The use of social media directing motivational factors: A rewiew about social media users from the perspective of uses and gratifications approach

Social media platforms, which are increasingly used together with the progress of technology everyday, have become an indispensable part of human life and have been subject to many academic studies. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the reasons for choosing social media platforms by users, how often, for what purpose, and in particular what motivations they use, from the Uses and Gratifications Approach. The first part of the thesis focused on social media and social media platforms. In the second part of the thesis, the process of motivation and the Uses and Gratifications Approach was investigated. In the third and last part of the thesis, motivational factors that guide the use of social media by determining which social media platforms users use frequently and for what purposes are examined from the perspective of the Uses and Gratifications Approach. As a result of the research, it has been determined that users mostly use social media with the motivation of "surveillance and information" secondly with the motivation of "socialization" and thirdly with the motivation of "entertainment and distraction." It is hoped that this study will provide guidance for the different studies that will be conducted in order to examine the motivations of social media use. Keywords: Social Media, Social Media Platforms, Motivation, The Process of The Motivation, The Uses and Gratifications Approach.