Technology Acceptance in Social Media Environments
Summary
Technology acceptance in social media environments concerns the factors that influence individuals’ decisions to adopt and continue using social networking platforms. Central to this field is the interplay between utilitarian motives—such as perceived usefulness and ease of use—and hedonic or social motives, including perceived enjoyment, social presence and connectedness. Cultural norms, trust in platform governance, network externalities and user interface design all shape acceptance. Research has broadened from classic Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) constructs to include additional drivers such as perceived playfulness, privacy concerns and behavioural intention. Applications extend across education, public information campaigns, livestock management, health promotion and professional learning, underlining the global significance of understanding why and how diverse user groups embrace social media tools.
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Technology Acceptance in Social Media Environments publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in technology acceptance in social media environments across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): A theoretical framework that explains user acceptance based on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use.
Perceived Usefulness: The degree to which a user believes that a particular system enhances their performance or achieves desired outcomes.
Perceived Ease of Use: The degree to which a user believes that using a system involves minimal effort.
Behavioural Intention: A measure of an individual’s readiness and planned effort to use a technology.
Social Presence: The extent to which a user feels that other individuals are accessible and engaged through the platform.
References
- Factors affecting social networks acceptance: An extension to the technology acceptance model using PLS-SEM and Machine Learning Approach. International Journal of Data and Network Science (2023).
- Empowering engagement: unveiling motivational drivers for social media adoption: a Facebook case study. Frontiers in Computer Science (2024).
- The acceptance of social media as a channel of communication and livestock information for sheep farmers. Open Agriculture (2024).
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