Determining factors for the use of social networks as information platforms by Generation Z

The Internet has led to greater accessibility to data, information and, therefore, knowledge. The use of social networks arises in this context, and is the main interaction tool among generation Z. Objective: The objective of this article is to describe the factors that determine the use of social networks as an information platform by generation Z. We want to analyze their performance expectations, their effort expectations, their social influence and the facilitating conditions, based on the UTAUT model. Methodology: To this end, a univariate analysis was carried out based on frequency distributions of a selection of key questions obtained from an online survey distributed to 190 young people from private universities in Madrid. Results: The main conclusions of this descriptive research are that the university population that belongs to generation Z shows greater motivation towards being present on social networks compared to using them as a source of information. Limitations: Generation Z presents behavioral patterns that must be studied in their context to achieve a thorough analysis of their motivations on social networks. Practical implications: Disinformation is a multidimensional concept, related to facts such as disintermediation, media consumption and polarization, which can constitute a broader line of study that helps deepen media literacy. Additionally, Big data applied to European initiatives such as FactCheckEU and Fandango promote the fight against fake news by focusing on fact-checking before publishing.