Article

Social Science Computer Review

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Instant Messaging Apps: DOI: 10.1177/0894439318806853
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A New Perspective on
Theories of Consumption,
Flow, and Planned Behavior

Amandeep Dhir1,2, Puneet Kaur2,3, and Risto Rajala3

Abstract
Mobile instant messaging (MIM) services have entirely changed the communication landscape from
where it was a decade ago. They have taken communication among humans to the next level.
However, despite their massive popularity among masses, we do not know of specific reasons that
drive continuous use of MIM apps (e.g., LINE, WhatsApp, and Snapchat). The current study bridges
this gap by investigating the continuation behavior in the context of a popular MIM app called LINE.
The study developed a comprehensive framework using three popular consumer behavior the-
ories, namely theory of planned behavior, flow experience theory, and consumption value theory.
A total of 309 middle and late adolescent LINE users participated in an online survey. The analysis
revealed that perceived ease of use (PEOU), functional value, and social value exert significant
positive influences on users’ continuation intentions. The PEOU was found to have the strongest
influence among all. Additionally, social influence was found to have the significant but negative
influence on users’ continuation intentions. However, other factors (perceived enjoyment, con-
centration, telepresence, and perceived behavioral control) have no role in predicting continua-
tion intentions. Furthermore, continuation intentions were found to have no impact on users’
actual LINE use related behavior. The findings of the present research offer several theoretical and
managerial implications.

Keywords
consumption value theory, continuation intentions, flow theory, mobile instant messaging apps,
the theory of planned behavior

1
Faculty of Educational Science, University of Helsinki, Finland
2
Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
3
Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

Corresponding Author:
Amandeep Dhir, Faculty of Educational Science, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 5, 00170 Helsinki, Finland
Email: amandeep.dhir@helsinki.fi
2 Social Science Computer Review XX(X)

Mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps (e.g., LINE, WhatsApp, Qzone, and WeChat) are revolutio-
nizing the way people communicate with one another on a day-to-day basis. MIM is gaining more
popularity among users as compared to other forms of online social networking (Porter, 2017).
According to Durand (2016), the MIM apps are listed among the top 10 mobile apps whenever the
rating of mobile apps is conducted. The volume of the messages sent over MIM has increased to 28.2
trillion in 2017 from 14.7 trillion in 2012 (Durand, 2016). MIM users will account for about 80% of
the total number of smartphone users making up about 2 billion users, and percentage of MIM users
will increase to 29.1% from 14.9% in 2014 (Birdsbeep, 2017). Practitioners anticipate that the
ecosystems around MIM apps will get even more prominent than at present with every passing
year. Furthermore, MIM apps are seen to have the potential to drive even higher user interaction in
the coming years (Birdsbeep, 2017). There are a number of factors contributing to the rising
popularity of MIM apps, namely increased penetration of smartphones, possibility of cheap and
easy access to the Internet, users’ need and wish to stay connected in real time, support for multiple
ways of connecting, richness of the provided experience, and the nature of MIM apps to adapt and
adjust with the ever-evolving needs of their users, among other factors.
The presented research focuses on a popular MIM app known as LINE. This popular messaging
app has gained enormous popularity since 2013 and is among the fastest growing apps among fast-
emerging Asian countries (e.g., Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia; Hou, 2015; Warangkana, Sirion,
& Howard, 2015). In Japan, LINE is the most popular app used by people from all age groups.
According to Statista research, LINE has 70 million monthly active users in Japan alone (Statista,
2017). LINE has also been ranked as the top mobile app in the category of free apps in 40 countries
including Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand (Van De Bogart & Wichadee, 2015). At present,
it has over 169 million monthly active users around the world (Smith, 2017).
Despite gaining immense popularity among users and impressive penetration rate in many Asian
countries, MIM apps such as LINE face serious challenges related to a shrinking user base and
revenue generation. According to media reports, LINE has experienced a decline in its user base that
has shrunk from 170 million monthly active users in the first quarter to 169 million monthly active
users during the second quarter in its four markets including Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand
(Lomas, 2017). MIM apps face fierce competition from their counterparts mainly due to the simi-
larity of provided functionality and associated low switching costs (Hou, 2015; Oghuma, Libaque-
Saenz, Wong, & Chang, 2016). It has been known that retaining existing users is more economical
for MIM service providers as compared to attracting new customers, which is considered almost 5
times more expensive (Kotler, 1974). In addition to this, consistent revenue generation is another
challenge faced by almost all of the existing MIM apps. It should be noticed that most of the existing
services provided by MIM operators are free of charge and they mainly rely on the revenues from
digital advertising and sale of virtual goods (e.g., games and stickers). Due to this, despite having
continuous growth in the traffic (i.e., the volume of the messages exchanged) and new subscriptions,
the ratio of revenue generated by MIM apps to the total user base is deficient. According to Juniper
Research (2014), revenue generated by MIM apps will be only 2% of the total revenue generated
from instant messaging services. Based on the above argumentation, it is crucial for the MIM service
providers to understand the customer retention, loyalty, and related behaviors, such as switching
among different apps, since it is easy to switch from one operator to another because of users’ ever
existing desire to try new MIM apps (Chang, Kim, Lee, & Park, 2014; Oghuma et al., 2016; Zhou &
Lu, 2011).
Prior literature has investigated the different factors that influence why users continuously engage
in MIM use (Deng, Lu, Wei, & Zhang, 2010; Hsieh & Tseng, 2017; Oghuma et al., 2016; Tseng,
Cheng, Li, & Teng, 2017; Zhou & Lu, 2011). However, there is a lack of research focusing on
specific MIM platforms (e.g., LINE) and user groups (e.g., middle and late adolescents). The
adolescents as a user group are essential as they influence the adoption and usage-related decisions
Dhir et al. 3

