Personal Gratifications Factors Influencing the Use of WhatsApp Features among Students of Multimedia University of Kenya

ABSTRACT: In the twenty-first century, the adoption and usageof social networking sites(SNS) are a veryvital aspect oflife. Nevertheless, despite significant advancements in this sector, adoption, acceptance and use ofSNShas not metitsmaximumpotential.Differentcountriesstillfacechallengesinidentifyingfactorsinfluencingacceptance,adoptionandusageof SNS. The primary objective of the study therefore was to examine the influence of personalgratification factors on use ofWhatsApp features among undergraduate students in Multimedia University ofKenya (MMU). Further the study investigatedthe influence of demographic factors on the use of WhatsAppfeatures amongMMU students. Uses and gratifications theoryand expectancy-value theory served as the study’smain theoretical pillars. A questionnaire was used to collect data from379undergraduatestudentsinMultimediaUniversityofKenya.Thestudyestablishedthatpersonalgratificationsfactorssignificantly influenced usage of WhatsApp features among undergraduate students of Multimedia University ofKenya. Thefindings point to a disconnect between available WhatsApp features and the requirements ofdifferentusers of WhatsApp hencethe study recommended that in order to improve the user experience, softwaredevelopers should consider the consumersrequirementswhenintegratingnewfeaturesorenhancingexistingone.

KEYWORDS:PersonalRelationship,PersonalIdentity,UsesandGratifications,WhatsAppFeatures