Motivations For Media Use Research Articles

The uses and abuses of Facebook: A review of Facebook addiction.

Background and aims: Recent research suggests that use of social networking sites can be addictive for some individuals. Due to the link between motivations for media use and the development of addiction, this systematic review examines Facebook-related uses and gratifications research and Facebook addiction research. Method: Searches of three large academic databases revealed 24 studies examining the uses and gratifications of Facebook, and nine studies of Facebook addiction. Results: Comparison of uses and gratifications research reveals that the most popular mo- tives for Facebook use are relationship maintenance, passing time, entertainment, and companionship. These motivations may be related to Facebook addiction through use that is habitual, excessive, or motivated by a desire for mood alteration. Examination of Facebook addiction research indicates that Facebook use can become habitual or excessive, and some addicts use the site to escape from negative moods. However, examination of Facebook addic- tion measures highlights inconsistency in the field. Discussion: There is some evidence to support the argument that uses and gratifications of Facebook are linked with Facebook addiction. Furthermore, it appears as if the social skill model of addiction may explain Facebook addiction, but inconsistency in the measurement of this condition limits the ability to provide conclusive arguments. Conclusions: This paper recommends that further research be performed to establish the links between uses and gratifications and Facebook addiction. Furthermore, in order to enhance the construct validity of Facebook addiction, researchers should take a more systematic approach to assessment.

As Time Goes By: What Changes and What Remains the Same in Entertainment Experience Over the Life Span?

Across all age groups, entertainment is one of the most important motivations for media use. Relatively little is known, though, about the development of entertainment experience over the life span. Does entertainment actually mean the same thing to young and older people? Based on theories of adult emotional development, affect regulation, and well-being, this study predicted and found that in terms of entertainment gratifications sought, young adults were more interested than older adults in emotionally intense entertainment experiences such as thrilling and tear-jerking experiences, whereas older adults were more interested in contemplative entertainment experiences. However, in terms of gratifications obtained, ratings of film scenes showed that the same types of gratifications obtained predicted more positive evaluations independent of age.

Identifying Motivations for the Use of Commercial Web Sites

The uses and gratifications theoretical framework has continued to prove useful in the study of new and emerging media. In previous research on television as a medium, motivations for media use have been grouped into either process gratifications (motivations associated with using the medium, like channel surfing) or content gratifications (motivations related to information or entertainment delivered by the medium, like watching the evening news for information). This study applies the uses and gratifications perspective to better understand the factors motivating commercial Web site use, and identifies a new media use gratification unique to the Internet: socialization (using the medium to communicate with people). Through the cooperation of two major on-line companies, this research reports the results of a two-part study that begins with the identification of 179 motivations for Web use and subsequently reduces those to five primary underlying factors. These factors are discussed and related to three key indicators: frequency of Web use, frequency of computer use, and affinity with the computer. Implications for new social gratifications for Internet use are discussed, and directions for future research are proposed.

Coming to America: need for acculturation and media use motives among indian sojourners in the US

Many uses and gratifications scholars have called for more research on media use within various cultural contexts as a means of extending the understanding of motivations for media use and the resulting patterns of exposure. This study of 99 Asian Indian graduate students at a US university differentiates the mass media that these predominantly young, urban males used in India (prior to coming to the US) and in the US (after their arrival in the US). Via principal components analysis, the study also identifies eight motives for Indian students’ use of American television, including the motives of acculturation and reflection on values. The data show that need for acculturation is strongly correlated with the motives of acculturation and surveillance and moderately correlated with reflection on values and learning. Overall, motives for American television viewing shared 45% of their variance with need for acculturation, indicating the importance of the new culture's media in the acculturation process of sojourners.