Abstract:
Social networking sites, such as Facebook, have gained immense popularity as communication
platforms and as advertising tools. Generation Yers have a strong need to engage with others and make
connections-digitally and in person. This paper examines the Facebook behavior of Generation Y by
means of a self-administered survey of 383 university students. The purpose of this research was to
determine whether clusters of Generation Y Facebook users could be identified on the basis of their
Facebook behavior and usage. All multi-item constructs were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis
and a two-step cluster analysis. Three clusters emerged: “Engaged Elite,” “Neutral Masses,” and
‘Facebook Floaters.” The results indicate that Facebook remains a feasible channel to initiate and
engage in a number of marketing activities. However, the focus should not be on ‘pushing’ content and
information, but rather on engaging the users__and to facilitate sharing between users across their
networks.
