Online Social Networks: Why Do “We” Use Facebook?

The factors that drive people to use online social networks (e.g., Facebook) are explored and the relative impact of social influence and social presence on The authors-Intention to useOnline social networks is examined.

Abstract

With the proliferation of online social networks, there has been a growing interest in understanding why people come and use this new type of communication platform. In this paper, we explore the factors that drive people to use online social networks (e.g., Facebook). We conceptualize the use of online social networks as intentional social action and examine the relative impact of social influence and social presence on We-Intention to use online social networks. An empirical study of Facebook users (n=182) find that We-Intention to use online social networks is strongly determined by social presence. Implications for research and practice are discussed.