of their social circle and family (Lapowsky, 2014). They are recognized as trend followers who do
not stick with just one brand (Lapowsky, 2014). Moreover, psychologists have agreed that middle
and late adolescents are currently experiencing developmental changes related to their cognitive and
social maturity (Leontjev, 1978; Piaget, 1970). Due to which, these user groups tend to experiment
with their self-identity by using social networking sites (SNSs), including MIM apps (Dhir, 2016).
Consequently, it becomes essential to accurately study the MIM use behavior of the primarily
ignored user group of middle and late adolescents.
To address these open research gaps, the present study has investigated as what are the different
factors that influence adolescent and late adolescents’ continuation intentions toward MIM apps
(e.g., LINE). Furthermore, the present study examined how does continuation intentions influence
daily time spent on MIM, the frequency of MIM use, and excessive MIM use. The main research
objective of the present study is to understand as “why do people continuously use MIM apps.” A
comprehensive research model was developed based on three popular theories, namely theory of
consumption values, the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and flow theory. The research model
was tested with a cross-sectional data collected from LINE users from Japan. Relatively, recent
studies on MIM have investigated the factors influencing users’ continuation intentions toward MIM
use (e.g., Gan, 2016; Gan, Liang, & Yu, 2017; Oghuma et al., 2016). However, it has rarely
considered a comprehensive theoretical framework for investigating the continuance intentions.
Moreover, limited prior literature has never examined those factors specified in the context of LINE,
and it is possible that factors influencing users’ continuation intentions might differ from one MIM
platform to another. Japan was chosen as the research context since Japan currently hosts the highest
number of LINE users compared to the other countries where it has its presence (Dogtiev, 2018). In
addition to this, the consideration of the unique user group of adolescents further adds to the list of
possible contributions made by the presented research. This study concluded with significant the-
oretical and practical implications.

Background
Continuation Use of MIM
Prior literature on MIM apps has focused on general as well as specific MIM apps. Scholars have
investigated different issues about the continued use of MIMS apps by utilizing different theoretical
frameworks. Different research attempts have found different factors that exert direct as well as
indirect influence on continuation use as well as intentions toward MIM apps. The details of the
different research initiatives and their outcomes are discussed in the following sections. Initially, the
studies that have investigated MIM at the general level are presented followed by the research
attempts that have targeted specific MIM apps.
To begin with, Deng, Lu, Wei, and Zhang (2010) found that continued MIM use was predicted by
satisfaction, switching costs, and trust. Moreover, service quality, functional, and social value also
influence continued use via satisfaction. Zhou and Lu (2011) found that continued MIM use is
determined directly by satisfaction and perceived usefulness, whereas network externality and flow
experience influence indirectly. Tseng, Cheng, Li, and Teng (2017) found that functional, social, and
self-expressive values influence the continued use of MIM. Additionally, different elements of
media richness (e.g., multiple cues, immediate feedback, personal focus, and language variety) also
influence continued use via a set of different considered values. An investigation by Sun et al. (2017)
found that application of a push–pull-mooring framework revealed that fatigue with incumbent MIM
pushes the user to switch, while subjective norms pull the users to switch to other alternative MIM
apps. At the same time, inertia comprised of affective commitment, switching costs, and habit
impose a negative influence on switching intentions. Wu, Lu, Gong, and Gupta (2017) found that
4 Social Science Computer Review XX(X)

active usage of MIM is derived from emotional attachment and functional dependence. MIM
identification, design aesthetics, and mobility also exert indirect influence on MIM’s active usage
via emotional attachment and functional dependence. Gan (2016) found that perceived user base,
habit, and resistance to change have significant positive influence continuance intention toward
MIM. Subsequently, Gan, Liang, and Yu (2017) found that continuation intentions toward MIM are
influenced by user needs (affective and cognitive) and habit. Furthermore, prior usage and tension-
release need were also found to have the influence on continuation intentions indirectly via habit. In
sum, factors such as satisfaction, trust, user values, dependence on the app, habit, and resistance to
change, among others, have direct effects on continuation intentions. On the other hand, network
externality, flow experience, media richness elements, design aesthetics, and so on, have an indirect
influence on continuation intentions.
To the best of our knowledge, at present, there are four empirical studies investigating customer
loyalty concerning specific MIM apps (e.g., LINE, KakaoTalk, and WeChat). Firstly, Peng, Zhao,
and Zhu (2016) utilized migration theory and found that monetary deprivation and functional
deprivation make WeChat users migrate or switch between apps. Moreover, the obligations toward
the network were found to exert indirect influence on users’ switching intentions. Oghuma, Libaque-
Saenz, Wong, and Chang (2016) empirically found that users’ intention to continue using KakaoTalk
is associated with usefulness, enjoyment, and satisfaction. Furthermore, user interface characteristics,
service quality, and expectation confirmation also impact continuation intentions via satisfaction.
Using media richness theory, Hsieh and Tseng (2017) found that the use of text and emoticons together
generates the feeling of playfulness, which positively influences user loyalty and social interaction
concerning LINE. Another recent study by C.-B. Zhang, Li, Wu, and Li (2017) found that social and
hedonic values influence users’ intention to continue using WeChat. They found information and
emotional values to not influence continuation intentions. Additionally, direct and indirect network
externalities and social interaction ties have an indirect influence on continuation intentions. The
studies as mentioned earlier that investigated specific MIM apps have provided insights into the
complex structure beneath the continuation intentions on the app.

The TPB and MIM

The TPB is a popular social–psychological framework that has been widely used for understand-
ing and explaining human behavior in the computer-mediated communication environment
(Carter & Yeo, 2016; Cheung & To, 2016; Dhir, Khalil, Kaur & Rajala, 2018; Jiang et al.,
2016; E. Kim, Lee, Sung, & Choi, 2016). According to the TPB, attitude, subjective norm, and
perceived behavioral control (PBC) predict user intentions (Ajzen, 1985). Furthermore, user
intentions, with or without PBC, actually predict the actual user behavior (Ajzen, 1991). In theory,
attitude refers to the positive or negative evaluation of the considered behavior and subjective
norm is defined as the importance of others (e.g., friends, family, or colleagues) in accepting or
rejecting a given behavior; PBC refers to the perceived difficulty or ease of engaging a given act or
behavior based on the past experiences (Ajzen, 1991; Pelling & White, 2009). In the TPB model,
the relative influence of attitude, subjective norm, and PBC on user intentions varies across the
context, situation, and behaviors (Ajzen, 1991). Finally, user intentions are defined as the will-
ingness of any user to engage in a given act or behavior.
Previous MIM literature has made some attempts toward utilizing TPB for studying user intentions
and use behavior (e.g., Ke & Li, 2009; Liang, Ling, Yeh & Lin, 2013; Lu, Zhou, & Wang, 2009). All
three existing studies have utilized extended TPB for understanding the user behavior in an MIM
environment. For example, Lu et al. (2009) have investigated the adoption-related behavior of users in
the MIM context using TPB along with other theoretical frameworks (e.g., technology acceptance
model and flow theory). Their study agreed with Ajzen’s (1991) TPB model that users’ attitude toward
Dhir et al. 5

