Young People and Social Networks: Motivations and Preferred Uses

This article presents the results of a study on the use of social networks among young Andalusians. The main objectives are to know the uses of social networks, their frequency and the motives behind their use. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. The sample includes 1487 adolescents in Andalusia. The results show that young people, for the most part, consistently used social networks. We identified two motivational aspects in this use: one social and the other psychological. There are not significant gender differences in frequency of use, but rather in the motivations for access. Boys tend to be the more emotional type, while girls were dominated by a more relational motivation. The results show similarities with international researches in environments that vary greatly from the present work. The conclusions suggest the need for future lines of work. This study also identifies the implications of social network uses for active citizenship and participatory training and social integration. These results are also important for the enrichment of dimensions such as social capital development and education.