This paper examines the digital behaviour on one widely used instant
messaging (IM) platform, namely WhatsApp, of young people in Romania, with a
focus on the reasons for sharing information on the platform and dependency of using
it. Within the broad framework of the digital single market, little is known about the
motivations and behavioural patterns of young Europeans while using the increasingly
popular IM platforms, nor is it clear whether country characteristics are relevant or not
when evaluating the impact of such technological platforms on the life of young audiences.
Rooted in the uses and gratifications perspective, this study uses media diaries (N =
229), filled in by young people in an ordinary day of the week and self-administered
questionnaires in order to assess what might be the main gratifications that lead young
and educated people to share information on WhatsApp and what makes them spend
more time and be dependent on the platform on a daily basis. Main results show that the
most frequent reasons why young Romanians use WhatsApp are social, professional, and
instrumental. Moreover, the tendency to share content on the platform is higher for people
who use it for instrumental and informative purposes. Dependency on the platform is
significantly higher for young people who use it to fulfil affective needs (i.e., to express or
receive affection or emotional support and avoid loneliness)
