From One Medium to Another: Continuing the Narrative World on Twitter and Facebook

Parul Jain 1 *, Amanda Weed 1, Pamela Walck 1
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1 Ohio University, USA
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 6, Issue 4, pp. 74-93. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2570
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ABSTRACT

Using narrative processing approach and uses and gratification theory, this study examined the motivations behind audience members desire to use social networking sites (SNS) Facebook and Twitter to: 1) connect with entertainment shows, 2) engage with characters on those shows, and 3) to engage with the actors that play those characters. After exposing participants to an episode of a show to gauge their engagement, they were asked to complete a questionnaire. The results suggest that levels of transportation predict likelihood of connecting with the show on social networking platforms. The levels of identification and parasocial interaction experienced during viewing predict the likelihood of following the character and the actor that played that role. Parasocial interaction with a character mediated the relationship between source attraction and connecting with the character and the actor on SNS. Theoretically, this research extends uses and gratification and narrative processing in the area of social networking research. Further theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Keywords: social networking sites, narrative processing, transportation, identification, parasocial interaction, entertainment education

CITATION

Jain, P., Weed, A., & Walck, P. (2016). From One Medium to Another: Continuing the Narrative World on Twitter and Facebook. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 6(4), 74-93. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2570

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