Uses and Gratifications in Social Media Engagement
Summary
Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) has long underpinned investigations into why individuals actively choose particular media channels to satisfy distinct needs. In the realm of social media, this framework has been extended to explain a broad array of engagement behaviours. Core gratifications include information-seeking, by which users monitor news, evaluate peer recommendations and access specialised content; social interaction, whereby individuals forge connections, maintain relationships and cultivate social capital; and entertainment, encompassing recreational use and escapism. Additional motives such as self-expression, personal identity construction and surveillance—monitoring events and peer activity—have been identified. Contemporary work also emphasises habit formation and subjective norms as mediators between gratification motives and usage intentions, while platform affordances such as algorithms, short-form video tools and community features shape trajectories from passive consumption to user-generated content and electronic word of mouth. These insights hold practical implications for marketers aiming to tailor content strategies, for public health practitioners leveraging peer networks to disseminate information and for designers seeking to optimise user interfaces that foster positive engagement across diverse cultural contexts.
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Uses and Gratifications in Social Media Engagement publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in uses and gratifications in social media engagement across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT): A framework positing that users actively select media to satisfy specific psychological and social needs.
Habit: Automatic behavioural patterns developed through repeated media interactions.
Subjective Norm: Perceived social pressure to engage in particular online behaviours.
Surveillance: A gratification derived from monitoring information and events via media channels.
Social Support: The interpersonal fulfilment gained through communication and community interactions online.
References
- Effects of uses and gratifications on social media use. PSU Research Review (2019).
- WeChatting for Health: What Motivates Older Adult Engagement with Health Information. Healthcare (2021).
- Factors influencing Instagram Reels usage behaviours: An examination of motives, contextual age and narcissism. Telematics and Informatics Reports (2022).
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