MIM, subjective norm, and PBC influence their behavioral intentions, which drive actual MIM usage.
Ke and Li (2009) decomposed TPB for investigating factors affecting MIM adoption and reached the
same conclusion. Similarly, Liang, Ling, Yeh, and Lin (2013) investigated the continuance intentions
of users concerning mobile services by using TPB as one of the theoretical frameworks. They found
the attitude, subjective norm, and PBC to influence continuation intentions in different contexts
addressing users’ location, busyness, and mobile service type. In comparison to these existing studies,
our present study has utilized the extended TPB-based model for studying the continuation intentions
and use behavior of LINE, a popular MIM app among Japanese users.

Flow Theory and MIM

Flow theory is a dominant theoretical framework for understanding users’ continued intentions in the
domain of technology use (Kaur, 2016a). It has been around for several decades and addresses a unique
experience of users popularly known as flow experience. Csikszentmihalyi (1990) defined flow
experience as a state of mind where people tend to get too much involved in an activity (enjoyable)
that are unable to keep track of time spent and even their surroundings or environment (p. 4). Scholars
have consistently shown the significant role of flow experience in influencing the user intentions and
user behavior concerning the mobile SNS (or MIM in this study). Firstly, Zhou and Lu (2011)
empirically found that flow experience influences continued use toward MIM apps. Gao and Bai
(2014) also reported flow experience to have a significant influence on users’ continuation intentions.
In a mobile gaming context, Su, Chiang, Lee, and Chang (2016) found flow experience to have a
significant association with players’ continued use. Similarly, Lu et al. (2009) and a relatively recent
investigation by Yoon, Jeong, and Rolland (2015) stated that flow experience has a significant
influence on the users’ behavioral intentions toward the use of MIM.
Flow experience is comprised of different dimensions, namely clarity of goals, instant feedback,
the balance of skills and challenges, perceived control, time distortion, a combination of awareness
and action, autotelic experience, loss of self-consciousness, and concentration (Csikszentmihalyi,
1990). The prior consumer psychology and technology use literature has used different components
to measure users’ flow experience. For example, Koufaris (2002) used perceived enjoyment, atten-
tion, and perceived control, while Hausman and Siekpe (2009) employed an additional component
of a challenge. In comparison to these, Y. M. Guo and Poole (2009) measured flow experience using
four different components in addition to the ones mentioned in the prior text, namely emergence of
awareness and action, transcendence of self, autotelic experience, and time distortion.
The review of the prior literature on the flow theory revealed that perceived enjoyment and
concentration are the principal components constituting flow experience (Koufaris, 2002; Zhou &
Lu, 2011). This was one of the main reasons behind our decision to choose perceived enjoyment and
concentration as the components for measuring flow experience in the present study. Our choice is
also consistent with the prior literature on MIM apps. For example, scholars suggest that MIM apps
have fun and entertainment elements associated with them (Lu et al., 2009; Yoon, Jeong, & Rolland,
2015). The intrinsic enjoyment derived from the use of an MIM app motivates users to continue the
use. Moreover, the flow would be almost impossible to experience if the users are unable to
concentrate on the tasks being performed on MIM. In addition to the enjoyment and concentration
components, flow experience also consists of telepresence, a sensation of being present in a
computer-mediated space (T. Kim & Biocca, 1997; Steuer, 1992). It is likely that MIM apps might
give their users the feeling of being immersed in the app’s computer-mediated environment and
being with their social circle without having any physical proximity. Consequently, the telepresence
component was included as the part of flow experience in the present study.
Prior Information Systems (IS) literature investigating the significant role of flow experience in
MIM environment has also considered PBC as one of the components of flow experience. Guo and
6 Social Science Computer Review XX(X)

Bai (2014) found that, in addition to enjoyment and concentration, the control component was found
to influence users’ continuation intentions toward MIM positively. However, in the present study,
control is already part of the components of TPB; therefore, control as part of flow experience was
not considered.

Consumption Value Theory (CVT) and MIM

CVT is a popular theoretical framework for understanding the different possible factors that might
affect consumer choices. The prior literature has used CVT for examining users’ choice behavior
over smartphones (Bødker, Gimpel, & Hedman, 2009), mobile phone ringtones (Turel, Serenko, &
Bontis, 2010), virtual items (Shang, Chen, & Huang, 2012), social media brand communities (Kaur,
Dhir, Rajala, & Dwivedi, 2018), and social virtual worlds (Mäntymäki & Salo, 2015), among others.
However, scholars have observed that CVT is not only applicable for understanding the consumer
choice and decisions but also for understanding other forms of consumer behavior (e.g., loyalty,
usage intentions; Z. Yang & Peterson, 2004). CVT constitutes of five different values: functional,
conditional, social, emotional, and epistemic values (Sheth, Newman, & Gross, 1991). Sheth, New-
man, and Gross (1991) suggest that all the different consumption values are independent of one
another and make their own unique contribution in influencing consumers’ choice related behavior.
Firstly, the functional value highlights the “functional, utilitarian, or physical performance” of an
app. Secondly, social value measures the “association with one or more specific social groups.”
Thirdly, emotional value refers to “an alternative’s capacity to arouse feelings or affective states.”
Fourthly, epistemic value refers to the “curiosity, novelty, desire for knowledge.” Finally, condi-
tional value regards “an alternative’s capacity as a result of the specific situation.”
Previous studies demonstrated how these values influence the user intentions as well as behavior.
To begin with, H.-W. Kim, Gupta, and Koh (2011) investigated the role of functional, social, and
emotional value in influencing the purchase of digital items in social networking communities. They
pointed out that emotional value constituted of aesthetics and playfulness influenced the users’
purchase decisions. Furthermore, the social value was measured using social self-image expression
and social relationship support, but only the former was significantly linked to users’ purchase
intentions. Mäntymäki and Salo (2015) found that monetary, epistemic, social, functional, and
emotional values drive teenagers’ purchasing behavior of virtual goods in social virtual worlds.
Youn (2016) found that perceptions of social, hedonic, and utilitarian values influence the smart-
phone usage. Similarly, Zolkepli (2016) suggested that social, emotional, epistemic, and conditional
values influence the user behavior concerning the use of mobile apps.
In the context of MIM environment, Turel, Serenko, and Bontis (2010) observed that value
associated with usage of digital hedonic artifacts, such as MIM apps, actually derives the users’
intention to continue using them in future as well. Deng et al. (2010) found that functional and social
values indirectly influence customer loyalty via customer satisfaction. In two recent studies, Tseng
et al. (2017) found that functional and social values influence loyalty toward MIM, while C.-B.
Zhang et al. (2017) found that social and hedonic values significantly influence continuation inten-
tions toward WeChat. However, in comparison with the body of literature, CVT has not yet been
applied widely to other MIM apps such as LINE. Due to this, it is not yet known as to which
consumption values are positively associated with user intentions and actual user behavior specif-
ically toward LINE. This research gap is addressed in the present study since CVT is utilized
concerning a popular MIM app, that is, LINE.
The present research focuses only on two values, namely functional and social. The main reasons
behind this choice were as follows: First, functional and social values are consistently shown to play
an influential role in influencing consumer choice in the context of the usual mobile services as well
as other computer-mediated communication contexts (Wang, Liao, & Yang, 2013; K. Yang & Jolly,
Dhir et al. 7

