Understanding Twitter’s adoption and use continuance: the Synergy between Uses and Gratifications and Diffusion of Innovations

This study explored the explanatory power of Uses and Gratifications (UG) and the Diffusion of Innovation theory (IDT) in describing Twitter phenomenon. Effects of mobile access and perceived outcomes of using Twitter were also examined and comparison of active and inactive users revealed which needs are likely to result in Twitter’s discontinuance if unmet. Online survey and data analysis with Partial Least Squares (PLS) revealed that the needs for Entertainment, Relaxation, the service’s Visibility and Compatibility were strong predictors of Twitter’s usage. ANOVA highlighted that the same dimensions were significantly lower among inactive ‘tweeters’, suggesting that the same factors may be responsible for both adoption and continuance. Mobile access of Twitter was found to be a catalyst for continued use. There is a need for the combined use of UG and IDT in describing Twitter’s adoption, with personal needs and the service’s characteristics being the use drivers by different audiences

Interactivity: A review of the concept and a framework for analysis

The terms `interactivity' and `interactive media' became significant buzz-words during the late 1980s and early 1990s when the multi-media euphoria fascinated politicians, economists, and researchers alike. However, right from the beginning of the scientific debate, the inconsistent usage of the term `interactivity' massively complicated the comparability of numerous empirical studies. This is where this article joins the discussion. First, the article sheds light on the terminological origins of `interactivity' and distinguishes the term from cognate expressions. Further, it restructures and extends existing findings on the basis of a new analysis framework which considers three levels of interactive communication (action level, level of subjective situation evaluation, and level of meaning exchange). Finally, it delivers a systematic overview of specific criteria of interactive communication

Studying social network sites with the combination of traditional social science and computational approaches

Social Network Sites (SNSs) are fundamentally changing the way humans connect, communicate and relate to one another and have attracted a considerable amount of research attention. In general, two distinct research approaches have been followed in the pursuit of results in this research area. First, established traditional social science methods, such as surveys and interviews, have been extensively used for inquiry-based research on SNSs. More recently, however, the advent of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) has enabled data-centric approaches that have culminated in theory-free “big data” studies. Both of these approaches have advantages, disadvantages and limitations that need to be considered in SNS studies. The objective of this dissertation is to demonstrate how a suitable combination of these two approaches can lead to a better understanding of user behavior on SNSs and can enhance the design of such systems. To this end, I present two two-part studies that act as four pieces of evidence in support of this objective. In particular, these studies investigate whether a combination of survey and API-collected data can provide additional value and insights when a) predicting Facebook motivations, b) understanding social media selection, c) understanding patterns of communication on Facebook, and d) predicting and modeling tie strength, compared to what can be gained by following a traditional social science or a computational approach in isolation. I then discuss how the findings from these studies contribute to our understanding of online behavior both at the individual user level, e.g. how people navigate the SNS ecosystem, and at the level of dyadic relationships, e.g. how tie strength and interpersonal trust affect patterns of dyadic communication. Furthermore, I describe specific implications for SNS designers and researchers that arise from this work. For example, the work presented has theoretical implications for the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) framework and for the application of Rational Choice Theory (RCT) in the context of SNS interactions, and design implications such as enhancing SNS users’ privacy and convenience by supporting reciprocity of interactions. I also explain how the results of the conducted studies demonstrate the added value of combining traditional social science and computational methods for the study of SNSs, and, finally, I provide reflections on the strengths and limitations of the overall research approach that can be of use to similar research efforts.As Redes Sociais (SNSs - Social Network Sites) estão a mudar de form fundamental a maneira como os seres humanos estabelecem ligações entre si, como comunicam e como relacionam-se uns com os outros, tendo atraído uma considerável quantidade de atenção investigativa. Em geral, duas abordagens de investigação distintas foram seguidas na procura de resultados nesta área de investigação. Em primeiro lugar, os já estabelecidos métodos tradicionais das ciências sociais, tais como inquéritos e entrevistas foram amplamente utilizados na investigação baseada em SNSs. Contudo, o surgimento mais recente das Interfaces de Programação de Aplicações (APIs - Application Programming Interfaces) tem permitido abordagens centradas em dados que têm culminado em estudos de "dados extensos", livres de teoria. Ambas estas abordagens têm vantagens, desvantagens e limitações que precisam de ser consideradas nos estudos de SNS. O objectivo desta dissertação é demonstrar como uma combinação adequada destas duas abordagens pode levar a uma melhor compreensão do comportamento do utilizador em SNSs e pode melhorar a concepção de tais sistemas. Para esse efeito, apresento dois estudos, em duas partes, que funcionam como quatro peças de prova em apoio a este objectivo. Estes estudos investigam, em particular, se uma combinação de dados recolhidos através de inquéritos e API pode fornecer valor adicional e conhecimentos ao a) prever as motivações do Facebook, b) compreender a selecção dos meios de comunicação social, c) compreender os padrões de comunicação no Facebook, e d) prever e modelar a força dos laços, em comparação com o que pode ser ganho seguindo uma ciência social tradicional ou uma abordagem computacional isolada. Abordo em seguida como os resultados destes estudos contribuem para uma compreensão do comportamento online tanto a nível do utilizador individual, por exemplo, como as pessoas percorrem o ecossistema SNS, e ao nível das relações diádicas, por exemplo, como a força dos laços e a confiança interpessoal afectam os padrões de comunicação diádica. Além disso, descrevo as implicações específicas para os designers e investigadores do SNS que decorrem deste trabalho. Por exemplo, o trabalho apresentado tem implicações teóricas para o quadro de Usos e Gratificações (U&G - Uses and Gratifications framework) e para a aplicação da Teoria da Escolha Racional (RCT - Rational Choice Theory) no contexto das interacções SNS, e implicações de design, como o reforço da privacidade e conveniência dos utilizadores de SNS, com o apoio à reciprocidade das interacções. Explico também como os resultados dos estudos realizados demonstram o valor acrescentado de combinar as ciências sociais tradicionais e os métodos computacionais para o estudo de SNS, e, por fim, apresento reflexões sobre os pontos fortes e limitações da abordagem global de investigação que podem ser úteis a esforços de investigação semelhantes

