Unveiling Social Gratifications Sought and Obtained from Social Media Utilization

Authors

  • Ridwan Adetunji Raji (SCOPUS ID: 57208739017); Zayed University Author
  • Olawale Abdulgaffar Arikewuyo University of Ilorin Author
  • Adeyemo Saheed Oladimeji Adeyemi Lagos State University Author
  • Muhammad Ramzan Pahore University of Sindh Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26623/themessenger.v12i2.1818

Keywords:

Social Media Utilization, Social Gratifications, Social Capital, Social Influence, Social Interactions

Abstract

Going by the proposition of the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), people are motivated to use media by various psychological factors and for obtaining different forms of gratifications. However, as social media continue to play an essential role in shaping the sociability and bridging social connectivity and interactions among its users, therefore, this study seeks to incorporate social influence and social interactions as the social gratification sought in social media utilization, as well as both bonding and bridging social capital as social gratification obtained from social media utilization. An online survey was conducted among 400 users of Instagram in Nigeria. The data analyzed with PLS-SEM revealed that social influence and social interaction significantly motivate social media utilization. Also, social media utilization is significantly associated with bonding and bridging social capital. Impliedly, this study shows that social media is a social and networking tool which is stimulated by social factors and for achieving social purposes such as getting help, support and community engagements.

Author Biographies

  • Ridwan Adetunji Raji, (SCOPUS ID: 57208739017); Zayed University

    1). Ridwan Adetunji Raji (Assistant Professor) Ridwan Adetunji Raji earned a PhD in Media Management from the School of Multimedia and Communication Technology, Universiti Utara Malaysia and specialized in Marketing Communications, Media Management, Brand Management and Consumer Responses. He obtained an MPhil in Management with a major in Marketing Communication from the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. He also received a Bachelor s Degree in Media Technology with a specialization in Advertising from the School of Communication and Multimedia Technology, Universiti Utara Malaysia. He is a recipient of several scholarships and awards including the WAMY Partial Scholarship Award, Malaysia from 2010 to 2013, the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS Graduate Assistance Scheme from 2013 to 2014 and the UUM Graduate Scholarship from January 2015 to January 2019. He was also the 1st Runner-up for the 2017 UUM 3-Minute Thesis Competition under the Social Science Category. He received more than three Dean List Awards as an undergraduate student at the Universiti Utara Malaysia.

    2). Dr. Ridwan has won international research grants and presented in international conferences on issues revolving around Sustainability Image Development and Sustainable Consumption among Youth, Green City Identity Development from Residents Perspective, Social Innovation and Corporate Identity. The findings from his previous studies have been published in refereed journals such as; Journal of Marketing Communication, Journal of Promotion Management, Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing and Malaysian Journal of Communication. Prior to joining Zayed University, Dr Ridwan was a Visiting Senior Lecturer at Universiti Utara Malaysia. He has actively delivered talks and training workshops on Research Methodology, Quantitative Data Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling using both AMOS and SmartPLS to postgraduate students. Dr Ridwan also reviews for one of the top journals in Brand Management namely Journal of Brand Management.

    3).  https://www.zu.ac.ae/main/en/colleges/colleges/__college_of_comm_media_sciences/faculty-and-staff/_profiles/Raji_Ridwan.aspx

  • Olawale Abdulgaffar Arikewuyo, University of Ilorin

    1).  Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, No. C2, Fate Tanke Rd, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

    2).  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arikewuyo_Abdulgaffar

  • Adeyemo Saheed Oladimeji Adeyemi, Lagos State University

    Department of Journalism, School of Communication, Lagos State University, Lasu Main Road Ojo Campus, 102101, Lagos, Nigeria

  • Muhammad Ramzan Pahore, University of Sindh
    Doctor of Communications (School of Multimedia Technology and Communication; Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah 06010). Beside that, Lecturer at Department of Media and Communication Studies; University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan.

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Published

2020-07-31

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2020): July-December

Section

Articles