Figure 1. Our research model.

2009; J. Zhang & Mao, 2012; Zolkepli, 2016). Second, the practical or functional utility provided by
any given mobile app is one of the main constituents of the value perceptions derived from it (Wang
et al., 2013). Furthermore, user decisions related to the mobile app adoption and usage are also
dependent on the way a user wants to be perceived among their social circle (Zolkepli, 2016).
Consequently, both functional and social values are likely to play an influential role concerning
MIM since it is also a form of mobile service.

Research Methods
Research Models
The primary research objective of the present study was to investigate the different factors that
influence the continuation intentions toward MIM (i.e., LINE). Furthermore, the present research
also examines whether the continuation intentions are positively associated with different types of
actual MIM use behavior such as daily time spent, the frequency of use, and excessive MIM use.
Toward the end, a comprehensive research model was developed by utilizing the three theories
mentioned above, namely TPB, flow, and CVT to interpret the continuation intentions and actual
user behavior of LINE. TPB acts as the baseline model and is composed of five main components,
namely attitude (i.e., ease of use), subjective norm (i.e., social influence), PBC, user intentions, and
actual user behavior. According to the original TPB, the first three components directly influence
the user intentions, which subsequently influence the actual user behavior (i.e., daily LINE use, the
frequency of LINE use, and excessive usage of LINE; see Figure 1). TPB was extended using the
three main components of the flow experience theory (i.e., enjoyment, telepresence, and concentra-
tion) as well as two components of the CVT (i.e., functional and social values). This extension of the
original model of TPB is consistent with the observation as well as the recommendation of the scholars
8 Social Science Computer Review XX(X)

Table 1. Summary of Study Measures and Measurement Items and Factor Loadings of the Structural and
Measurement Model.

Factor Loadings Factor Loadings

Study Measures Structural Model Measurement
(References) Measurement Items (SEM) Model (CFA)

Social value SV1: LINE helps me to feel acceptable .91 .91

SV2: Using LINE gives me a sense of belongings to .86 .86
other users
Functional value FV1: LINE has good functions .79 .79
FV2: LINE fulfills my needs well .83 .83
Perceived ease of use PEOU1: It is easy for me to become skillful at using .92 .92
LINE
PEOU2: It is easy to use LINE to communicate with .93 .93
others
PEOU3: Overall, LINE is easy to use .88 .88
Social influence SI1: LINE is a means to show off .82 .82
SI2: LINE is a means to appear cool in front of .92 .92
others
Perceived behavioral PBC1: I have the knowledge and ability to use LINE .88 .88
control PBC2: I am able to skillfully use LINE .90 .90
Perceived Enjoyment PE1: I feel enjoyment when I use LINE .94 .94
PE2: It is enjoyable to use LINE .92 .92
PE3: It is amusing to the use the LINE stamps .90 .90
Concentration CON1: When using LINE, I am not aware of things .84 .84
happening around me
CON2: When using LINE, I often forget the work .85 .85
I must do
Telepresence TEL1: After using LINE, I feel like I have come back .88 .88
to the “real world” after a journey
TEL2: Using LINE often makes me forget where .92 .92
I am
TEL3: When I use the LINE, my body is in the .92 .92
room, but my mind is inside the world created by
the LINE
Continuation CI1: I intend to continue using LINE rather than .88 .88
intentions discontinue its use
CI2: I will keep on using LINE in the future .90 .90
Note. SEM ¼ structural equation modeling; CFA ¼ confirmatory factor analysis.

who have suggested the need for an extension for improving the percentage of variance explained by
the original model (Al-Debei, Al-Lozi, & Papazafeiropoulou, 2013; Armitage & Conner, 2001; Baker
& White, 2010). We carefully selected the additional components to ensure that the parsimonious
nature of the original TPB was not violated in the extension of the theory in using components of other
theories. The different components of our research model were evaluated by the study participants
using a 5-point response scale where 5 ¼ always and 1 ¼ never (see Table 1).

Research Hypothesis
CVT: Social value and continuation intentions. It refers to the social value derived by the user through
their technology use. Several prior studies have concluded that social value plays a significant role in
influencing the consumer behavior (K. Yang & Jolly, 2009), such as the purchasing behavior of
Dhir et al. 9

virtual goods in a social virtual world (Mäntymäki & Salo, 2015) and social networking commu-
nities (H.-W. Kim, Gupta, & Koh, 2011), smartphone usage (Youn, 2016), and usage-related
decision-making in regard to mobile apps (Zolkepli, 2016). Due to this, it is likely that social value
derived from LINE use has the significant positive association with the continuation intentions
toward its use.

Hypothesis 1: Social value has the direct positive association with continuation intentions
toward LINE use.

