A.A. Ozok and P. Zaphiris (Eds.): Online Communities, LNCS 5621, pp. 143–152, 2009. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009 Why People Use Social Networking Sites Petter Bae Brandtzæg and Jan Heim SINTEF, Forskningsveien. 1, 0314 OSLO, Norway pbb@sintef.no Abstract. One of the recent popular social media platforms is the social net- working site (SNS). Thus far, few previous studies have empirically investi- gated people’s motivations for SNS usage, especially not outside the U.S. This study combines a large-scale quantitative and qualitative research design, by asking 1,200 SNS users an open question regarding their reasons for using SNSs. An important conclusion drawn from a preliminary content analysis is that people often report many motivational reasons for using SNSs. The most important reason is to get in contact with new people (31%). The second most valued was to keep in touch with their friends (21%), whereas the third was general socializing (14%). A total of 11 different reasons and several sub- reasons were identified; that all give insight into the personal incentives that drive people to use SNSs and thus contribute to our understanding of how to develop successful social networking online. Keywords: Social networking sites, user participation, friends, user motivation. 1 Introduction Every day, thousands of new accounts are created on social networking sites (SNSs), though many have a very short lifespan [1]. SNS are also one type of online commu- nity that relies on user contributions. This raises the question of how user motivation and participation can be inspired for continued use. What makes an SNS successful in terms of both end-user loyalty and highly motivated users is still unknown [2]; yet, this is critical knowledge for designers and human factor engineers who build SNSs. Therefore, on a general level, it is necessary to understand the people who will use the service, as well as the goals and personal incentives they have for doing so. Simi- larly, Preece [3] points out that the developing online communities require a deep understanding of social interaction and the mediating affects of technology. Some few attempts have been made to understand why people participate [4] or do not participate in SNSs or online communities [2, 5]. These attempts have mainly de- veloped theoretical frameworks or featured an empirical focus towards a certain type of user (e.g., lurkers). Results from other studies on similar social media platforms such as blogs show that bloggers ranked pouring out feelings and connecting with people as the two most valued rewards for blogging [6]. Research done in previous online communities has stressed the following motivational factors: 1) people with shared interests, 2) experiences and needs, 3) supportive and sociable relationships, 4) strong social feelings of belonging, and 5) a sense of shared identity [7] [8] [9]. Other