This research aims to fill a research gap by examining video games to explore whether gender, age, or hours played per week would exert any influence on the information of those who may or may not play video games. Mood Management Theory and Uses and Gratification Theory were used as the theoretical foundation for this study. Four-hundred-three East Tennessee State University students who received the survey via email were asked to voluntarily participate in a survey about their motivations behind playing video games. Results from MANOVA showed that the motivations of male participants on video games were significantly higher than were female participants on video games. Moreover, those who claimed to play five or more hours of video games per week were significantly higher than those who claimed to play zero hours per week.

在昔日資訊缺乏的年代裡，政令宣導刊物曾經是民眾獲得有關政府訊息的 重要管道。但隨著時代的演進及傳播媒介的多樣化，閱聽眾獲得資訊的管 道及種類亦隨之增加。以往以消息來源為主、採單向傳播、未能確實了解 閱聽眾需求及掌握閱聽眾特性的政令宣導刊物，面對重視行銷策略的的各 型雜誌，因應之道即是找出目標閱聽眾，然後根據其需要重新加以設計訊 息內容，並形成獨特的風格。本研究以高雄市政府新聞處發行之「高雄畫 刊」主動索閱者為研究對象，以郵寄問卷的方式收集資料，然後以單因子 變異數分析、T 考驗、相關等統計方法，分析主動索閱者的人口變項、接 觸「高雄畫刊」行為、親身傳播行為及政治心理取向的不同是否對閱讀 「高雄畫刊」的動機與閱讀後的滿意程度有顯著差異。

The present study is aiming to evaluate the Intelligent Personal Assistants usage motivations, addressing at the same time various privacy issues and concerns related to this emergent technology. To fulfil the purpose of the study I have applied two different research methods. Initially, a web survey conducted gathered 18 respondents answering 24 questions related to the presented topic. Subsequently, was organised a focus group by gathering seven respondents who shared their opinions on the subject of research. Two research questions were developed based on two hypotheses. First research question: “To what extent IPA users agree to personal data collection in order to gratify their sought needs?”; exploring the participants’ opinions when it comes to the degree of acceptance of personal information disclosure to gratify their needs. Moreover, second research question: “What are the motivating criteria that determine the usage of IPA?”. This question develops opinions and experiences on the usage of Intelligent Personal Assistants, as well as the way people perceive this new technology. The finding of this studies reveals that users of new media are concerned and aware of their personal data collection. However, as a result, they feel trapped in the network society by the peer pressure towards the usage of favourite mediums. Therefore, the denial of technology would bring unfavourable consequences from a social perspective. Further researches can be conducted on this topic, addressing in depth the Artificial Intelligence and its societal implications, possible utilities of the Intelligent Personal Assistants as a companion for children, elders and people with disabilities, Artificial Intelligence used in public administration. Consequently, many different aspects can be explored having the topic of this thesis as a starting point.

This thesis set out to examine news habits among Swedish 15-20 year olds during the spring of 2020 but then the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Following the events and its possible implications on news consumption, the focus shifted towards also looking at how young people’s news habits might change during the pandemic. This study was primarily aimed at better understanding the relationship between young people and news by implementing theories relating to their motivations and how they connect to society. The method used to examine this was online surveys. Additionally, by building on research from the 2009 Swine flu pandemic the survey aimed at improving the understanding of news’ relevance in the context of the digitized media landscape and evolved use of social media. From the results it seems respondents had a bigger need for news and information during Covid-19. Results showed that young people have an interest in news and care about what goes on in society. Factors such as political interest and education level indicated higher news consumption but not as much in relation to the pandemic. Social media was important for the overall news consumption. Those discussing current events with friends and family were also more likely to consume news to a greater extent than those who did not. This study concludes that the decline in youth news consumption previously observed, might not be as severe and that the role of social media is a crucial element. It is also evident that the Covid-19 pandemic increased young people’s news consumption and they turn to the news for information and to better understand what goes on in the world around them.

This study explored the acceptance of cloud computing (CC) services by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos, Nigeria, which has been missing from CC services literature. It aimed to understand the motivations for adoption, the uses of the services, and the benefits they derive from it. The uses and gratification theory was applied as the theoretic framework for this endeavor. An online survey with close-ended and open-ended questions was distributed to 1200 randomly selected participants through email. In total, 392 valid responses were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and categories. The results found that SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria had a low level of awareness and appreciation of CC services. The adoption rate was also low. Unlike their counterparts in other regions, SMEs primary concerns were service downtime, stable power supply, and better internet access. The study found that SMEs were not taking full advantage of the capabilities of CC services. Some sections, however, were doing better than others, such as the information and communications sub-sector. This study suggested that targeted interventions should be conducted to raise the awareness of CC services in SMEs, and to improve their efficient and effective use of CC services. The uses and gratification theory was appropriate for guiding this study to understand the acceptance and use of CC services by SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria.

Abstract Background: Social media is becoming more prominent each day. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are amongst the top six social media platforms used by Generation Z and Millennials (Dixon, 2023; Ceci, 2023). From a business perspective, it entails that these platforms, as well as social media as a whole, are essential for attracting users’ attention when promoting a product or service. These platforms have changed how people communicate, share information, and behave as consumers. Understanding the factors that affect behaviors on social media platforms is crucial given the growth of niche dating apps that target the Muslim community, such as Muzz. This study intends to examine how TikTok and Instagram advertisements affect how viewers perceive Muzz, its features, expected advantages, and the probability of individuals using the app. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of social media on behaviors towards dating app. This is specified towards Generation Z and Millennials. Ultimately, this study aims to find how this target audience interacts with advertisements and what factors affect their behavior. The findings from this paper can be useful to marketing departments of various companies within the dating app industry as they can begin to improve their marketing strategy to appeal to a new and larger target audience.   Method: The findings from this thesis was conducted through qualitative research including interviews of 10 participants with ages between 19-30 years old. The analysis of these findings was done through a thematic analysis approaching grouping the findings in themes and similarities. Conclusion: The findings and analysis from this report indicate that social media and advertisements presented on social media significantly influence the behaviors of Generation Z and Millennials towards dating apps, specifically Muzz app. The way in which social media has an influence is in relation to three theories/models: Advertising Effectiveness, Consumer Behavior Models and Uses and Gratification Theory. Each of the said models and theories aid in the analysis of how behaviors shift depending on social media presence.