CVT: Functional value and continuation intentions. Functional value can be understood as the utilitarian
benefit derived as a result of the technology. Prior literature on mobile services suggests that
functional value plays a dominant role in influencing the consumers’ choice behavior (Wang
et al., 2013; K. Yang & Jolly, 2009; J. Zhang & Mao, 2012). Mäntymäki and Salo (2015) found
that functional value was significant in influencing teenagers’ purchase intentions for virtual goods,
and Youn (2016) reasoned the influential role of functional (or utilitarian) value in smartphone
usage. However, not all prior studies have shown consistent findings. For example, H.-W. Kim et al.
(2011) found that functional value was insignificant in the case of purchase of digital items in the
SNS communities. Likewise, Zolkepli (2016) suggested that functional value not influence users’
attitude and usage-related decisions. After careful examination of their methods, we suspect that
choice of items for measuring functional value could be one of the prominent reasons behind its
insignificant association with users’ intentions and behavior. Therefore, going by the findings of the
majority of the prior IS literature, we hypothesize that functional value of LINE use has the
significant positive association with the continuation intentions toward LINE use.

Hypothesis 2: Functional value has a direct positive association with continuation intentions
toward LINE use.

TPB: Perceived ease of use (PEOU). The PEOU can be defined as the users’ perceptions concerning the
effort required for performing different tasks on a given MIM platform. Prior literature suggests that
PEOU has a positive association with user intention in an MIM context (Liu, Min, & Ji, 2011).
Several studies have found that PEOU has direct (Atkinson & Kydd, 1997; Hamari & Koivisto,
2015; van der Heijden, 2004) as well as indirect (Kaba, 2018; Mäntymäki, Merikivi, Verhagen,
Feldberg, & Rajala, 2014) relationship with continuation intentions. Based on the argumentation of
the prior literature, we propose the following hypothesis.

Hypothesis 3: PEOU has a direct positive association with continuation intentions toward
LINE use.

TPB: Social influence. Prior literature has examined the significant role of the subjective norm in the
adoption of different mobile services (Liu et al., 2011; Wei, Marthandan, Chong, Ooi, & Arumugam,
2009; Zhou & Li, 2014). In the context of an MIM environment, Liu, Min, and Ji (2011) found that
social influence (e.g., the importance of the opinion of others), a form of the subjective norm to have
a significant positive influence on the adoption-related user intentions. In the present study, the
measure of social influence addresses the issues related to impression and identity management.
The social influence measure has been derived from a recent study that has investigated the
gratifications of new media (Dhir, Chen, & Chen 2017). According to scholars, social influence
is essential for adolescents since it helps them to maintain positive identity, which could help them
in creating favorable self-influence over significant others (Baker & White, 2010; Dhir, 2016).
Similarly, scholars have also argued that having positive self-image among others is one of the
10 Social Science Computer Review XX(X)

favored activities of young people, for example, adolescents (Special & Li-Barber, 2012; Zhao,
Grasmuck, & Martin, 2008). Due to this, we believe that “fashion” and “tendency to appear cool”
are forms of social influence similar to “opinion of important others,” Thus, our social influence
measure is likely to have a significant influence on the user behavior of MIM users. Therefore, we
hypothesize as follows.

Hypothesis 4: Social influence has a direct positive association with continuation intentions
toward LINE use.

TPB: PBC. Prior IS literature suggests that PBC is an antecedent of the perceived consumer confidence
in using a given technology or service that might influence (positively or negatively) its actual use in
day-to-day routine (Lee & Chang, 2011). PBC accesses both internal factors (such as skills and
ability) and external factors (such as acceptance, support, time, and availability of financial
resources) in performing a given behavior or act (Ajzen, 2001). Prior literature on the mobile
services has confirmed the dominant role of PBC in predicting user intentions. Liang et al.
(2013) found that PBC influences the continuation of mobile service in general. Similarly, Guo and
Bai (2014) also found that control (measured using a multidimensional flow measure) positively
influences users’ continuation intentions toward mobile SNS. Based on the prior literature, we
hypothesize that the PBC of using LINE has a significant positive association with the continuation
intentions toward its use.

Hypothesis 5: Control has a direct positive association with continuation intentions toward
LINE use.

Flow: Enjoyment and continuance intention. Perceived enjoyment is defined as the extent to
which a given service, product, or platform is perceived as fun, entertaining, and enjoyable to use
(Venkatesh, 2000). Several prior studies have found a significant association between perceived
enjoyment, component of flow experience, and continuation intentions of an information system.
Mainly, Lu et al. (2009) found that flow experience operationalized as perceived enjoyment has an
indirect influence on user intentions toward MIM apps via the attitude. Liu et al. (2011) concluded
that perceived enjoyment has significant association with user intentions toward MIM adoption.
Similar findings were revealed concerning the perceived enjoyment and user intentions concerning
MIM apps by a recent study through the usage of multitheory approach (Yoon et al., 2015). Another
study by Vazquez, Dennis, and Zhang (2017) found that pleasure or hedonic experiences (i.e., similar
to perceived enjoyment) has a positive influence on the word of mouth intentions. Another study
concerning the mobile game application also suggests that perceived enjoyment has a significant
influence on player loyalty (Su, Chiang, Lee, & Chang, 2016). Due to the significant association of
the perceived enjoyment in all these prior studies, we hypothesize that perceived enjoyment derived
from LINE use has a significant positive association with the continuation intentions toward its use.

Hypothesis 6: Perceived enjoyment has a direct positive association with continuation inten-
tions toward LINE use.

Flow: Concentration and continuation intentions. Concentration can be understood as the state of
complete immersion (Ghani, Supnick, & Rooney, 1991). While using MIM apps, users tend to
concentrate on chatting with others, due to which it is easier for them to enter a flow state (Lu
et al., 2009). Prior MIM literature suggests a significant influence of concentration on the con-
tinuation intentions as well as the user behavior. Both, Lu et al. (2009) and Guo and Bai (2014)
found that concentration has a direct influence on user intentions toward the use of MIM. The most
Dhir et al. 11

recent study by Su et al. (2016) also suggests that concentration (or focused attention) has a
significant positive influence on the loyalty of the mobile game application players. As such,
we hypothesize that concentration toward LINE use has a significant positive association with the
continuation intentions toward its use.

Hypothesis 7: Concentration has a direct positive association with continuation intentions

toward LINE use.

