Uses and Gratifications of Social Networking Sites for Social Capital
Uses and Gratifications of Social Networking Sites for Social Capital
Abstract: Applying uses and gratifications theory (UGT), this study examined users of four social networking sites (SNSs): Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, and their influence on online bridging and bonding social capital. Results (N = 297) indicated that Snapchat users scored highest for passing time, sharing problems, and gaining social knowledge, while Instagram users scored highest for showing affection, following fashion, and demonstrating sociability. Twitter users had the highest bridging social capital, followed by Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, while Snapchat users had the highest bonding social capital, followed by Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. SNS intensity, trust, tie strength, homophily, privacy concerns, introversion, and attention to social comparison also moderated the relationship between SNS use and bridging and bonding social capital. Implications for future research are discussed.
Related Research
-
Black and Blue TV: Industry Responses to the Black Lives Matter MovementLaurena Bernabo (2026.) Black and Blue TV: Industry Responses to the Black Lives Matter Movement. Rutgers University Press. https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/black-and-blue-tv/9781978844124 Summary: Black and Blue TV explores the ways television productions have responded […]
-
Telenovelas and Turkish Dramas: A Window into Culture, Society and Soft PowerCarolina Acosta-Alzuru (August 2025), “Telenovelas and Turkish Dramas: A Window into Culture, Society and Soft Power,” Council on Foreign Relations. New York, NY. Abstract: There are stories that are addictive. […]