Analysis of the Perceived Motivations behind the Activities of Tertiary Students on Social Media

Social media has been regarded as one of the most phenomenal innovations in the information and technology space. The platforms, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Blogs among others, have become a way of socializing, communicating, and interacting across borders. However, mobile phones have made social media access easier, this is as a result of its ability to connect to the internet as well as the compatibility of the platforms on these mobile devices. This, in turn, creates an opportunity for communication on the move, as users are able to connect with their friends at any point and place. This study conducts a quantitative analysis into the use of social media by finding out the motivations behind posting, liking and sharing social media contents by youths. This research is conducted in the Spring Semester of the 2017/2018 academic session among the 376 registered undergraduate students of the Eastern Mediterranean University. Findings of this study reveal that some social media users follow others because they have been followed by the same user/s. This will reciprocate the gesture and as such might be the beginning of an online/offline friendship. Results reveal that some social media users just comment on other users' platforms for fun. Findings also indicate that there is a statistically significant difference between the age group of youth that like one another’s posts on social media. Keywords: Social media, Youth, Motivation, University, Students.