How 'Social' are Social News Sites? Exploring the Motivations for Using Reddit.com

Toine Bogers, Rasmus Nordenhoff Wernersen

Publikation: Konference artikel i Proceeding eller bog/rapport kapitelKonferencebidrag i proceedingsForskningpeer review

Abstract

Social news sites allow their users to submit and vote on online news stories, thereby bypassing the authority and power of traditional newspaper editors. In this paper we explore what motivates users of social news sites, such as Reddit, to participate in this collaborative editorial process. We present a tiered framework of motivational factors for participating on social news sites, based on a comprehensive literature review, drawn from fields like social media research, sociology, (social) psychology, and behavioral economics. We then validate this framework through a survey deployed on Reddit and use the results of this survey to focus the motivational framework for the social news domain. We find that the recreational value of the information posted to Reddit, along with the powerful possibilities for customization appear to be the most powerful incentives for using Reddit. Perhaps surprisingly, the social aspect of social news sites is not a motivating factor for the majority of Reddit users. Influencing the placement and reception of news stories in their niche communities of interest is what draws people to sites such as Reddit.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TitelProceedings of the iConference 2014
Antal sider15
UdgivelsesstedIDEALS
ForlagiSchools
Publikationsdato1 mar. 2014
Sider329-344
StatusUdgivet - 1 mar. 2014
Udgivet eksterntJa
BegivenhediConference 2014: Breaking Down Walls: Culture - Context - Computing - Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Tyskland
Varighed: 4 mar. 20147 mar. 2014

Konference

KonferenceiConference 2014
LokationHumboldt University Berlin
Land/OmrådeTyskland
ByBerlin
Periode04/03/201407/03/2014

Fingeraftryk

Dyk ned i forskningsemnerne om 'How 'Social' are Social News Sites? Exploring the Motivations for Using Reddit.com'. Sammen danner de et unikt fingeraftryk.

Citationsformater