Trust and the Flow Experience on Facebook: What Motivates Social Network Usage?

Social networking sites (SNSs) have become one of the most frequently used communication media. While many studies have examined the motivations of SNS usage and visiting behaviors, this study mainly focuses on exploring the role of trust in an SNS and intrinsic motivational factors affecting continuous usage behaviors, using the flow theory. Using a web-based survey of 291 college students, the age group that most frequently uses SNSs, our research findings suggest theoretical insights. The flow experience—consisting of perceived enjoyment, perceived control, and concentration—serves as a salient antecedent to explaining SNS users’ satisfaction, which in turn has a positive effect on continuous use of an SNS. Intent for continuous usage of an SNS mediates the relationships between satisfaction and actual use behaviors. Our research findings also reveal that trust in an SNS significantly affects all other constructs, including perceptions of SNS users, intentions, and actual behaviors. Further discussion is detailed, and the limitations of this research are addressed.

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