Internet users are increasingly becoming self-publishing consumers. Applying the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) perspective, this study investigated how people use TikTok in terms of consuming, participating and producing behaviors, and examined the role of personality traits and users’ motivation as predictors to this integrated usage behavior. An online survey was conducted to recruit 385 TikTok users using online network sampling technique. Our findings suggest that it was users’ motivations, not personality traits, that have significant influence on TikTok use. Results show that users’ motivations – namely archiving, self-expression, social interaction and peeking – are significant predictors to TikTok usage behaviors but differ in levels and influence. This study contributes to both the theoretical and the empirical understanding of media use in a user-generated media (UGM) context.

TikTok has one of the most advanced algorithm systems and is the most addictive as compared to other social media platforms. While research on social media addiction is abundant, we know much less about how the TikTok information system environment affects users’ internal states of enjoyment, concentration, and time distortion (which scholars define as the flow experience), which in turn influences their addiction behavior. To fill this gap, this study collects responses from 659 adolescents in China aged between 10 and 19 years old, and the data is then analyzed using Partial Least Square (PLS). We find that the system quality has a stronger influence than information quality in determining adolescents’ experience with TikTok and that the flow experience has significant direct and indirect effects on TikTok addiction behavior. Notably, this study finds that TikTok addiction is determined by users’ mental concentration on the medium and its content. Several theoretical insights from the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) model and the flow theory are used to explain the findings.

We proposed a conceptual model combining three theories: uses and gratification theory, social networking sites (SNS) dependency theory and social impact theory to understand the factors that predict fake news sharing related to COVID-19. We also tested the moderating role of fake news knowledge in reducing the tendency to share fake news. Data were drawn from social media users (n = 650) in Nigeria, and partial least squares was used to analyse the data. Our results suggest that tie strength was the strongest predictor of fake news sharing related to COVID-19 pandemic. We also found perceived herd, SNS dependency, information-seeking and parasocial interaction to be significant predictors of fake news sharing. The effect of status-seeking on fake news sharing, however, was not significant. Our results also established that fake news knowledge significantly moderated the effect of perceived herd, SNS dependency, information-seeking, parasocial interaction on fake news sharing related to COVID-19. However, tie strength and status-seeking effects were not moderated.

Purpose: This study aims to understand the effects of fake news spreading in Nigeria, the reasons for fake news sharing among social media users, and eventually propose preventive measures (i.e. awareness strategies) to combat the proliferation of fake news in Nigeria. Main results: Some grave implications of fake news sharing were identified such as death, conflict escalation, political hostility, and societal panic. Meanwhile, people were motivated to share news mainly because of their civil obligation to inform others and provide advice or warning. These motivations, together with other contextual reasons such as media control, interpersonal trust and youth unemployment, had led to fake news proliferation in Nigeria. Methodology: This study adopts a documentary research method to generate the information necessary to investigate fake news spread in Nigeria. A total of 265 articles were drawn from Google Scholar search and after a close examination, only 20 articles were included for analysis. Implications: There is a need to increase fake news awareness, media and information literacy among Nigerians. Social media users should be constantly informed through adequate advertisements, workshops, conferences, and other forms of sensitization, about the consequences of fake news sharing, how to spot and differentiate fake news with made-up news and why it is imperative to be self-aware before forwarding any message. Originality/novelty: This paper contributes to knowledge in two ways. First, it compiles past research on fake news in Nigeria and analysed contextual factors and consequences of fake news proliferation in this context. Second, it reinforces the need for fake news awareness as a means of reducing the spread of fake news among social media users in Nigeria.

The aim of this study is to measure competitiveness of six island destinations in South East Asia. Face-to-face survey interviews with 1644 international tourists from six top island destinations (Langkawi-Malaysia, Bali-Indonesia, Koh Samui-Thailand, Phuket-Thailand, Palawan-Philippines and Boracay-Philippines) were conducted. Seven dimensions namely safety & security, basic infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, nature, man-made attractions, people and hospitality; and culture and traditions were used to measure the relative competitiveness of each destination. The IPA grids indicated different competitive positions of each island, with each island exhibiting unique characteristics and strengths. Implications for both practitioners and policy makers are discussed.