Flow: Telepresence and continuation intentions. Telepresence is defined as the feeling of believing to be
part of the phenomenal environment that is created by a service, platform, or medium (T. Kim &
Biocca, 1997). Telepresence is applicable in the MIM context because MIM users feel more con-
nected to their social group and feel even more absorbed in the virtual world of MIM space when
using MIM apps. To the best of our knowledge, no prior study has yet examined the influence of
telepresence on the continuation intentions toward MIM use. However, we took knowledge from
some emerging technology studies which have investigated the relationship between telepresence
and user intentions. Z. Guo, Xiao, Toorn, Lai, and Seo (2016) found that telepresence has an indirect
influence on continuation intentions via flow experience and perceived utilitarian and social values
in context of online learning. Similarly, Rodrı́guez-Ardura and Meseguer-Artola (2016) found
telepresence to have the direct positive influence on continuation intentions in an e-learning context.
In the context of a social virtual world, Jung (2011) found telepresence to have a significant positive
influence on continuation intentions. Due to the significant association of the telepresence and use
intentions in the relevant literature, we hypothesize that telepresence of LINE use has a significant
positive association with the continuation intentions toward its use.

Hypothesis 8: Telepresence has a direct positive association with continuation intentions

toward LINE use.

Continuation intentions and use behavior. Use behavior refers to users’ actual behavior toward LINE.
In the present study, user behavior is analyzed through the use of three different measures: daily
LINE use, the frequency of LINE use, and excessive use of LINE. Daily LINE use refers to the
number of hours a person uses LINE daily. The participants were requested to answer this question
as an open-ended question. The frequency of LINE use measures the level of users’ frequency of
LINE usage. It is measured on a 5-point response scale where 5 ¼ many times per day, 4 ¼ almost
every day, 3 ¼ once in every 2 or 3 days, 2 ¼ once a week, and 1 ¼ once a month. Finally, excessive
LINE use reflects users’ perceptions regarding their LINE use to be excessive or not. This was
measured using a 5-point response scale where 5 ¼ always, 4 ¼ frequently, 3 ¼ sometimes, 2 ¼
occasionally, and 1 ¼ never (reserve coded). The TPB shows that user intentions have an influence
on user behavior (Ajzen, 1991). This has been further validated over the years by different studies
using TPB as their theoretical framework in different contexts. Specifically, Kaur (2016b) found
continuation intentions to have a significant positive influence on users’ activities. Based on the
relevant body of literature, we hypothesize the following hypotheses.

Hypothesis 9: Continuation intention has a direct positive association with the user’s daily
LINE usage.
Hypothesis 10: Continuation intention has a direct positive association with frequency of
LINE use.
Hypothesis 11: Continuation intention has a direct positive association with excessive use of
LINE.
12 Social Science Computer Review XX(X)

Research Methodology
Research Procedure and Participants
The data collection was conducted using an online survey of 309 Japanese middle and late adoles-
cent LINE users. The study participants were 16–20 years old, where 72.5% (N ¼ 224) were female
LINE users with a mean age of 17.73 (SD ¼ 1.02) years. The survey was prepared in Japanese by
following back translation protocol. The survey was pilot tested with 10 participants representing the
target user group, that is, late adolescent LINE users. The population with previous experience in
LINE use was invited to participate in the present study. The ethics committee of the Department of
Medicine at The University of Tokyo provided the ethical approval for conducting the study (No.
10882). Informed consent was obtained from the participants at the beginning of the survey through
the instructions. Participation in the study was voluntary and completely anonymous. Moreover, the
participants had the freedom to quit the study at any time.

Data Analysis
The data analysis was performed using statistical software, namely SPSS Version 24.0 and AMOS
Version 23.0. To begin with, the fitness of the data was evaluated for ensuring its suitability for
performing the analysis. In this regard, the skewness and kurtosis values for the items of the present
study measures were evaluated for establishing the normalcy of the data. Additionally, Z-score for
all the study items was examined in order to spot the presence of any potential outliers (Tabachnick
& Fidell, 2007). The recommended threshold values for skewness and kurtosis for the items are to be
between þ1 and 1, while Z-score should be below the absolute value of 3.29. Following the
preliminary investigation, a further analysis was performed using a two-step approach suggested
by Anderson and Gerbing (1988). During the first step, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was
performed for examining the goodness of model fit indices, validity, and reliability of different study
measures. This was followed by the second step, involving the examination of structural equation
modeling (SEM) for establishing the validity of the proposed model.

Results
Measurement Model
First, the model fit of the measures was evaluated by performing the CFA of the measurement
model. The measurement model was important to examine the presence or absence of fit between the
considered theoretical framework and collected empirical data. The CFA was performed using the
robust algorithm of maximum likelihood, and it returned good model fit (Reinartz, Haenlein, &
Henseler, 2009). The model fit details are as follows: w2/df (w2 ratio degrees of freedom) ¼ 1.73 (<3),
comparative fit index (CFI) ¼ .98 (>.90), Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI) ¼ .97 (>.90), and root mean
square error of approximation (RMSEA) ¼ .05 (<.08; Browne & Cudeck, 1993; Byrne, 2010; Hair,
Anderson, Tatham, & Black, 1998).

Validity and Reliability

As listed in Table 1, the items of all measures were adopted from previous studies and modified
concerning LINE use. The content validity was supported by the previous studies and by CFA in the
present study. Moreover, since the measures were intercorrelated according to the literature, con-
vergent and discriminant validity was examined to clarify whether the measures were indeed
measuring different constructs. The convergent validity was ensured through the following statis-
tical tests. First, the average variance extracted (AVE) for all the study constructs and items loadings
Dhir et al. 13

Table 2. Mean, Standard Deviation, Correlation Between Study Measures, Convergent, and Discriminant
Validity.

