The Internet provides a platform through which university students can make use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) applications such as email, instant messaging and social network sites (Vrocharidou & Efthymiou 2012). Furthermore demographic variables such as gender influence motives and behaviour, as such making the analysis demographics essential. Therefore, insight into the variables studied could help marketers and Social Network Site operators to manage privacy concerns in order to effectively target, advertise and communicate with students.Ĭontribution: Although past research has concentrated on the study of Facebook in terms of privacy and members’ uses little research has been conducted on gender differences in this regard, more so within a South African context. Practically, Facebook provides lecturers, parents and businesses the opportunity to communicate with students in a fast and cost-effective way. Managerial implications: Social networking sites such as Facebook play an important role in students’ everyday interpersonal communication. Moreover, students were found to use Facebook to maintain existing offline friendships more so than creating new relationships. Female students reported spending more time on Facebook whilst at the same time expressing more concern for their privacy. Main findings: Students connect to social networking sites everyday primarily via their mobile phones. The statistical analysis that was used included Mann-Whitney U-test, t-test and ANOVA analysis. Research design, approach and method: Two-hundred self-administered questionnaires were distributed using convenience sampling. Motivation: The study adds to the existing academic literature on this topic by providing a South African perspective. Research purpose: The study examined students’ access to social network sites and compared male and female students’ usage of Facebook with regards to time commitment, privacy concerns, and the creation and/or maintenance of relationships. Orientation: Students’ membership and participation in social networking sites, such as Facebook, has increased in recent years. Social networking experiences on Facebook: A survey of gender differences amongst students This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of theĬreative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution,Īnd reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. & Samuels, J., 2014, ‘Social networking experiences on Facebook: A survey of gender differences amongst students’, Acta Commercii 14(1), Art. 1Department of Marketing Management, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Facebook 51 genders