Eman Alaslani

Date of Award

2019

Degree Level

M.A.

Identifier

ETD2019Alaslani

School/University

St. Mary's University

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The emergence of social media has changed many aspects of people’s lives as it directly impacts communication and social conscience. Social media has created new ways of providing information about social issues through peer communication, which plays an important role in user behavior. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have the highest numbers of interactions with events, which may be performances or social functions focusing on civic or political activism (D'Onfro, 2016). Twitter is offering a new way to communicate with others about social events in the society, and it opens new windows for individuals to analyze and to become involved with these events (Chaudhry, 2014). The uses and gratifications of specific social media have been studied in several works such as understanding the appeal of user-generated media: a uses and gratifications perspective (Shao, 2008), and media use and life satisfaction: The moderating role of social events (Wilczek, 2018). However, no study had yet analyzed the uses and gratifications of these social media among Saudi women. This study will examine the impact of both Twitter and Instagram on Saudi women, and attempt to understand the factors driving women to use Instagram and Twitter and to be involved in social events. As we become aware of the uses and gratifications contributing to the role of Instagram and Twitter for Saudi women, we can apply this knowledge to enhancing the use of social media for these users to advance social justice and gender equality. This will further our understanding of how these media impact behavior and the ability to communicate.

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