Love me Tinder: Untangling emerging adults’ motivations for using the dating application Tinder

Although the smartphone application Tinder is increasingly popular among emerging adults, no empirical study has yet investigated why emerging adults use Tinder. Therefore, we aimed to identify the primary motivations of emerging adults to use Tinder. The study was conducted among Dutch 18–30 year old emerging adults who completed an online survey. Over half of the sample were current or former Tinder users (n = 163). An exploratory factor analysis, using a parallel analysis approach, uncovered six motivations to use Tinder: Love, Casual Sex, Ease of Communication, Self-Worth Validation, Thrill of Excitement, and Trendiness. In contrast to previously suggested, the Love motivation appeared to be a stronger motivation to use Tinder than the Casual Sex motivation. In line with literature on online dating, men were more likely to report a Casual Sex motivation for using Tinder than women. In addition, men more frequently reported Ease of Communication and Thrill of Excitement motives. With regard to age, the motivation Love, Casual Sex and Ease of Communication were positively related to age. Finally, Tinder motivations were meaningfully related to offline encounters with Tinder matches. In sum, the study showed that emerging adults have six primary motivations to use Tinder and that these motivations differ according to one’s age and gender. Tinder should not be seen as merely a fun, hookup app without any strings attached, but as a new way for emerging adults to initiate committed romantic relationships. Notably, the findings call for a more encompassing perspective on why emerging adults use Tinder.     

‘“It should allow me to opt in or opt out”: Investigating smartphone use and the contending attitudes of commuters towards geolocation data collection

A valuable body of literature critiques the ways in which data generated by individuals through their smartphone and mobile media use are collected and controlled by governments, state-based institutions and corporations. However, alongside this much-needed critical scholarship, it is necessary to identify the specific attitudes of users towards locational data collection activities and, by extension, the differing levels of socio-technical literacy that exist among smartphone users. This article presents evidence of the attitudes of train commuters about the geolocation mapping of their movement via smartphone Wi-Fi signals. Involving significant methodological challenges, the study used Simple Observation combined with a three-question survey of 100 commuters completed at a major train station in Melbourne, Australia, over a three-day period. Based on the evidence collected and analysed, the findings show that attitudes are grouped into six categories: (1) in favour, (2) in favour with guarantees, (3) sceptical, (4) staunchly opposed, (5) confused, and (6) apathetic. We propose that publicly visible initiatives to raise awareness about the collection and utilisation of smartphone data are essential to inform citizens about their locational privacy, especially given the continuing spread of sensor-based monitoring systems in public spaces and so-called smart cities.     

Facebook as a second screen: An influence on sport consumer satisfaction and behavioral intention

Little research has examined the use of social media as people watch live sporting telecasts—an activity that has been referred to as the second screen phenomenon. The paper proposes and tests a second screen consumer engagement model that captures the actions of Facebook users (N = 299) while watching a live sport telecast. Findings highlight the direct and indirect effect of social camaraderie, subjective norm, fan emotion and purposive needs on sport consumers’ satisfaction and behavioral intention. The behavioral intention of consumers when using Facebook as a second screen was associated with the increased likelihood of using the platform to purchase team products, make recommendations and investigate sponsors. The proposed model contributes to the emerging literature highlighting the increasing importance of social media as an interactive support channel when people watch live telecasts. The findings have practical implications for managers by providing insights and understanding of consumers when watching telecast sport. Although tested with Thai English Premier League fans, the findings will have relevance across different sports and other business sectors.     

Ex-post evaluation of illegalizing juvenile online game after midnight: A case of shutdown policy in South Korea

In November 2011, the Korean government legalized blocking access to online games for youths younger than age 16 late at night; this is called the shutdown policy. Using multiple regressions we examined how the compulsory block affected youths’ Internet hours and sleep duration. Data were drawn from the 2011, 2012 Korea Youth Behavior Risk Factor Survey, a cross-sectional online survey of middle and high school students aged 13–18 years. Legalizing a ban of online gaming late at night for youths caused an increase in the predicted probability of being in a high-ranked Internet user group by 1.6 percent points, a decrease in the predicted probability of Internet addiction by 0.7 percent points, and an increase in sleep duration of 1.5 min. All results showed a gender difference in the effect of the policy. Although the net effect of the shutdown policy was statistically significant, the small effect size, the partial effect on female youths, and the side effects related to human basic rights and inappropriate regulation of the game industry made the effectiveness of the policy arguable.     

