Examining social media usage: Technology clusters and social network site membership

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Abstract

The popularization of "social media" has raised questions of how and why young people use these various technologies in their daily lives. This exploratory study proposes a classification system based on Rogers' concept of technology clusters, which posits that likelihood of adoption is based around similar perceived characteristics of a technology or medium. Results from a survey administered to 401 undergraduates at a large southern university indicated that social and non-social technology cluster use is correlated with psychological, affective, and behavioral factors (extroversion, self-disclosure, computer anxiety and self-efficacy). One particularly popular type of "many-to-many" social media is the social network site (SNS). MySpace members were significantly more likely to use both other many-to-many social technologies as well as one-to-many. Gender differences were also found, as MySpace members were more likely to be female, and females had significantly higher levels of extroversion and self-disclosure. Implications for future research, marketing efforts, and online safety are discussed.

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APA

Schrock, A. (2009). Examining social media usage: Technology clusters and social network site membership. First Monday, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v14i1.2242

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