M SD CR AVE MSV ASV SV PEOU SI PBC PE CON TEL FV CI

SV 2.99 1.11 .88 .78 .22 .12 .86

PEOU 3.86 1.10 .93 .83 .69 .23 .16 .91
SI 2.30 1.13 .86 .76 .29 .13 .43 .40 .87
PBC 3.42 0.95 .88 .79 .29 .14 .27 .47 .11 .89
PE 3.45 0.99 .94 .85 .32 .15 .45 .35 .13 .54 .92
CON 2.62 1.01 .83 .71 .58 .13 .34 .17 .49 .14 .27 .84
TEL 2.22 1.11 .93 .83 .58 .15 .21 .29 .54 .23 .06 .76 .91
FV 3.40 0.90 .79 .65 .62 .24 .47 .72 .10 .49 .57 .03 .12 .81
CI 3.79 1.09 .88 .79 .69 .26 .30 .83 .39 .45 .44 .11 .30 .79 .89
Note. M ¼ mean; SD ¼ standard deviation; CR ¼ composite reliability; AVE ¼ average variance explained; MSV ¼ maximum
shared variance; ASV ¼ average shared variance; SV ¼ social value; PEOU ¼ perceived ease of use; SI ¼ social influence;
PBC ¼ perceived behavioral control; PE ¼ perceived enjoyment; CON ¼ concentration; TEL ¼ telepresence; FV ¼
functional value; CI ¼ continuation intentions.

for them is greater than .50 (Anderson & Gerbing, 1988; Fornell & Larcker, 1981). Second, the
values for the composite reliability for study constructs are higher than the recommended
threshold value of .70 (Fornell & Larcker, 1981; see Table 2). The discriminant validity was
established through three different statistical tests: (i) AVE values of the study constructs is
higher than their corresponding values of average shared variance and maximum shared var-
iance (Barclay, Higgins, & Thompson, 1995), (ii) the correlation between the different study
constructs is less than .80 (Campbell & Fiske, 1959), and (iii) the correlation value of a study
construct is less than the square root of its AVE value (Fornell & Larcker, 1981; see Table 2).
Finally, the composite reliabilities ranged between .79 and .94. This adds to the reliability of
the survey instrument.

Structural Model
The structural model was evaluated using the SEM. This was necessary for investigating the validity
of the different hypotheses. SEM returned the path coefficient values (b value) and the percentage of
explained variance (R2). The b values are the basis for accepting or rejecting the validity of the
proposed hypotheses. On the other hand, R2 values provide the percentage of variance explained for
the dependent variable by various independent variables. The structural model returned good model
fit with w2/df ¼ 2.15, CFI ¼ .95, TLI ¼ .94, and RMSEA ¼ .06 (Browne & Cudeck, 1993; Byrne,
2010; Hair et al., 1998)
The study analysis reports that the study measures explained 81% of the variance in the users’
intention to continue using LINE. The analysis reveals support for only a few hypotheses (Table 3).
The findings show that only social value (Hypothesis 1), functional value (Hypothesis 2), and PEOU
(Hypothesis 3) are supported. On the other hand, other factors do not predict users’ intention to
continue using LINE, namely PBC (Hypothesis 5), perceived enjoyment (Hypothesis 6), concen-
tration (Hypothesis 7), and telepresence (Hypothesis 8). At the same time, social influence is found
to have a significant but negative impact on continuation intention. As social influence was hypothe-
sized to have the positive influence on continuation intention, thus, Hypothesis 4 stands rejected.
The results also show that continuance intention has no influence on duration of the users’ time spent
on LINE, the frequency of LINE use, and excessive usage of LINE. This leads to the rejection of
Hypotheses 9–11. On the same note, the analysis reports that continuance intention explains almost
null variance in the LINE’s actual use variables, namely daily usage of LINE (0%), the frequency of
14 Social Science Computer Review XX(X)

Table 3. Confirmation of the Hypotheses (H#).

H# Hypothesis Support

H1 Social value has positive association with continuation intentions Yes

H2 Functional value has positive association with influences continuation intentions Yes
H3 Perceived ease of use influences continuation intentions Yes
H4 Social influence influences continuation intentions No
H5 Perceived behavioral control influences continuation intentions No
H6 Perceived enjoyment influences continuation intentions No
H7 Concentration influences continuation intentions No
H8 Telepresence influences continuation intentions No
H9 Continuation intentions influence daily LINE usage No
H10 Continuation intentions influence frequency of LINE usage No
H11 Continuation intentions influence excessive usage of LINE No

Figure 2. Results of the structural equation modeling.

LINE use (1%), and excessive LINE use (1%). The ß values for the different hypotheses are
presented in Figure 2.

Discussion
The present study examines the reasons behind continuous engagement with MIM apps. This is
important to understanding since MIM apps itself face critical problem of user retention. As
mentioned previously, owing to the similarity of provided functionality and low switching
Dhir et al. 15

costs, MIM apps are facing the tough challenge of motivating users to continue with their
existing MIM service providers. The existing research has investigated the domain of use
intentions in relation to MIM apps in general. However, the current study specifically inves-
tigates continuous use intentions toward specific MIM apps, which is currently rare. Further-
more, the prior literature lacks information about the behavior of adolescents concerning MIM
apps. The present study bridges these research gaps in the existing literature by providing
insights about adolescents’ continuance–related behavior concerning a popular MIM app, that
is, LINE. Furthermore, the present study takes into consideration the extensive set of measures
drawn from three popular theoretical frameworks (TPB, CVT, and flow). Additionally, the
study also reports the influence of continuation intention on users’ actual MIM behavior. The
study offers several theoretical and practical implications for the scholars as well as MIM
service providers.
The study findings support both Hypotheses 1 and 2 which suggests social and functional values
predict a user’s intention to continue using MIM. The significant relationship of functional value
with continuation intention is consistent with some of the prior literature (Tseng et al., 2017; C.-B.
Zhang, Li, Wu, & Li, 2017). At the same time, it also contradicts the existing literature where
functional value is found to have no influence on user behavior in other information systems (H.-W.
Kim et al., 2011; Zolkepli, 2016). On the other hand, the significant impact of social value on users’
continuation is in complete consistency with the prior literature (Tseng et al., 2017; C.-B. Zhang
et al., 2017). In the present study, functional value is found to have a higher influence on continua-
tion intentions as compared to social value. The functional and social values were found to have a
significant influence on the continuation intentions as adolescents might be dependent on LINE for
satisfying their communication-related functional as well as social needs. For example, getting an
acceptable position within their social circle, being able to communicate in real time anytime,
anywhere, and so on. The significant positive relation could also mean that LINE is fulfilling their
functional and social needs well. Moreover, the prior literature has also reported that satisfaction of
functional and social values plays a significant role in formulating positive user intentions in the
mobile services context (Wang et al. 2013; Zolkepli, 2016).
The study findings support Hypothesis 3 which suggests that PEOU exerts significant positive
influence on users’ continuation intentions. This is also consistent with the prior literature investi-
gating the direct influence of PEOU on continuation intentions in the context of gamification
services (Hamari & Kovisto, 2015). The age of participants plays a role in obtaining significant
influence of PEOU on the continuation intentions toward LINE. The education-related activities
take up a big chunk of adolescents’ effort and time (Johnson & Johnson, 1996). Hence, it is essential
for them that the other activities performed by them using different information systems whose
usage is voluntary (e.g., use of MIM apps like LINE) are easy to learn and use. This might explain to
some extent the importance of the role of perceived use toward prediction of continuation intentions
toward LINE.
Hypothesis 4 was not supported since social influence is found to exert the negative influence on
users’ intention to continue using LINE. This means that, if a user uses LINE as a means to show off,
then it has the negative influence on their intentions to continue using LINE. At the same time, it
could also be interpreted that the show-off-related behavior does not foster continuance behavior in
Japanese culture. This could also mean that show-off reduces loyalty and that they may pursue
innovations rather than continuing on a specific app. This finding might not hold true for other
cultural groups. This requires further investigation in the future to validate the global applicability of
the negative relationship between social influence and continuance behavior.
The study findings do not support Hypotheses 5–8, that is, flow theory measures namely enjoy-
ment, concentration, telepresence, and PBC, do not predict users’ intention to continue using LINE.
As mentioned previously, control is also part of the flow experience. However, since it was
16 Social Science Computer Review XX(X)

