INVESTIGATION OF SOCIAL ECONOMIC VARIABLES AS DETERMINANTS OF PREFERRED SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

This paper sought to investigate the social economic variables as determinants of preferred social networking sites by International Students of Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus. Social Networking Sites (SNS) platforms are gradually replacing the known, traditional means of communication as a result of new improved communication systems.The application of Social Networking Sites in our present generation is inevitable due to its efficiency and capability of connecting the whole globe in a second.These Social Networking Sites have made great contribution towards socio-cultural and economic development thereby re-ordering the world and making it a global village. Two platforms are considered in this research; Facebook and Instagram to know the right prediction based on the demography of users.  The research design is survey, while questionnaire was used as the instrument of data collection. Uses and Gratifications Theory is adopted as theoretical framework. Using SPSS for the analysis, the CHAID method with the help of a tree diagram shows that some of the demographic factors are better predictors of social media platforms when it comes to communication with specific places.