From the report: "This study examines the roles of the gratifications sought
and of narcissism in content generation in social media and explores the
generational differences in motivations and in narcissistic personalities when
predicting the usage of Facebook, blogs, and forums. Data were gathered from a
probability sample of 596 social media users through a telephone survey in
2010. Factor analysis results showed that content generation using social media
was satisfying five socio-psychological needs: showing affection, venting
negative feelings, gaining recognition, getting entertainment, and fulfilling
cognitive needs. In particular, people who used social media to meet their
social needs and their need for affection tended to use Facebook and blogs. In
contrast, when users wanted to air out discontent, they often turned to forums.
Results also showed that exhibitionists seemed to use social media to show
affection, express their negative feelings, and achieve recognition. The study
found no generational differences in using Facebook and blogs as a means to
satisfy social needs or the need for affection. However, differences in
patterns of social media usage were found among Baby Boomers with different
narcissistic personalities. The paper includes a discussion of the study’s
limitations and suggestions for future research." Read more
