The Motivation Behind Social Media

The popular social media platforms that we see every day have completely immersed themselves into the processes of our everyday lives. Most people are encapsulated by social media. Billions of people worldwide use and rely on social media every day. The behavior of using social media has become normalized.

Clay Shirky uses the concept of “cognitive surplus” which states that we have an abundance of mental energy and time we seek to invest meaningfully. Social media Platforms take advantage of that by offering a multitude of things. Social media platforms offer entertainment and information. On social media platforms, we have personalized feeds that offer almost endless amounts of content and news to keep us engaged for hours. Social media also offers connection to people, it is human nature to connect with others, and social media allows us to connect with people we may have never met in person. Additionally, social media allows us to find ourselves online and seek recognition and validation from other people. Furthermore, these platforms are designed to be addictive, with notification and scrolling, and incredible convenience.

Social media has changed aspects of our lives, as it has given some people unrealistic expectations of what face-to-face communication looks like. Social media has also become a hotspot for news, which in turn leaves us vulnerable to fake news. Social media is actively replacing the need for print news, cable television, and the need for face-to-face communication.

This is related to motivation. People want to find themselves and share their stories online. Additionally, people want to become famous, and that is extremely possible with modern technology and social media. Sharing content is usually a way to garner social validity. Sharing and being a part of online communities can create social bonds, and positively benefit mental health. Sharing and information control are related to types of motivation because people feel the societal pressure to post and share parts of their lives on social media. After all, it is a cultural norm. Nowadays, it is almost deviant to not be on any social media platform.

Jeram, Chatelle. “Motivations for Using Social Media.” The Social Element, 23 Nov. 2021, https://thesocialelement.agency/motivations-for-using-social-media.