The Effect of Media Richness, Social Presence, and Life Satisfaction on Continuance Usage Intention or Withdrawal Intention of SNS Users via Relative Deprivation

Purpose – This study aims to empirically verify the impact of media richness, social presence, and prior life satisfaction on various continual usage or withdrawal behaviors of SNS users via both a positive path of satisfaction and a negative path of relative deprivation. By identifying these causal paths, we observe dynamic interactions of SNS user psychology in a balanced view, and provide some implications about design principles for SNS providers. Research design, data, and methodology – We developed 16 hypothesis based on media richness theory, social presence theory, social comparison theory, the literature about relative deprivation, and the literature about the various reactions of IS users. The rich SNS media, social presence recognition among peer SNS users, and prior life satisfaction could generate positive experience, attitude, and virtuous behavioral intentions among SNS users. At the same time, rich media, low social presence, and low prior life satisfaction could generate relative deprivation and could increase withdrawal behavioral intentions such as refusal to provide information, misrepresentation of information, and removal of uploaded information in SNS. Scenario surveys were conducted to collect data from potential SNS users. Data from 357 surveys were collected and analyzed through a PLS algorithm to test the hypotheses. Results – Media richness, social presence, and prior life satisfaction could significantly increase perceived enjoyment, satisfaction, and behavioral intention of continual usage and knowledge sharing. They also could significantly decrease refusal and misrepresentation intention. Relative deprivation is significantly decreased only by prior life satisfaction. Relative deprivation could not significantly decrease satisfaction, but it could significantly increase misrepresentation and removal intention, which could be regarded as information distortion intention. Conclusions – SNS providers should foc