Uses and gratifications of social networking sites for bridging and bonding social capital: A comparison of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat

Applying uses and gratifications theory (UGT) and social capital theory, our study examined users of four social networking sites (SNSs) (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat), and their influence on online bridging and bonding social capital. Results (N=297) found that Twitter users had the highest bridging social capital, followed by Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, while Snapchat users had the highest bonding social capital, followed by Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. SNS intensity, trust, tie strength, homophily, privacy concerns, introversion, and attention to social comparison were also found to moderate the relationship between SNS use and online bridging and bonding social capital. Uses and gratification theory (UGT) was applied to explain social networking site usage.Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat influence bridging/bonding social capital.SNS intensity, tie strength, privacy, introversion, and social comparison are moderators.

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