Social and Usage Process Motivations for Internet Use: Differences between Light and Heavy Users

Differences between light and heavy users of the Internet are investigated, using theoretical expectations derived from recent research on Internet diffusion and Uses and Gratifications theory. Measures of Internet usage process gratifications and Internet socialization gratifications were utilized to test for differences between light and heavy Internet users, and it was expected that light users would be more socially motivated in their Internet use while heavy users would be more motivated by gratifications related to usage processes. Results indicate that heavier, not lighter, users of the Internet on AOL are most highly oriented toward the social communication functions of the medium; heavy users are also quite usage-oriented. Though somewhat motivated by social gratifications, light users are most motivated by the access to resources and searching utilities of Internet usage processes.