amusement, style, and socialization (Ku, 2013) SNS users seek belonging as a gratification that is the human need to communicate and cooperate with others (Pai, 2013). Individuals share information on SNSs through functions such as uploading media and engaging in messaging that reinforces online and offline relationships. Self-satisfaction gratifications occur through the customization of pages and profiles showcasing uniqueness, browsing of others pages, and the spreading gossip by offering information (Pai, 2013). This self-satisfaction is derived from the excitement of new content and information (Pai, 2013). The gratification of self-esteem is derived through peer respect from the uniqueness of users’ content, profiles, and pages as determined by appreciation shown through likes, shares, comments, reposts, and favorites that showcase popularity (Pai, 2013). Reciprocity, or the user’s desire to give back to the online community as a whole rather than one specific individual is another gratification of SNSs. They exchange information by offering and receiving feedback or ideas with other users (Pai, 2013). This builds trust levels in the online groups and communities. Through reciprocity, users help each other to understand problems and offer support.
Conclusion This analysis determines why people use SNSs and social media for their own particular purposes, how individuals use SNSs and social media to gratify needs, and
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defines what uses result from SNSs and social media through application of uses and gratifications theory. Individuals use SNS and social media to gain a sense of belonging, self-indulgence, gain self-esteem, and reciprocity. Users of SNS and social media participate and five primary functions created by the sites related to personal communication and impression management (Pai, 2013). These functions include: browsing others pages, instant communication responses, uploading media and photos, participating in interactive games, and customizability in profiles and pages for uniqueness and a desire for popularity. Social media and SNS use is driven by needs. Social needs have the largest effect on motivating social media, SNS and other media use (Wang, 2012). Ungratified social and habitual needs of SNS accumulate over time and motivate further SNS and social media use to gratify ungratified needs (Wang, 2012). This gradually encourages greater social and habitual needs to use SNS and social media, which could explain the growing popularity of social media. Wang (2012) found that individuals lacking interpersonal support from face-to-face interactions and relationships seek social media and SNS to gratify emotional and social needs (p. 1838). Future research studies could investigate what makes certain SNSs popular through specific features, functions, and customization. Research is lacking on negative aspects on the viewed function of self-indulgence on SNS when users wanted gratifications are not gratified. The popular SNSs Instagram, Tumblr and Vine lack research and definition of uses and gratification functions. These sites could have U&G theory applied to them for future research.
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