ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with discussing all the consumer uses of social media. It provides some statistics on social media usage. There are differences in social media use among consumer groups. The chapter reviews these dissimilarities by age groups and by geographic regions. It discusses some of the negative influences of social media. These include social media addiction, fake news, social exclusion and envy, oversharing, privacy, and the potential dangers in taking selfies and using selfie sticks. The chapter ends with some key take-away highlights and recommendations for tourism marketers based on the discussion of consumer use of social media. Some of the most important implications for tourism marketers are identified, and examples of good practice are provided. The uses and gratifications from social media are social interaction, information seeking, passing time, entertainment, relaxation, communicatory utility, convenience utility, expression of opinion, information sharing and surveillance/knowledge about others.
