Motivations for using social media: comparative study based on cultural differences between American and Jordanian students

Abstract

Social network sites (SNSs) have gained popularity over the last decade. Students use SNSs according to their personal differences, which are influenced by cultural and demographic factors. This paper proposed a model that included four basic factors that act as predictors of continuous use of SNSs. The factors are personal, social, educational and entertainment. The first objective of this study is to investigate the influence of the predictors on the dependent variable. Results indicated a full support of our proposed model, with an R2 = 0.296. The second objective is to explore the differences between US and Jordanian students. An Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was conducted and results yielded significant cultural differences and stronger than gender differences. The test yielded 17 significant differences compared to 10 based on gender. This research calls for more research that tries to explore what cultural factors cause such differences.