Social Media Use Motives Explained by Uses and Gratifications Theory

There has been a significant increase in social media users worldwide since 2020. Each user has various expectations and needs to satisfy through social media use. Accordingly, users prefer different social media apps and engage in different activities on these platforms. This systematic review examined the relationship between social media engagement and social media use motives through the uses and gratifications theory. Rather than examining the relationships of the variables using cross-sectional studies, the current study utilized randomized controlled studies to increase validity. This resulted in a total of nine studies. All reviewed studies showed that social media use motives significantly affect engagement. Additionally, 19 distinct motives were identified, influencing both platform preference and user behavior within apps. User characteristics also played a role in shaping these social media motives. The findings of this review provide valuable insights into the underlying reasons for social media engagement and key factors related to social media use motives.