Can Social Networks Improve User Subjective Wellbeing?: Role of Passion and Personality Traits

Theoretical Background Of The Study

The hypotheses of the study are based on the ideas of the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) of media and communication studies (Cantril, 2017; Li et al., 2018). UGT incorporates individuals’ socio-psychological needs, such as reasons for using specific media and the selection of content as well as attitudinal and behavioural outcomes of exposure to media content (Katz et al., 1973; LaRose et al., 2001; Ruggiero, 2000; Swanson, 1992). It postulates that users actively employ media in a goal-directed way to satisfy their desire for a wide variety of information, which they expect will fit their purposes (Luo et al., 2018). Information gratifications include users’ motives, as well as specific media outlets and the process of accumulating information (Li et al., 2017). As users choose content and information deliberately, they evaluate them with mindful effort, and therefore, the impact of media on individual users should not be considered as a random or isolated effect rather as a pre-planned goal orientation (Gan & Li, 2018; Ruggiero, 2000).