Adolescents’ motivations to use virtual social networking sites

Adolescents’ motivations to use virtual social networking sites


Gourkina О.А.

Moscow city psychology pedagogical University, Moscow, Russia bazinao@gmail.com

Maltseva D.V.

Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Deputy Head of the International Laboratory for Applied Network Research, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia dmaltseva@hse.ru

ID of the Article:


For citation:

Gourkina О.А., Maltseva D.V. Adolescents’ motivations to use virtual social networking sites. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2015. No 5. P. 123-130




Abstract

The article investigates reasons for the popularity of social networking sites (SNS) among adolescents. International experiences of theoretical understanding and empirical research of motives of SNS usages are reviewed. The paper presents results of a sociological survey among Moscow pupils, conducted by the Laboratory of monitoring studies in 2013. According to findings leading motives of social networks usage are communicative and cognitive ones. It is also shown that recreational opportunities of SNS have a great importance for teenagers, as they form a sense of freedom.


Keywords
social networking sites; motives of social networking sites usage; adolescents; theory of social compensation; the rich get richer hypothesis; social presence theory
Content No 5, 2015