The Influence of Personality on Motivations: Comparing Uses and Gratifications of Social Media Users in the United States and Kuwait

Abstract

Social media platforms dominate popular communication. However, few studies have examined how culture impacts social media users, and even fewer have compared them with students in the United States. Based on the uses and gratification approach, this study examines the frequency and motivations of use of four social media platforms—Facebook, Twitter (rebranded as X in July 2023), Instagram, and Snapchat—among social media users in the United States and Kuwait. This study offers insight into social media users’ motivations in two distinct cultural contexts, with a specific focus on how personality may impact their motivations. Findings show that Kuwaiti students used Twitter mostly for information, while U.S. students used it mostly for entertainment. Both U.S. and Kuwaiti users preferred Facebook for social connections and used Instagram and Snapchat primarily for entertainment.