Facebook is an online social media and social networking service with 2 billion monthly active users (Balakrishnan, 2017). Each Facebook user uses Facebook for different purposes to satisfy different individual needs. The uses and gratification theory (U&G) coined by Elihu Katz is a mass communication theory that examines how individuals consume mass media to gratify their needs (Papacharissi, 2008). The basic assumptions of U&G are that users are actively seeking out media content and consume media to fulfill certain gratification, users are also faced with other choices other than media to satisfy their needs, are able to articulate those needs, and are deciders of the value of the content (Katz et al., 1974). Past studies have shown that U&G is able to explain media use (Kaye & Johnson, 2002; Palmgreen & Rayburn, 1979) and have also been used in studies on politics (Qin, 2008; Chen & Chan, 2017; Ancu & Cozma, 2009).
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Factors like personalities, educational background, social demographics and level of maturity contribute to the different needs (Miller & Landau, 2005). McQuail et al. (1972) on the other hand identified four different categories namely diversion personal relationships, personal identity and surveillance as the gratifications for social media use. As cited in Qin (2008), McQuail also observes that cognitive need and tension release has been the two most common reasons for using
Factors like personalities, educational background, social demographics and level of maturity contribute to the different needs (Miller & Landau, 2005). McQuail et al. (1972) on the other hand identified four different categories namely diversion personal relationships, personal identity and surveillance as the gratifications for social media use. As cited in Qin (2008), McQuail also observes that cognitive need and tension release has been the two most common reasons for using