Facebook Uses: How and Why? Uses and Gratifications Keeping Up With the Technology

Abstract

With currently more than 200 million active users, Facebook represents the most popular social network site today. My thesis is a qualitative study examining how and why people use Facebook. Uses and gratifications perspective is used as the theoretical back bone as well as the way of researching. The thesis is testing the relevance of the uses and gratifications motives as defined by previous research studies and combining them with the ideas of persuasive technology. Several psychological aspects as the norm of reciprocity, need to belong and impression management are added to the discussion. By considering previous research, the influence of technology as well as psychological motives for social interaction, I present an overview of the relevant motives for Facebook use. This thesis contributes to raising the knowledge about how and why people use social network sites as well as updating uses and gratification theory in order for it to be applicable to the modern media.