A Qualitative Enquiry into Why Youths in a Developing Country Initiate Membership in Social Media

摘要

It has been argued that the younger demographic in different countries are the dominant users of social media displaying usage levels mirroring that of an addiction. In this study it is hypothesized that there is a difference in the engagement of social media by the youths in developing countries than their counterparts in developed countries. It is against this backdrop that Jamaica is selected as the country for the investigation of this study. A qualitative approach was used for the collection of the data which involved a convenience sampling of the participants. The results suggest that social media membership was influence by the collectivist culture identified in the Jamaican society. Pressures were identified to conform to the dynamics of the group whether by force or influence. The data also revealed that there was a low level of privacy concern among the participants as it relates to engagement in social media.