Green attributes converged within multifunctional technology products

This article analyzes the way in which the convergence of green attributes in multifunctional technological products influences consumers’ purchase intentions. Due to the recent growth in convergent products, technology users and consumers must choose among numerous different applications that can be perceived as either utilitarian or hedonic. This article suggests that new products launched on the market include attributes that are connected to sustainability and provide added value to consumers in their process of decision making. The primary question addressed in this article concerns whether an increase or decrease in consumer intention is based on the perception of the product’s utility, and the consumer’s prior experience and attitude toward green products. A 2 × 2 × 2 experiment was conducted to evaluate utilitarian or hedonic convergence, green attribute integration, and predisposition for (involvement with) green products. We propose that consumer value increases for those consumers with a high perception of green integration connected to a high predisposition for green devices, which increases the utilitarian value of the product or justifies the hedonic purchase of technological equipment.     

Social media jealousy and intimate partner violence in young adults’ romantic relationships: A longitudinal study

Social media have profoundly transformed young adults’ social interactions, especially within their romantic relationships. For instance, jealousy induced by the partner's activity on social media can cause conflicts that can escalate into controlling and aggressive behaviors. Previous cross-sectional studies show significant links between social media jealousy and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. However, the directionality of these associations has not yet been examined using longitudinal designs. This study investigated the associations between social media jealousy and IPV perpetration in young adults’ romantic relationships over a year. Two samples, one composed of 111 couples (n = 222) and one composed of 286 individuals involved in a romantic relationship, completed online questionnaires at two time points over one year. Results of cross-lagged panel analyses were replicated across samples and suggested that the intra-individual association between social media jealousy and IPV perpetration is bidirectional and positive over time. Results also indicated a negative association between a person’s IPV perpetration at Time 1 and their partner’s online jealousy at Time 2. These findings highlight the reciprocal and dyadic influences of social media jealousy and IPV and provide a better understanding of the potential risks associated with social media use in young adults’ romantic relationships.     

Let me take a selfie: Exploring the psychological effects of posting and viewing selfies and groupies on social media

Taking selfies and groupies and sharing them to social media has become a popular online activity. This study aimed to examine the psychological effects of posting and viewing selfies and groupies on social media by conducting a survey (N = 275). Results indicated frequent selfie viewing behavior led to decreased self-esteem whereas frequent groupie viewing behavior led to increased self-esteem. Frequent selfie viewing behavior led to decreased life satisfaction while frequent groupie viewing behavior resulted in increased life satisfaction. However, neither selfie nor groupie posting behavior was associated with self-esteem or life satisfaction. In addition, individuals high in need for popularity were more likely to be affected by selfie viewing behavior in terms of life satisfaction and self-esteem compared with individuals low in need for popularity.     

Understanding the relationship between intensity and gratifications of Facebook use among adolescents and young adults

Facebook is a well-known computer-mediated communication platform considered popular among adolescents and young adults. New media scholars have coined the term “intensity of Facebook use” (IFU) for the concept that measures the emotional and affective attitude towards Facebook use among young people. IFU is an important service use concept that has been positively linked with the different psychosocial outcomes of student well-being. However, only a limited amount of the prior literature has investigated the relationship between IFU and different Facebook uses and gratifications (U&G). The existing literature suggests inconsistent findings with a sole emphasis on young adults. To address these gaps, the present study has investigated the differential role of different Facebook U&G among adolescents and young adults in predicting IFU. A total of three cross-sectional data sets (N = 373, 107, 105) represented adolescents and university-attending young-adult Facebook users. The study results suggest that process U&G do and content U&G do not play any significant role in predicting IFU. Adolescents and young adults differ in their sought Facebook U&G. In addition to this, cultural differences were observed in the sought Facebook U&G and their differential role in predicting IFU.     

Social media use and university students’ participation in a large-scale protest campaign: The case of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement

This study examines the impact of social media use on participation in large-scale protest campaigns that feature a range of participation opportunities. It develops a theoretical model which distinguishes between support generation and behavior activation effects, differentiates collective action, digital, and personalized action participation, and posits social media use as a mediator between social psychological predictors of protest behavior and actual participation. The empirical analysis focuses on Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement in 2014. Analyzing a probability sample of university students (N = 795), the findings show that sharing political information and direct connections with political actors via social media have significant impact on both support for and participation in the Umbrella Movement. Social media use has effects on each dependent variable in the causal chain even after all the immediate causes are controlled. Social media use also mediates part of the impact of general political awareness, efficacy, and grievances on movement support and participation.     

