Why does so many of the world population use social media? Are there scientific facts behind it or is it just for entertainment value?
Online MBA recently did a study on demographics that explain the top 7 reasons why American's belong to social networks, which were:
1. Stay in touch with friends (67 percent)
2. Stay in touch with family (64 percent)
3. Reconnect with old friends (50 percent)
4. Connect with people who share similar interests (14 percent)
5. Make new friends (9 percent)
6. Read comments from celebrities, athletes or politicians (5 percent)
7. Find potential romantic partners (3 percent)
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Could this be the only reason we spend countless hours on the internet surfing the web. We want to stay connected to our friends and family? I have a feeling it might be a little deeper than that.
I remember a few years ago before sites like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter were popular, the world seemed so big. I would chat with my close friends and family face-to-face and never feel like I am "missing-out" if I didn't attend an event or party. Now with the rapid growth of social networking sites, I am able to connect with people all around the world I never though possible. We can communicate with large powerhouse brands through comments on Facebook and have a glimpse into our favorite bloggers life through Instagram. These tools make the world seem so small. I can honestly say that If I go a few hours without checking my Facebook or keeping up with my Twitter updates, I begin to feel isolated and that I am missing out. It's that constant fear of missing that epic tweet or new picture comment that will ultimately leave you at the wayside while everyone else moves full force ahead without you.
In an article from The Next Web, Deborah Mackay states that we use social media sites to seek out happiness. We are addicted to the happy feeling we get when we check our notifications or tweets, which is produced by Dopamine, as concluded by Susan Weinschenk. She states that "the speed of the Internet provides instant gratification and as a result creates a ‘dopamine induced loop". This is why we feel compelled to constantly check our Twitter feed, look at new Facebook notifications and find it impossible to ignore that new email or text message. It's called a dopamine induced loop. It also relates to the social learning theory, which parallels to the uses and gratifications theory. The outcome of visiting social media sites like Facebook and Twitter gives us a feeling of joy. Because these sites gave us joy the first time we visited them, we assume the next time we will get that same feeling, known as outcome expectation. We get immediate gratification when we log in to Facebook and see what are friends are up to, or when we Google a specific subject and find tons of information that leads to tons of other non-related information you were originally seeking. This sends us into a loop, where the dopamine feeds off of ours seeking information, once we start seeking we are then rewarded for our seeking and ultimately wants us to want more. The more this loop effect is in play, the harder and harder it is to stop.
All of this talk about feeling happy, instantly satisfying a need, and being plugged in all leads back to habit. Media Now mentions how "much media behavior is governed by habit, in which we suspend active observation of our new media consumption and just "automatically" turn to the sports page or begin our day by check our e-mail" (Straubhaar, LaRose, Davenport). I cannot begin to express how true this is for myself. I have an iPod touch and I often click on Facebook out of habit, not even realizing I am obsessively checking my newsfeed. It also happens when I turn on my computer, my default website I automatically click first is usually Facebook.
All of this talk about feeling happy, instantly satisfying a need, and being plugged in all leads back to habit. Media Now mentions how "much media behavior is governed by habit, in which we suspend active observation of our new media consumption and just "automatically" turn to the sports page or begin our day by check our e-mail" (Straubhaar, LaRose, Davenport). I cannot begin to express how true this is for myself. I have an iPod touch and I often click on Facebook out of habit, not even realizing I am obsessively checking my newsfeed. It also happens when I turn on my computer, my default website I automatically click first is usually Facebook.
Maybe that is why more than 66% of the U.S population is currently using at least one social media website.
Resources:
Straubhaar, J., Larose, R., & Davenport, L. (2009). Media now, understanding media, culture, and technology. (6 ed.). Boston : Wadsworth Pub Co.
