استخدامات الشباب المصري لمواقع الحياة الافتراضية على شبكة الإنترنت والإشباعات المتحققة منها

Abstract

Research problem: This study seeks to identify a modern means of social media, which is virtual worlds and to recognize the motives of the Egyptian youth's use of virtual world "Second Life", the sample of such study, by reliance on the uses and gratifications approach. The study also seeks to reveal the factors that lead to the user's feeling of existence or involvement inside such virtual world. Methods used in the study: The study relies on: 1-Media survey method: In the framework of such, the electronic questionnaire form has been applied on a purposive sample of 222 respondents among the users of second life in the period from August 2016 until 8 February 2016. 2-Observation by participation method: In the framework of such, a full description of the second life has been made in light of the uses and gratifications theory. The most important study results: The current study concludes a number of results, the most important of which are: 1- Second life plays an important role in boosting tourism in different countries, due to the possibility of building and designing places that resemble actual life in a dimensional form. Most of the respondents have been interested in visiting touristic and religious areas inside second life. Furthermore, most of the respondents who have been interested in visiting touristic places inside second life had strong motive to visit such places in reality. Thus, it is clear the role that second life plays in boosting tourism in different countries. 2- Financial benefit is one of the main reasons why respondents work inside second life, followed by the motive of working in a job that is difficult to work at in reality, since many respondents in second life game find a great way of practicing works which are difficult to be practiced in reality. 3- Regarding the motives of the respondents' use of second life, most of the respondents use second life to achieve entertainment needs in the first place, followed by emotional social needs, then utility needs. The results of the study conclude that the motive of learning new skills during the second life game has been one of the most utility motives that encourage respondents to use second life. Many respondents mention that second life is considered a good means of learning foreign languages. Regarding social and emotional motives, the motive of acquaintance with new friends from all over the world has been one of the most social motives encouraging respondents to use second life, followed by the motive of chatting and playing with friends. Regarding entertainment motives, the motive of travelling and discovering many islands and virtual places has been one of the most entertainment activities practiced by users inside second life, in addition to the users' feeling of boredom impelling them to spend their free and leisure time inside second life. 4- Regarding the factors leading to the respondents' feeling of existence and absorption inside the virtual world, the visual and audio elements characterizing second life have been one of the most factors that attract respondents to spend a greater amount of time inside second life. The majority of respondents point out that their feeling of power and control over all virtual tools provided by the second life is among the most important factors that make them feel presence inside second life. Respondents also explain that they don't feel the passing of time when they are present inside the second life. 5- Regarding the respondents' intention to continue entering into Second Life in the future, the study results conclude that most of the respondents wish to continue entering into second life in the future. Second life's three-dimensional characteristic that resembles actual reality has been one of the most important motives of the respondents' continuation in entering into second life, in addition to their feeling that second life has played a major role in shifting their personality into a leading and social personality.