Determinants of Social Media Usage Behavior Among Working-Age Professionals in the Era of Next Normal in Bangkok

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the social media usage behavior of working-age individuals in the Next Normal era. The research employed a quantitative research methodology. The sample consisted of 400 working-age individuals residing in Bangkok. The research instrument used was a questionnaire. Data were collected and analyzed using percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The study found that the overall social media usage behavior of working-age individuals in Bangkok during the Next Normal era was at a high level across all three aspects. When examined in detail, it was found that in terms of usage purposes, the most common reasons were communicating with family or friends (𝑥̄ = 4.26) and following news and information (𝑥̄ = 4.24), both at the highest level, followed by educational and learning purposes (𝑥̄ = 4.18). In terms of time-related factors, most individuals used social media for 30 minutes to 1 hour per session (𝑥̄ = 4.12), and more than 2 hours (𝑥̄ = 3.92), with the most active time period being in the evening (16:00–00:00) (𝑥̄ = 4.17), followed by the daytime (08:00–16:00) (𝑥̄ = 4.03). For the entertainment-related needs, the overall usage was at a high level (𝑥̄ = 4.14, S.D. = 0.76). Respondents reported that choosing entertainment platforms and believing that social media helps relieve stress had the same mean score (𝑥̄ = 4.17), followed by regular daily use of entertainment platforms (𝑥̄ = 4.13), respectively.