This document discusses a study that used uses and gratifications theory to examine why young adults use different social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat. The study surveyed 128 students about their social media use, demographics, and gratifications sought from different platforms. Results showed Facebook is still dominant but Snapchat use is rising, especially for sharing ephemeral photos and maintaining close relationships. Facebook was more important for self-expression and planning, while Snapchat was preferred for sharing photos privately with connections. The study provided insight into how different social platforms fulfill different social and psychological needs for young adult users.

1. Understanding why young
adults use different types of
social media: A uses and
gratifications approach
Alec McDowell, Hala Elbarmil, Joseph Lacy, Nico Rodrigo, &
Aaron Toomer

2. So what?
• Social media use is widespread in society
• App for that
• Interesting to see how different networks gratify different
needs

3. Uses and Gratifications
• Active audience theory
• The uses and gratifications (U&G) theory was originally used
to examine traditional media, such as newspapers and
television. Recently, studies have used the same theory and
applied it to new media, such as social media sites (Quan-
Hasse, et al., 2010, p. 351).
• Assesses the kinds of media and types of content that satisfy
social and psychological needs
• Perfect for new media, where we are termed ‘users’

4. Social Media Use
• According to the Pew research center 71% online adults use
Facebook alone, 26% use Instagram and 23% use Twitter (2014).
• Facebook is the most established social network, attracting 70%
users to engage with the site on a daily basis (2014).
• People tend not to limit themselves to one social network, 52% of
adults have profiles on at least two social networking sites (Pew,
2014).

5. Background Research
1. social interaction
2. information seeking
3. pass time
4. entertainment
5. relaxation
6. expression of opinions
7. communicatory utility
8. convenience utility
9. information sharing
10. surveillance/knowledge about others
Whiting, A., & Williams, D. (2013). Why people use social media: a uses and gratifications approach. Qualitative
Market Research: An International Journal. 16. 362-369.

6. Facebook vs Snapchat
• Research comparing Facebook and
Instant Messaging “showed that
Facebook is about having fun and
knowing about the social activities
occurring in one’s social network
whereas instant messaging is geared
more toward relationship
maintenance and development”
(Quan-Hasse, et al., 2010, p. 350)
• Snapchat allows more
intimate relational
maintenance strategies to be
used
• Very little research on
Snapchat
They go together like lamb and tuna fish!

7. RQ’s
Realizing that Facebook and Snapchat might harbor
different reasons for use, we came up with a couple
of research questions:
• Primary Research Question: What gratifications do young adults who
are members of social networking sites earn from using those sites?
• Secondary question: Are there specific gratifications earned from
either Facebook or Snapchat?

8. Methodology
• Participants -> convenience sample drawn from GMU student
body
• Procedures -> Online surveys issued to gather data
• Distributed through e-mails and social media posts
• Measures -> demographics like age, race, and gender. Social
media use questions such as:
• Networks used
• Frequency of use for different networks
• Network size
• Likert comparison of use preferences to inform our uses and grats
framework

9. Results and Discussion
• N=128 includes 25.7% male respondents and 74.3% female respondents
• .898 correlation for those who frequently use Snapchat and those who view
others stories
• Facebook shows no correlation between frequency of use and checking
of others status updates
• Remember AIM? Checking away messages back in the day has turned
into checking Snapchat stories…similar relational maintenance strategies
• Facebook use shows higher importance rating for expressing your opinion
than does Snapchat use (28.1% rate important on Facebook compared to
8.6%
• Also higher in importance for making long term plans
• 47% said they would be more likely to post a selfie on Snapchat, compared
to 11.7% who chose Facebook. 18% chose neither network

10. Uses and Gratifications
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
FB SC
Importance ratings for Snapchat and Facebook

11. Limitations/conclusion
• Survey fatigue
• Had 1 smurf respondent
• Survey diffusion
• Ambiguity in survey questions
Facebook remains to be the dominant social media platform, it is the most
convenient network for people to be on as it is ubiquitous. Snapchat is
becoming more popular and is arguably the new destination for ‘status’ updates
(away messages)

12. References
Garcia, J. A., Cruz, L. M., & Gaona, P. C. (2012). A vision of uses and gratifications applied to study of
internet use by adolescents. Comunicacíon y Sociedad. 25. 231-254.
Quan-Haase, A., & Young, A. (2010). Uses and gratifications of social media: a comparison of facebook
and instant messaging. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society. 30. 350-361.
Urista, M., Qingwen, D., & Day, K. (2009). Explaining why young adults use myspace and Facebook
through uses and gratifications theory. Human Communication. 12. 215-229
Whiting, A., & Williams, D. (2013). Why people use social media: a uses and gratifications
approach. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal. 16. 362-369.