Exploring the Motivations of Facebook Use in Taiwan

• DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2011.0611
• Publication Date: 2012-06-15T11:57:22Z
• Authors: Saleem Alhabash; Hyojung Park; Anastasia Kononova; Yi-hsuan Chiang; Kevin Wise
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Motivation; Self Disclosure; Blogging; 05 social sciences; Taiwan; Friends; Social Networking; Surveys and Questionnaires; 0502 economics and business; Humans; Female; Interpersonal Relations; Social Behavior

The current study explored the motivations of online social network use among a sample of the general population in Taiwan (N=4,346). It investigated how seven different motivations to use Facebook predicted the intensity of Facebook use and content-generation behaviors on Facebook. Results showed that the motivation to use Facebook for posting and viewing status updates was the strongest predictor of Facebook intensity, while the motivation to view and share photographs was the strongest predictor of content-generation behavior on the site. Results are discussed in terms of expanding motivations to use Facebook to the study of social networking sites and other new and social media.