الملخص الإنجليزي
This study aims at detecting, analyzing and interpreting the various uses of social media by the visually-impaired individuals, and their motives while using these social media platforms. It also aims at exploring their Gratifications resulting from such uses, and linking these uses and Gratifications to the demographic variables. The study relies on data collected through a survey via two versions, electronic and printed. The survey is conducted on a total number of 73 visually impaired members at Al Noor Association for the visually-impaired in the Sultanate of Oman.
The study shows that the percentage of those who possess an account on social media reached 64.3%, versus 35.6% of those who do not have accounts. The results indicate that the most important obstacles that face users from accessing social media are lack of time and the difficulties of logging onto the internet. The study also reveals the Twitter and YouTube have been the most used networks by the respondents, followed by Facebook, Google+, Skype, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Instagram.
Furthermore, the study results indicate that the majority of the respondents prefer to log in on their own into social media using smart phones to access these networks. The majority of them are not new to using social media. They have been using them since three to six years so far, and spend one to less than three hours daily checking their accounts, and often prefer to spend time on surfing these channels at home.
Moreover, the study concludes that the use of social networks did not change the respondents' exposure to other media, but considered it complementary and explanatory to them. The results indicate that the news pages, and pages of newspapers and magazines are the most followed media by the visually impaired in Oman. The cognitive needs are the needs that mostly prevail for respondents to urge use of social media. Their motives to use social media are instrumental motives primarily, as the desire to search for information from more than one source. Ritualized motives come second such as escaping loneliness, enjoying the company of others and passing spare time. The gratifications from the use of social media are orientation gratifications in the first place, such as cognitive development, access to news and information and increase of personal knowledge. Para orientation gratifications come second among the study sample, such as entertainment and enjoying happiness. Follows are the social gratifications such as connecting with friends and family, and blending in society. Finally, are the para-social gratifications such as the need to interact with the visually impaired and with people of special needs. The study concludes that there are no statistically significant differences between the averages of gratifications from using social media for the variables of sex and social status, while there are significant differences between the averages of gratifications for the variables of age and educational qualification among the study sample.
