The article Explaining Why Young Adults Use Myspace and Facebook Through Uses and Gratifications Theory, presented an efficient and easy-to-read analysis of why young people use social networking sites to fulfill their social needs and wants. The introduction to the research, talks bout how many young adults have turned to the use of SNS because of the ability to instantly gratify their wants and needs. While more traditional forms of communication and media, such as face-to-face interaction and television are still used frequently, sites such as Myspace and Facebook allow users to communicate and experience entertainment at the same time. I found this very interesting, as it has definitely been accurate in my own personal use of social network sites. Before the days of SNS, I would often use some sort of combination of movies, radio, television, and face-to-face communication to fulfill my social needs as well as for entertainment and relaxation purposes. However, with the creation of SNS, I was able to relax, be entertained, and communicate all at the same place: Facebook or Myspace.
The results of the research conducted found that young adults use SNS for the efficiency, convenience, popularity, curiosity of others, and relationship formation and reinforcement. These all seem like logical reasons why SNS would be popular, especially amongst young adults. The ability to instantly meet our social needs and wants will continue to push SNS as the main form of communication for young generations.
AG,
ReplyDeleteI think you wrote a wonderful summary of the article and you addressed it well from your own perspective. After hearing the reasons for why young adults use SNS (efficiency, convenience, popularity, curiosity of others, and relationship formation and reinforcement), it really made sense and reflected why I use the sites myself. However, it also made me think that today's young adults have become lazy because of the technology we have at our fingertips. Most of the information people are looking for is listed on online profiles and is easy to find. It sort-of cuts out the face to face interaction that in the past would've been used locate this information. I believe that SNS have a lot of positives, but there are definitely some negatives as well.
Hello AG!
ReplyDeleteGreat response to this article! I like the simplicity and clarity in your post. It is so funny that at one point in time people had to use multiple things to satisfy their needs where as now they only have to use one thing. when they talk about needs and wants are satisfied instantaneously and constantly through the internet that made me think that is the reason why younger generations are impatient. Since the internet is instant, they think that everything else should be as well. I found the process and content categories of gratification to be interesting and accurate. I agreed with the authors reasoning behind the two: process gratifications arise from the performance of the activity where as content is chosen according to his or her needs and synthesizes that content to satisfy those needs. I'd like to know what the results would be of all these studies and researchers if they were conducted today.
Hey Ag,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your response to this article. I felt that this article was fairly clear in that it was very understandable. I liked how you said that before Myspace and Facebook came along you would use a mixture of different medias to fulfill your wants and desires. I also did that before Facebook and Myspace came along. Facebook and Myspace really do allow you to do most of that at the same time in that people post videos and pictures that can easily give you entertainment you seek. Also Facebook and myspace give you the social interpersonal communication most desire also. I really felt your response to this article well done!