Similar Affordances but Different Use Practices? Contrasting Social Media Platforms from a Socio-Cultural Context Perspective

Kader Arslan () and Matthias Trier ()
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Kader Arslan: Paderborn University
Matthias Trier: Paderborn University

No 157, Working Papers Dissertations from Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics

Abstract: While the design of different social media platforms (SMPs) has become very similar over the past years, different use expectations and practices have evolved. The widely adopted affordance perspective in information systems (IS) research does not capture these subtle differences and overemphasizes design commonalities. Conversely, uses and gratification theories propose diverse needs but do not consider the platform’s design. Building on these gaps, this study complements existing affordance perspectives with a systematic framework of socio-cultural use factors and empirically studies use differences between SMPs. An online survey with 437 participants assessed 15 sub-dimensions of use expectations and practices, reflecting diverging socio-cultural contexts across platforms. Pairwise comparisons of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter unveiled noteworthy distinctions in their use. Findings suggest that a systematic exploration of socio-cultural influences on use practices can uncover significant SMP disparities that better explain platform choice, beyond what the abstract and design-centric affordance perspective captures.

Keywords: Affordances; Social context; Socio-cultural context; Social media platforms; Social media platform differences; Use culture. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 46
Date: 2025-06
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