Social media use,political affect,and participation among university students in urban China

Although the role of affects and emotions in political participation has attracted much scholarly attention, few studies have examined whether and how media and communications can be the sources of political affects. This study argues that social media are not only information channels; they can also be effective in communicating feelings and emotions. Social media use may contribute to political affects, which in turn impinge on civic and political participation. In addition, political affects may moderate the effects of social media use on political participation. Based on a survey of university students in Guangzhou, China (N = 897), this study finds that, under China’s networked authoritarianism, political communication via social media is related to positive affects toward the government and society, while connection with activists via social media is related to negative affect. Positive and negative affects have different impact on different types of participation. Negative affects strengthen the connection between social media use and participation. The roles of three discrete negative emotions – anger, anxiety and fear – are also explored.     

Gratifications of using Facebook,Twitter, Instagram,or Snapchat to follow brands: The moderating effect of social comparison,trust, tie strength,and network homophily on brand identification,brand engagement,brand commitment,and membership intention

Applying uses and gratifications theory (UGT), this study examined consumers’ use of one of four social networking sites (SNSs): Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, for following brands, and their influence on brand community-related outcomes. Results (N = 297) indicated Snapchat users scored highest for passing time, sharing problems, and improving social knowledge, while Instagram users scored highest for showing affection, following fashion, and demonstrating sociability. Twitter users had highest brand community identification and membership intention, while Instagram users had highest brand community engagement and commitment. Attention to social comparison, SNS trust, tie strength, and homophily also significantly moderated the relationship between frequent use of each SNS to follow brands, and brand community-related outcomes. Implications for future research on SNS users’ goal-directed consumption behaviors are discussed.     

Gamification for enhancing Web 2.0 based educational activities: The case of pre-service grade school teachers using educational Wiki pages

This study seeks to uncover the effects of using gamification elements in courses that make use of a Wiki environment on the participation rates of undergraduate students in Wiki-based course activities as well as on student academic success in the course. Owing to the fact that the group of students chosen for the study consisted of pre-service grade school teachers, their opinions on the use of the Wiki environment along with its embedded gamification elements in their future careers have been sought. Of particular interest were the considerations of pre-service teachers concerning the age levels of a target audience that they believed would benefit from instruction with this particular educational tool. Following a mixed-research methodological pattern, the study was conducted in two consecutive stages. The first stage involved a quasi-experiment and the second was handled as a case study. In order to examine the long-term effects of Wiki activities supported by gamification elements on student academic success, a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical test was conducted based on scores from an initial pre-knowledge test, an applied interim examination, and a final examination. In order to determine the opinions of teacher candidates regarding Wiki activities and the process of gamification, results from an open-ended questionnaire were consulted. It was eventually discovered that students in both the Wiki-only (p = 0.02) and gamified-Wiki (p = 0.00) activity groups displayed significantly greater academic success compared to a control group. Although gamification elements also caused a significant difference between the two Wiki groups in terms of the number of times content is displayed (1670 > 637) and edited (38 > 18), it was observed that participation rates fell over time in both groups. As for academic success, there was no difference between the two Wiki groups (p = 0.92). It was found that teacher candidates regard Wiki and gamification activities positively. Also, it was noted that they did not possess an adequate level of consciousness of the fact that student capabilities are an important factor in making effective use of technology.     

Social networking in the aging context: Why older adults use or avoid Facebook

Despite a growing body of research about older adults’ use of social networking sites (SNS), scholars have not fully explored how this technology is meeting this group’s interactional and information-seeking needs. How do these older adults view this technology? What are their communication needs and expectations and why are they drawn to it? To address these questions and fill a gap in the literature, this study draws upon in-depth interviews with 46 older adults (average age: 80.4 years) about their perceptions of Facebook, which was the leading SNS at the time of writing. Analysis of interview data revealed six primary reasons for using Facebook (keeping in touch, sharing photos, social surveillance, responding to family member requests, convenient communication, curiosity) and six primary reasons for not using Facebook (privacy, need for media richness, preference for familiarity, triviality of communication, time commitment, frustration with site tools). Emergent findings hold implications for future research and SNS design.     

Age Differences in Nonhedonic Entertainment Experiences

This article examines age differences in nonhedonic (eudaimonic) entertainment experiences. Results of an experimental study comparing younger adults aged 18 to 28 years (n = 84) with older adults aged 62 to 87 years (n = 65) who watched either a sad or a happy version of a meaningful film show that generally, older viewers reported higher levels of eudaimonic entertainment than younger participants. Furthermore, among older participants, eudaimonic entertainment experiences during the film were associated with positive affect and mixed emotions. This study further develops our understanding of nonhedonic entertainment experiences. Implications for other research areas are discussed.     

