Reflecting on 1,000 Social Media Journeys: Generational Patterns in Platform Transition

TL;DR

This study analyzes 1,000 social media users' journeys to understand platform transition patterns, revealing generational differences and identifying push and pull factors influencing platform adoption and switching behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of Social Media Journeys to systematically study user transitions across platforms and highlights generational differences in platform adoption.

Findings

Identifies key push and pull factors affecting platform switching.

Reveals generational differences in social media platform adoption.

Provides insights for platform design, governance, and regulation.

Abstract

Social media has billions of users, but we still do not fully understand why users prefer one platform over another. Establishing new platforms among already popular competitors is difficult. Prior research has richly documented people's experiences within individual platforms, yet situating those experiences within the entirety of a user's social media experience remains challenging. What platforms have people used, and why have they transitioned between them? We collected data from a quota-based sample of 1,000 U.S. participants. We introduce the concept of \emph{Social Media Journeys} to study the entirety of their social media experiences systematically. We identify push and pull factors across the social media landscape. We also show how different generations adopted social media platforms based on personal needs. With this work, we advance HCI by moving towards holistic perspectives when discussing social media technology, offering new insights for platform design, governance, and regulation.