Mi smartphone y yo. Las motivaciones para usarlo entre jóvenes chilenos. Un estudio a través del tiempo

Ricardo Alberto  Leiva Soto; Cristóbal Fernando  Benavides Almarza; Alejandra  Riveros Martínez

doi:10.26441/RC23.1-2024-3334

Authors

Ricardo Alberto Leiva Soto Universidad de los Andes https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1388-9120
Cristóbal Fernando Benavides Almarza Universidad de los Andes
Alejandra Riveros Martínez Universidad Central de Chile https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6853-3223

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26441/RC23.1-2024-3334

Keywords:

Centennials, millennials, smartphones, social media, Uses & Gratifications theory

Abstract

The objective of our research is to measure how uses and motivations to use smartphones by young Chilean populations have changed through time and how these motivations to engage with smartphones affect the time spent texting on these portable devices.

We replicated a face-to-face survey between Chilean millennials and centennials, firstly conducted in 2009 (n= 1,320), repeated in 2015 (n= 744), and conducted again in 2021 (n= 846). This last wave was conducted between July and November to subjects aged 18-25 living in Chile.

The questionnaire included 44 questions based on scales previously validated in studies relating the Uses and Gratifications Theory with mobile phones, attitudes towards technology, and evaluations of users about mobile phones’ attributes defined by Albarran (2009). There were also variables related to demographic data (i.e., area of residence) and gender, which respondents declared.

Most motivations to use smartphones measured in our survey of 2021 were the same as we measured in 2015 and 2009, but others are new. To measure how the appeal of motivations changed over time, we conducted a comparison of means. We also ran an exploratory factor analysis to aggregate motivations and regression analyses to quantify how motivations affected youths’ texting time.

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Author Biographies

Ricardo Alberto Leiva Soto, Universidad de los Andes

Phd in Communication from the University of Navarra, Master in Professional Journalism from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Professor and researcher at the Faculty of Communication of the Universidad de los Andes. Director of the Corporate Communication Diploma and Director of Continuing Education of the Faculty of Communication. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1388-9120, rleiva@uandes.cl

Cristóbal Fernando Benavides Almarza, Universidad de los Andes

Phd in Communication from the University of Navarra. Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Communication at the Universidad de los Andes. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Hispanic Media and the International Journal of Media Management. Since 2021 he is a Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Media Management Academy Association (IMMA). His research focuses on Media Management, Innovation, Engagement and Leadership. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5573-6785, cbenavides@uandes.cl

Alejandra Riveros Martínez, Universidad Central de Chile

Master in University Teaching and Doctoral Student in Communication. Director of the Advertising degree at the Universidad Central de Chile. Guide professor for both undergraduate and graduate degree projects. Her research focuses on communication and gender issues. She is the manager and executor of projects linking with the environment in terms of communications, with emphasis on young people, women and the elderly. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6853-3223. ariverosm@ucentral.cl

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