Factors influencing the adoption of e-Government services in Mauritius

This research seeks to investigate the antecedents of e-Government adoption in a small island developing state. An extended model comprising of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 and the e-Government adoption model was employed. Results from a cross-sectional survey of 247 citizens show that performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, perceived value are positively related to behavioural intention. Computer self-efficacy is shown to have a significant negative relationship with behavioural intention and resistance to change. Our results further demonstrate that trustworthiness is inversely related to resistance to change. Small island developing states should engage in proper awareness campaigns of e-Government services offered and focusing their efforts on citizens aged 18–39 years old to obtain a critical mass of users. Website design and information quality should be improved paying particular attention to security and privacy, thereby increasing trust and reducing resistance to change.     

Economic and system impact of hybrid Raman–EDFA amplification in a 40 × 40 Gbps optical transmission network with DPSK modulation

Demands of modern high-bandwidth services drive the need to constantly improve existing optical amplification technology beyond its current bounds. In this paper, we demonstrate a hybrid broadband amplification scheme which is capable of improving the system performance of a wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) network. We present the study of optical signals with differential-phase-shift keying (DPSK) modulation at 40 Gbps and its transmission in a 50-GHz spaced, 40-channel WDM system over an 80-km link with hybrid optical amplification. A comparison of the system and cost impacts of a Raman-only amplification scheme with two hybrid Raman–erbium doped fiber amplifier schemes (Hybrids I and II) is performed. It is shown that one of the proposed hybrid schemes (Hybrid II) outperforms the other by (i) improving the tolerance to signal input power by 17 dB and (ii) increasing the system reach by 55 km for input signal power of 5 dBm, for a bit error rate (BER) performance of 10⁻¹².     

Interdisciplinary study on popularity prediction of social classified hot online events in China

We offer an interdisciplinary study of computer science and social science, analyzing behavior surrounding three types of online events: political events, social events, and non-public events. Based on the intrinsic characteristics of the three event types, this paper creates an effective method to predict such events. We continuously followed and recorded data every 10 min for 10 months from September 14, 2012 to July 11, 2013, and collected over 14 million “hot” posts from Sina Weibo, the largest microblogging provider in China. After removing spammers and noises, we developed a database of 4180 hot online events and 7,761,395 threads. We found that people’s online behavior regarding event types varies in terms of follow-up statistics and the predictability of events. The Chinese are, typically, quite concerned with social affairs that relate most closely to their personal interests and preferences. People tend to cluster around political events more often than social events and non-public events. This is demonstrated by an algorithm embedded with a clustering growth pattern of events, which predicts the popularity of online political events above others. The statistical findings are justified by Habermas’ public sphere theory and the theory of vertical/horizontal collectivism/individualism. This research provides an interesting piece of computational social science work to assist in the analysis of incentives concerning China’s collective events.     

User generated content and credibility evaluation of online health information: A meta analytic study

The present study provides a meta-analysis of perceived credibility concerns for user-generated-online-health information. Past work yields inconsistent findings regarding whether high credible versus low credible sources would relate to perceived credibility of online health information. A collection of empirical studies was synthesized to reach an explanation of the conflicting findings. Analysis of 22 effect sizes with 1346 participants indicated that source credibility had no significant overall influence on perceived information credibility (r = 0.03, n.s.). However, the variances across the studies suggest that the platform where the information was posted might be a contingent factor. Specifically, when user-generated health information was posted on a common website, high credible sources were significantly related to high perceived information credibility.     

A new dimension of the digital divide: Exploring the relationship between broadband connection,smartphone use and communication competence

The study explores group differences in demographic characteristics; Internet usage (device ownership, Internet availability, and frequency of weekly Internet use); and communication competence (instrumental, creative, and networking skills) between people who have and who do not have wired and/or wireless broadband connections and smartphones. The results of the one-way ANOVA and Scheffe’s post-hoc comparisons demonstrate significant differences in groups with different network connection types across demographic lines, different levels of Internet usage, and different communication competences. The results of the multinomial regression show significant differences across the variables between wired-only users and wired and smartphone users as well as between wired-only users and wired, wireless, and smartphone users. However, group differences between wired and smartphone users and wired, wireless, and smartphone users are significant only in device ownership and creative skill. We concluded that smartphone use was likely to aggravate the gaps of demographics, access, and skills in the seamlessly connected media environment. Meanwhile, access gap made the most impact on information, communication, leisure/entertainment, and financial management activities online, followed by skill and demographic gaps. The findings imply that access and skill gaps could be higher barriers to the active engagement in diverse online activities and consequently create an overlapping effect on the established divide.