Exploring the ethical dilemmas of afro-centric social media use through agent-based modeling: A review

Social media (SM) has become indispensable for individuals and workplaces/organizations in Africa and beyond. Therein, ethical concerns are posed due to the inability to create virtual boundaries (VM), the intractability of guidelines for managers and other unintended risks/con­sequences. Operations research was used for modeling ethical concerns but have been defeated due to reasons of several ethical values and various assessment criteria for stakeholders. Conse­quently, this review paper initially x-rays the import of ethical dilemmas in older studies so as to conceive a strategy characterized by engaging stakeholders that utilize SM via Agent-Based Modeling (ABM), in such a manner that ethics can be evaluated. Additionally, it presented the rudiments of social media ABM explorations and the peculiarities of Africa. Finally, the review provided a suitable methodology and sheds light on the possible challenges of ABM implementation. Besides the benefit of increased patronage, the agent technology may also constitute a pedagogical tool for learning ethical behavior. Moreover, it is our hope that with the involvement of experts of related disciplines in Africa, attendant theories are formalized and used for building agent models that allows ethical decision making, weighing of pros and cons, analyzing differences and dimensions inherent in VM creation

Age- and Gender-dependent Differences of Asylum Seekers’ Information Behavior and Online Media Usage

This investigation is about asylum seekers’ information and communications technologies (ICT) as well as online media usage and their motivation to apply a system after arriving in their destination country. As the asylum seekers left their homeland and need to rebuild their life in a different country with a new culture and a foreign language, their (information) behavior might have adapted to the given circumstances. What online systems and social media do asylum seekers apply to satisfy their need for information, entertainment, social interaction, and self-presentation? How do different age groups behave? Are there gender-dependent differences? A mixed method approach with semi-structured interviews while filling in a questionnaire was applied. In total, 45 asylum seekers from the Middle East were interviewed in Germany. The smartphone is an essential media for communication and integration for the asylum seekers. Adults mainly use social media for information whereas children use social media for entertainment purposes, as many adults do not find time for it; and, both groups for social interaction

Understanding the Influencing Factors and Mechanism of Social Compensation for Chinese Older Adults Using Social Media in the Context of Smart Home: A Qualitative Analysis

As a new generation of necessary terminals for future homes, smart homes have become one of the essential mediums for smart aging at home. This paper aims to explore how older adults who age at home can overcome the digital divide of the new medium and achieve social participation in the home context to realize active aging. Based on the theory of social compensation, we select the smart-home smart screen, a representative new medium product in China, and carry out open coding, spindle coding, selective coding, and theoretical construction of the original interview data through the grounded theory research method. The results show that the main factors affecting the social compensation of older adults to smart home social media include user interface quality, interaction quality, content quality, and service quality, and these four factors are used as external variables to compensate older adults socially, thereby stimulating the emotional experience and perception changes at the cognitive level of older adults and then affecting the adoption and acceptance of smart home social media by older adults. This study refines the factors influencing the older adults' use of smart home social media from the perspective of social compensation. It explains the mechanism of acceptable behavior of older adults, bridging the gap in previous literature on the influencing factors and behavioral mechanisms of older adults of smart home social media. This paper provides a theoretical basis and guidance for the subsequent academic research and software development practice of social media under new technological devices to further help older adults in China achieve active and healthy aging