Structural Equation Mixture Modeling: an application to Tuenti Spanish Online Social Networking Site

Social networking sites are becoming more and more important for companies as a way to communicate with consumers of different preferences and tastes. The study of the perceived gratifications after taking part in the social networking site can give information about its participants and allow for a psychographic classification.   Spanish teenagers, through the use of Tuenti online social networking site, can perceive a series of gratifications as Entertainment and Social Inclusion. The aim of this study is to examine the existence of a relationship between the adolescents’ degree of loneliness and their perception of gratification obtained through the use of Tuenti. A survey among 344 Spanish adolescents (12-17 years old) with an online Tuenti profile was conducted and using Structural Equation Mixture Modeling, classes of adolescents with different degrees of loneliness were obtained. Besides, through gratifications items, the classes have been characterized as the feeling of loneliness affects its perception of Entertainment and Social Inclusion. The employed methodology and the results will help companies discriminating between the individuals and obtaining a more efficient approach to each of the classes.