• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.65-84
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• 2017

Three most popular information services, Periscope, Ustream, and YouNow, vicarious for all Social Live-Streaming Services (SLSSs), are investigated to analyze their streamers' motivations and the user-generated content. Additionally, we collected demographic data (gender and age). More than 7,500 streams by users from the U.S., Germany, and Japan were observed. Main streamer motivations on SLSSs are boredom, socializing, the need to reach a specific group, the need to communicate, and fun. Important content categories on all three SLSSs are chatting, sharing information, 24/7, and 'slice of life.' We were able to identify differences between users from the U.S., Germany, and Japan as well as between the users of Periscope, Ustream, and YouNow. The main motive to stream in the U.S. is to reach a specific group, while in Japan it is socializing, and in Germany boredom. The top content category for both, YouNow as well as Periscope, is to chat; on Ustream it is 24/7 (i.e., webcams).

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.31-51
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• 2020

During the last decade, social live streaming service like Periscope, Ustream, and YouNow has developed from a niche market into a mainstream activity. In this media environment, social live streaming service has a tremendous impact on the social behaviors of users. Despite the rapid development, there are a lack of studies to make better understand the media environment changes through social live streaming service. This study adopted an affordances approach that leads us to identify six distinctive social affordances (visibility, accessibility, information sharing, social interaction, role-taking, interactive revenue) for user engagement in social live streaming service. Specifically, this study explores the impact of social affordances on perceived flow, followed by user engagement including passive and active engagement. Empirical data analysis with 258 questionnaires suggests that social affordances affected users' flow perception, and flow has an effect on active as well as passive engagement. Contrary to the expectation in a hypothesized research model, only the impact of accessibility on flow was rejected.