The links that bind: Uncovering novel motivations for linking on Facebook

Given the increasing uptake of the social network site Facebook, mass communication researchers have begun focusing on what drives people to use the site and what kinds of information they interact with. Perhaps because of the relative novelty of Facebook, little research has scratched beneath the surface to explore why people engage in certain functions the site offers. Attention to these engagements and the motivations behind them could help improve current mass communication approaches, especially in critical industries such as news media, where traditional models are struggling to evolve. This study explored user motivations for engaging in link-sharing through Facebook, uncovering motives that extend beyond those of previous research. The findings also consider the influence of those motivations on linking frequency, and link content, introducing motivations that add to current viewpoints of social network sites as information hubs. It also provides new media researchers and practitioners with novel insight into an increasingly important Facebook behavior.

► 217 Facebook users’ primary motivation for linking on Facebook is information sharing.
► They also post links for convenience and entertainment, pass time, interpersonal utility, control, and promoting work.
► Users who desire to share information are more likely to post links on Facebook.
► Users with higher education who desire to share information are more likely to post news links.
► Users who are interested in promoting their work post job-related links.