Preference for Online Social Interaction: a Research on the Potential Influencing Factors

Objective) This paper aims to identify the potential factors leading to a preference for online social interaction to offline interaction. (Methods) Based on an online survey (N=233) and a SEM analysis, (Results) findings show that: 1) compared to those who were good at face-to- face communication, individuals who were not might prefer online social interaction much more; 2) the higher the popularity level of preference for online social interaction among the crowd around an individual, the more he was likely to show similar preference; 3) compared to those with a limited level of involvement in online social interaction, individuals with a higher level would develop a stronger preference for online social interaction; 4) compared to those with a higher level of satisfaction with their current offline contacts, individuals with a lower level of satisfaction were more likely to prefer online social interaction. (Conclusion) The findings will give some help for users and designers of social networking sites.