You have been poked: Exploring the uses and gratifications of Facebook among emerging adults
Abstract
The social networking site Facebook has become an inescapable phenomenon for college students, but little systematic research has studied why these students use Facebook. I conducted an online survey among Facebook users at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (N = 1,049) to examine why they use Facebook and how it fulfills their needs. The most prevalent use of Facebook was as a social activity – students reported using Facebook with friends to view and discuss other people’s profiles. Essentially, Facebook appears to operate primarily as a tool for the facilitation of gossip.
How to Cite
Bumgarner, B. A. (1). You have been poked: Exploring the uses and gratifications of Facebook among emerging adults. First Monday, 12(11). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v12i11.2026
Section
Articles
Authors retain copyright to their work published in First Monday. Please see the footer of each article for details.