Adi Haryadi, Listyorini, Jennifer, Celina, Elsadi, Defriansyah

A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW: EXPLORING VARIABLES AND CONTEXTUAL APPLICATIONS OF THE USES & GRATIFICATIONS THEORY FRAMEWORK IN DIGITAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Introduction

A systematic literature review: exploring variables and contextual applications of the uses & gratifications theory framework in digital media platforms. Explore Uses & Gratifications Theory (UGT) in digital media via a systematic review. Discover key variables (media type, motivation) & gratifications (social interaction, entertainment) influencing user behavior & engagement.

Abstract

This study aims to conduct a comprehensive Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to explore the development and application of the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) in the context of digital media. The review systematically examines literature published in English and indexed in the Scopus database between 2019 and 2024. Following the PRISMA framework, an initial pool of 1,899 articles was screened and refined to 48 empirical studies that met the inclusion criteria: empirical research focused on digital media and UGT, English-language publications, and genuine data aggregation using quantitative or qualitative methods. The synthesis reveals that the most dominant independent variables include media type, platform affordances, and user motivation, while the main dependent variables are engagement, satisfaction, and continued media use. The most recurrent uses and gratifications dimensions identified across studies are information seeking, entertainment, social interaction, personal identity, and escapism. These findings confirm that UGT continues to provide a robust theoretical framework for understanding user behavior in the digital era, especially concerning social media, online video platforms, and mobile applications. Through a syllogistic reasoning approach, the study concludes that digital media users actively construct their own media experiences based on personalized gratifications. However, research gaps remain in areas such as algorithmic influence on user motivation, cross-platform behavioral comparison, and the integration of emotional gratifications in AI-driven media environments. Overall, this review highlights the enduring relevance of UGT and its strategic implications for digital content design, user engagement, and media innovation.

Review

This systematic literature review (SLR) effectively addresses a crucial need to consolidate and synthesize the evolving landscape of Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) within digital media contexts. The authors have undertaken a commendable effort to systematically map the theoretical applications and empirical variables, focusing on literature published between 2019 and 2024. Adhering strictly to the PRISMA framework, their rigorous methodology, which refined an initial pool of nearly 1,900 articles down to 48 robust empirical studies, underscores a strong commitment to methodological integrity and comprehensive coverage. The synthesis of findings provides valuable insights into the contemporary application of UGT. The identification of dominant independent variables such as media type, platform affordances, and user motivation, alongside dependent variables like engagement, satisfaction, and continued media use, paints a clear picture of current research foci. Furthermore, the consistent appearance of gratifications dimensions – information seeking, entertainment, social interaction, personal identity, and escapism – reaffirms UGT's continued explanatory power for user behavior across platforms like social media and mobile applications. This confirms the theory's enduring robustness in explaining how users actively shape their digital media consumption based on personalized needs and desires. A significant strength of this review lies in its affirmation of UGT's continued relevance and its practical implications for content design and user engagement strategies in the digital realm. By employing a syllogistic reasoning approach, the study effectively concludes that users actively construct their media experiences, which is a vital takeaway for practitioners. Crucially, the authors adeptly identify pertinent research gaps, specifically pointing to the need for future inquiry into algorithmic influence, cross-platform comparisons, and the role of emotional gratifications in AI-driven environments. These forward-looking suggestions enhance the review's contribution, providing a clear roadmap for advancing UGT research in an increasingly complex digital ecosystem. Overall, this SLR offers a timely and well-executed contribution to the understanding of digital media consumption.

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