The links that bind: Uncovering novel motivations for linking on Facebook

Abstract

Given the increasing uptake of the social network site Facebook, mass communication researchers have begun focusing on what drives people to use the site and what kinds of information they interact with. Perhaps because of the relative novelty of Facebook, little research has scratched beneath the surface to explore why people engage in certain functions the site offers. Attention to these engagements and the motivations behind them could help improve current mass communication approaches, especially in critical industries such as news media, where traditional models are struggling to evolve. This study explored user motivations for engaging in link-sharing through Facebook, uncovering motives that extend beyond those of previous research. The findings also consider the influence of those motivations on linking frequency, and link content, introducing motivations that add to current viewpoints of social network sites as information hubs. It also provides new media researchers and practitioners with novel insight into an increasingly important Facebook behavior.

Introduction

Originally launched in 2004 as a way for college students to stay connected and meet new friends, Facebook has developed into a premiere source of information sharing. More than 600 million users sign into the site daily, sharing more than 70 billion pieces of content that include updates on their daily routines, posting photos, and scrolling through other users’ profiles (Facebook, 2011). Additionally, Facebook users now use the sites as a way to digitally and socially interact with news and information (Lasorsa, Lewis, & Holton, 2011). SNS users can choose their level of participation, which may include active engagement (i.e., posting status updates, sharing links, chatting, etc.) or passive engagement (i.e., viewing others’ status updates, looking at others’ pages, etc.). However, research examining why users engage Facebook for some activities and not in others is limited. Such analysis could provide a better understanding of evolving mass communication trends. Knowing what motivates people to share information is important in the development of new communication strategies, as traditional news delivery platforms have been struggling to maintain and grow their consumer bases (Chyi, 2009).

This study examines Facebook as a mass communication platform—one that has the ability to improve current models of news and information delivery. To harness that potential, though, research must first illustrate why users engage in information sharing on the site, which is most notable in link-sharing. What drives people to share news and information through links? How do those motivations influence linking frequency and content shared? Answers to these questions could improve understanding of theoretical and practical concepts that apply to user engagement with news media and the dissemination of news media content. This study used a survey to measure an extensive list of possible Facebook user motivations for posting links to outside sources of information. As such it advances the literature by examining what motivates Facebook users to share links through their individual Facebook accounts.