Yemeni Women's Use of Social Media and Its Relation to Their Social Needs

Abstract

The study aimed to explore how Yemeni women (the research sample) use social media and its relationship to fulfilling their social needs. It employed the Uses and Gratifications Theory and relied on the media survey methodology, applying a questionnaire to a purposive sample of Yemeni women aged 18 and above, comprising 717 participants.

Key findings revealed a high rate of social media usage among respondents, with WhatsApp ranking first, followed by Facebook and YouTube. Ritualistic motives, such as connecting with family and friends and passing leisure time, ranked highest, while utilitarian motives like learning new skills ranked lower. Activities like job searching and promoting goods or services ranked even lower. Respondents showed a strong interest in social, health, and artistic topics, engaging in activities such as following, commenting, and skill acquisition, while content creation (e.g., establishing groups or channels) was less common.

The study confirmed that social media significantly contributed to meeting most societal needs of Yemeni women, including learning new skills, enhancing academic and professional capacities, staying updated on local and global events, and breaking free from restrictive social and cultural norms. Furthermore, findings indicated a statistically significant correlation between the frequency of social media use and the extent to which societal needs were met.