Understanding social media dependency, and uses and gratifications as a communication system in the migration era: Syrian refugees in host countries as a case study
Yükleniyor...
Dosyalar
Tarih
2023
Yazarlar
Dergi Başlığı
Dergi ISSN
Cilt Başlığı
Yayıncı
MDPI
Erişim Hakkı
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Özet
Through the theoretical frameworks of the media system dependency model and uses and gratifications theory, this study examined the uses of social media by Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey. A mixed-methods approach was used to increase the credibility and validity of the study’s findings by combining a qualitative method with quantitative data. The findings show that there were some factors that affected the Syrian refugees’ use of social media before seeking refuge in Jordan and Turkey, which were mainly its ban due to the regime’s censorship and a bad Internet connection due to the bad infrastructure. The absence of these two factors led to an increase in their social media dependency after seeking refuge. There are variances in which social media sites Syrian refugees use the most and why. The majority relied on Facebook for various reasons, and this dependency had varying repercussions on individuals. Furthermore, many immigrants were acquainted with new platforms, implying that refugees became social-media-literate and participated in the updates of the new platforms, even if such sites were not well known to the general public. The Syrian refugees’ dependency on social media varies from person to person due to differences in personal goals, social status, locations, living characteristics, and easy access to the Internet. Furthermore, this dependency on social media has different effects on them according to the media system dependency model. The refugees become increasingly dependent on social media to satisfy their needs and, because of that, social media dependency will become more important in their lives and will increase its influence and effects on them. Furthermore, the study found that the Syrian refugees depended on social media for various gratifications, such as educational, work, and business; information access; cultural and social aspects; connecting with networks and families; establishing friendships; learning new skills; self-expression; making business; and finding work, in addition to reaching routes and contacting smugglers to help them leave the country.
Açıklama
Anahtar Kelimeler
Syrian Refugees Crisis, Social Media, Media System Dependency, Migration, Uses and Gratifications, Communication System
Kaynak
Social Sciences
WoS Q Değeri
Q2
Scopus Q Değeri
Q1
Cilt
12
Sayı
6
Künye
Aldamen, Y. (2023). Understanding social media dependency, and uses and gratifications as a communication system in the migration era: Syrian refugees in host countries as a case study. Social Sciences, 12(6), 1-31. https://doi.org/10.3390/ socsci12060322
