INVESTIGATION OF USER ADAPTABILITY AND SHARING PATTERNS ON MULTIPLE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Abstract

Emergence of new features on social media platforms have become a daily occurrence. Stories, live videos, memories and various other emerging features are a crucial part of most of the popular social media platforms. Through this study, we conduct a qualitative assessment of user adaptation to these revolutionizing social media features. The aim of this study is to understand user preferences based on platforms, their adaptability and usage of these features. This study derives conclusions based on a semi-structured interview conducted on 18 users in their early twenties in the UAE. The study derives conclusions on changes in user behavior on Facebook, user strategies for managing different audiences and content across social media platforms, views on cross-linking and cross-sharing of social platforms and using social media as a common portal to keep track of daily happenings. The study finds that users treat social media platforms distinctly while tending to share different contents on each platform depending on the nature of the content and the audience of each platform.