© Media Watch 10 (2) 235-250, 2019
ISSN 0976-0911 e-ISSN 2249-8818
DOI: 10.15655/mw/2019/v10i2/49642
Digital and Interactive Social Media among Middle East Women: Empirical TAM Study
Mokhtar Elareshi1 & Abdul-Karim Ziani2
1Al Ain University of Science and Technology, UAE
2Bahrain University, Bahrain
Abstract
This study investigates the use of interactive media (WhatsApp) by Bahraini women to understand their decisions on how, why and when they use it. It supports the use of mobile technology applications to expand efficient communication and information among Arab women. Mobile technologies are very accessible to Arab women these days. A sample of 1,137 responses was collected, using a snowball sampling approach. Based on TAM literature, the study found that interactive media (e.g., WhatsApp) has enabled Bahraini women to communicate and share information with others. WhatsApp was used daily (2-3 hours) and also for sending comics and entertainment clips, important and rare news stories. Social interaction, communication, and escapism were found to be the most popular reasons for using WhatsApp. Overall, WhatsApp served as a platform used by Bahraini women to participate in social and communication activities.
Keywords: Instant messaging applications, mobile phone applications, social media interaction, TAM, WhatsApp
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Mokhtar Elareshi (Ph.D., University of Leicester, UK, 2013) is an Assistant Professor in the College of Communication and Media Al Ain University of Science and Technology. His research interests include news consumption, new media, social media, mobile phone use, and satellite news television.
Abdul-Karim Ziani (Ph.D., Grenoble 3 University, Stendhal, France, 2007) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media, Tourism, and Arts at Bahrain University, Bahrain. Contact: University of Bahrain Skheer, P.O. Box 32038. His research interests include social media, journalism, news production and media studies.