WeChat Uses and Gratifications Among Young Malaysian Adults In Klang Valley, Malaysia
Journal Title: IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science - Year 2018, Vol 23, Issue 6
Abstract
The uses and gratifications (U&G) theory has been widely used in research related to conventional media and now the internet media and mobile platforms. In Malaysia, a number of Internet-related studies revolve around the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) and most studies on U & G have been conducted in the U.S. and U.K., but not Asia. This study will focus specifically on WeChat, a popular instant messaging platform, to obtain information that will add to the limited research on U & G in Malaysia in the context of the internet media. WeChat was launched in China in 2011 and to date there are 500 million users in China and over 100 million outside China. WeChat was launched in Malaysia in June 2012 and currently it is used by 33% of the total number of Malaysians using instant messaging applications in Malaysia. This study on WeChat and U & G will focus on the following research questions (1) the reasons why respondents use WeChat; 2) the timeframe and duration of respondents; 3) which gratification type do respondents seek the most in using WeChat; and 4) how WeChat usage differ between male and female respondents. This research adopts the quantitative approach, using a sample size of 400 undergraduate respondents who are active We Chat users from four randomly selected private universities in Klang Valley. The research results showed that social gratification is the strongest gratification sought by respondents compared to process and content gratifications. This finding was similar to other social media research done earlier. Results also showed that majority of respondents used WeChat because their friends and family also used it. Most of the respondents have been using We Chat between one to two years. The respondents spent an average of 30min - 1hour (67.75%) on WeChat per-day. There was no statistically significant gender-related differences in WeChat usage and gratifications.
Authors and Affiliations
Olowo Emmanuel Opeyemi, Raduan Shariff, Anita Morah Abas, Thinavan a/l Periyayya
Keywords
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- EP ID EP419305
- DOI 10.9790/0837-2306069098.
- Views 49
- Downloads 0
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