RELAX AND LOG ON FACEBOOK: EXAMINING STUDENTS’ USE OF FACEBOOK TO RELIEVE ACADEMIC STRESS THROUGH PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT

College students often times experience academic stress, whether it is due to homework, exams, GPA requirement, or even adapting to the college environment. Social support has been known to reduce stress levels and affect psychological well-being. Social support can also be prevalent on social media sites, such as Facebook. Facebook users can communicate with friends near and far and find the needed support during times of stress. While college students are active Facebook users, little research has examined whether Facebook affects academic stress levels. This study examined if college students use Facebook to gain social support for stress above and beyond psychological uses. Survey results found that escape, relaxation, and social support were inversely associated with academic stress. This suggests that Facebook provides an effective means of dealing with academic stress among college students

UNDERSTANDING COLLABORATIVE STICKINESS INTENTION IN SOCIAL NETWORK SITES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING

This study aims to investigate users’ knowledge sharing intention and collaborative stickiness intention towards social network sites (SNS). SNS offer an opportunity for users to interact and form relationships, while knowledge is accrued by integrating user’s information, experience, and practice. However, there have been few systematic studies that ask why people use SNS to share knowledge. We adopt social capital theory, social identity theory, as well as use and gratification theory to explore the determinants of members’ knowledge sharing intention in SNS. The survey was conducted on two education VCs of facebook, while most members were teachers and educators. Data analysis was carried out to validate our research model, and SmartPLS were used to analyze users’ collaborative stickiness intention. The result shows that social capital and social identity have impact on teacher’s knowledge sharing intention, in turn, influence on collaborative stickiness intention toward on SNS. Our findings not only help researchers interpret why members sharing their knowledge in VC, but also assist practitioners in developing better SNS strategy

“Facebook Distress”: A Model to Investigate Discontinuation of Social Networking Site Use

The study proposes a model to investigate discontinuation of social networking site use based on gratification and distress factors. The model of two contrasting beliefs is founded on Social Exchange Theory (Homans, 1958). The study reviews past research of user motivations to participate in social networking sites, and identifies gratification factors of using the sites, however, uses methods from thematic analysis (Aronson, 1994; Barun & Clarke, 2006) to identify the factors that cause use-based distress. Drawing on the recognition of these two contrasting beliefs and two forms of affective reactions, the article argues that users make cost-benefit assessments leading to post-adoption decisions on whether to continue or discontinue social networking site use. The article concludes with several theoretical and practical contributions

THE FORMATION OF FACEBOOK STICKINESS: THE PERSPECTIVES OF MEDIA RICHNESS THEORY, USE & GRATIFICATION THEORY AND INTIMACY

With the advent of web 2.0, social networking sites (SNSs) have mushroomed. Gaining competitive advantage by retaining users in the SNS is an important issue for operators. By conceptualizing stickiness as the state of individuals’ prolong stay on the SNS, the aim of this study is to explore the process of formatting SNS stickiness in the context of Facebook from the perspectives of media richness theory, uses & gratifications (U & G) theory, and intimacy. Data was collected from the northern Taiwan University. A total of 187 questionnaires were selected for the data analysis. The results support the following conclusions: 1) the media richness provided by the Facebook website directly influences users’ gratifications, including interpersonal utility and social utility; 2) the intimacy is an important mediating variable involving in the process of formatting Facebook stickiness; and 3) Facebook stickiness is indirectly influenced by gratifications, interpersonal utility and social utility, which exerts its effect through intimacy. By integrating the theoretical perspectives of media richness theory, U & G theory with intimacy into the process model of formatting Facebook stickiness, this study provides both academics and practitioners with insight into how Facebook stickiness form and enable SNS manager to retain their users

UNDERSTANDING COLLABORATIVE STICKINESS INTENTION IN SOCIAL NETWORK SITES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Abstract This study aims to investigate users' knowledge sharing intention and collaborative stickiness intention towards social network sites (SN

Exploring active and passive interactions in social networking services: a psychological needs perspective

Purpose-People's socializing behavior in social networking services (SNS) presents dramatically different features, forming differentiated online social interaction patterns (DOSIP) in SNS. This study aims to explore the relationships between users' multidimensional psychological needs and multiple social interaction patterns in SNS. Design/methodology/approach-Based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs and use and gratifications (U&G) theory,the authors develop the research model to examine the effects of psychological needs on DOSIP. A survey is used to collect the data of SNS users' social interaction. The authors adopt structural equation modeling-neural network (SEM-NN) integrated method to examine the research model. Findings-Need to belong, need for self-esteem, need for social contact, need for emotional expression, need for cognition, and need for external-esteem have significant influences on both active and passive social interactions respectively. Originality/value-Based on the categorization of DOSIP into six types in terms of the level of activity and disclosure ofsocial interaction,the authors constructan integrated research model of multidimensional psychological needs to multiple social interaction patterns, and validate the antecedents of DOSIP from the perspective of psychological needs

Type of Facebook user and correlational relationship with social comparison and self-esteem along with the moderating variable of the Big Five model

This thesis examines different types of Facebook users and how different types of participation on Facebook are associated with social comparison orientation scale and self-esteem level of the users, and how personality variables moderate the relationship between social comparison scale and types of Facebook use. Previous research has investigated the relationship between Facebook use, self-esteem, and social comparison; however, the results have been mixed, and research on how personality traits are related to different types of active use of Facebook is needed. Study 1 of this thesis examines how social comparison orientation and self-esteem relate to how individuals actively use Facebook, including proactive use and reactive use. Analysis of survey data from a convenient student sample suggests that while self-esteem is not related to proactive or reactive use of Facebook, comparison orientation is significantly associated with reactive use of Facebook. Number of friends is also found to be correlated with proactive and reactive use of Facebook. Study 2 tests personality variables from the Big Five model as moderators to better understand the relationship of social comparison orientation and Facebook user type along with the relationship between number of Facebook friends and Facebook user type. Analysis of survey data from a convenient student sample suggests that there is an interaction effect between social comparison orientation and neuroticism on reactive Facebook use. An interaction effect between number of Facebook friends and extraversion on reactive Facebook use was also found