Adoption of Social Media Using Technology Acceptance Model: The Generational Effect

1.4 billion Euros. This is the amount spent on social media marketing in Europe. This figure is expected to reach 3.2 billion in 2017 (Forrester, 2013), an increase of nearly 150%. However, from the point of view of literature, the concept of social media is still new even though the importance of technology in communication has been studied before. This research focuses on adoption of social media by investigating the digital gap that could exist between generations. Based on a quantitative survey (414 answers), CFA and SEM analyses were used to highlight the main influencers of adoption of social media per generation. Results show that age influences optimism, innovativeness, and perceived usefulness of adoption of social media.