Academic Analysis

“Facebook as a toolkit: A uses and gratification approach to unbundling feature use” by Andrew D. Smock, Nicole B. Ellison, Cliff Lamp and Donghee Yvette Wohn. In this study the researchers explored Social Network Sites (SNSs) such as facebook to seek information about users motives for using the site. They explored such thoughts through status updates, wall posts and chats that are all features found on facebook. This survey was given to a large group of undergraduate students at a Midwestern University.

The results of this study showed that facebook is not the same among all users, which validates the uses and gratifications theory, which states that there are different goals for different people, and it is often used for a mood management. They also found that using very detailed features, such as wall posts and status updates pinpoints positive and negative associations between motivations. (Smock, Ellison, Lampe & Wohn, 2011)

When looking at the students interviewed 65% of participants were male, with that being said, we know that males are not always actively apart of facebook, and their finding could have been different had they had more females participate. Woman are usually ones that log on to facebook and are more open with sharing things then men.

The implications of these findings for facebook, are what was expected, at least of the most part. Their study was valid in the argument that facebooks adoptions in technology is found under the uses and gratifications theory because when using social network sites members are active with different goals to get out of the site. This is one reason why facebook will always continue to have active members, because some use the site to stay in touch with friends from the past, and family and some it is just another way to communicate with friends and surround themselves with people around their university or community.

  When looking at this study as a whole, they do have some valid points, however facebook is used among all ages, not just college students. If they wanted to get exact accurate findings they would need to survey all ranges of ages,  facebook has grown to have members of all.  Also college students use for facebook for a much different reason then older adults. This is because adults use to see what their children and family members are up to, and as college students sometimes it is a way to remember what your weekend had entailed by the pictures you got tagged in. Facebook has been one of of the most successful social network sites, and it is only continuing to grow.

Sources: 

Smock, A. D., Ellison, N. B., Lampe, C., & Wohn, D. Y. (2011). Facebook as a toolkit: A uses and gratification approach to unbundling feature use. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(5), 2322-2329. Retrieved from http://journals.ohiolink.edu.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/ejc/article.cgi?issn=07475632&issue=v27i0006&article=2322_faataugatufu


Jesse Fox, Comm 240 Class Notes, "Adoption&Theories", September 29,2011
Jesse Fox, Comm 240 Class Notes, "Social networking sites", November 10, 2011