considered as the part of the TPB, it was decided to exclude it from being a part of flow experience
explicitly. Unlike other components of the TPB, PBC is found to not influence continuance inten-
tions. However, it is found to have the same relationship with continuation intentions as other
components of flow experience, that is, enjoyment, concentration, and telepresence. Such a situation
can be interpreted as suggesting that flow experience does not influence predicting continuation
intentions of adolescent MIM users. Flow experience refers to experiencing intrinsic enjoyment
where utilitarian motives have no role. In other words, users tend to perform actions for the sake of
the intrinsic enjoyment experienced as a result of performing the actions. This is also evident from
the fact that functional values are found to have a prominent influence on users’ continuation
intentions. The previous literature has reported flow experience to influence users’ loyalty toward
MIM apps in general (Zhou & Lu, 2011). This might imply that flow experience might not influence
continuation intentions for specific MIM apps like LINE in the present case. Another possible
explanation could be that flow experience might not hold relevance toward predicting continuation
because of different contextual settings, such as Japanese culture and age-group of participants.
The study hypotheses, namely Hypotheses 9–11, were not supported. This suggests that con-
tinuation intentions do not influence actual use behavior measured using three different measures,
namely daily use, the frequency of use, and perceptions regarding excessive use. This suggests that
people use LINE, but they do not pursue a high frequency of using. It might also be possible that
continuation intentions do not impact these dimensions of user behavior. There could be other
dimensions of user behavior which might share a significant association with continuation inten-
tions, for example, the intensity of MIM use, the average duration of LINE sessions, and so on. The
study findings also suggest the new definition of user behavior which should be validated in future
research initiatives.

Study Implications
Theoretical Implications
The present study advances the existing theoretical understanding on continuation intentions in MIM
apps in general and, specifically, a popular instant messaging app called LINE. The study offers
several theoretical implications. To begin with, the current study extends the TPB using two popular
consumer behavior theories, namely flow theory and the CVT. A combination of theories helped in
generating a comprehensive research model for answering the underlying research questions. Sec-
ond, the comprehensive research model of the current study was able to explain 81% of the variance
in continuation intentions toward MIM use. The similar research model can be utilized in the context
of other popular mobile services to understand the reasons behind continuous engagement of the
people. Third, the current study has brought a newer understanding of the popular consumer beha-
vior theories, namely TPB, the theory of consumption value, and flow theory. The study findings
have shown that factors of PEOU, social influence, and functional and social values are significant
predictors of adolescents’ intention to continue using LINE specifically and MIM in general.
However, the flow theory measures were not able to explain any variance in the dependent variables.
This might mean that flow experience is not crucial for continuance intentions of MIM. In addition
to this, the current study has also pinpointed on the influential factors that drive the continuous
engagement of people in different mobile services like MIM. Fourth, the knowledge generated by
the current investigation enhances the existing knowledge on the postadoption behavior in an MIM
context. The initial studies on MIM were usually targeting the adoption-related user behavior.
Recently, researchers have started focusing on the postadoption behavior in MIM, such as loyalty,
continuation intentions, and switching intentions. However, the majority of the studies focus on
MIM in general. Few studies are addressing specific MIM apps (e.g., WeChat, KakoaTalk, and
Dhir et al. 17

LINE). To the best of our knowledge, there is no study investigating the continuation intentions
toward LINE app specifically. LINE is a popular instant messaging app with a large user base of 169
million monthly active users (Smith, 2017). In this regard, the present study makes a novel attempt at
understanding continuation intentions toward LINE.

Practical Implications
The present study offers different practical implications for both scholars and practitioners. The
MIM environment is surrounded by three significant challenges, namely low revenue, the similarity
of service offerings, and competitive market. The present study offers suggestions to MIM service
providers on the possible strategies aimed at creating a place in the dynamic and competitive market
space. The study provides a concrete set of factors that influence users’ continuance intention toward
MIM in general and in a specific apps context, such as LINE. Additionally, it also lists some of the
factors that have no role in predicting users’ continuance intentions. In other words, the findings of
the current study can help the MIM service operators in channeling their resources and reinventing
their current focus for gaining the desired outcomes. Moreover, considering the competitive MIM
marketplace, it is essential for service providers to be agile and versatile with regard to addressing
the ever-changing needs and expectations of their customers. This can play a crucial role in deciding
which MIM players sustain the competitive market space.
The study results reveal that PEOU is the most influential predictor of users’ continuance inten-
tions. Hence, it is essential that the user interface of MIM service be easy to interact with. It is
important to have a unique user interface given the similarity of the services offered by different
service providers. Oghuma et al. (2016) also expressed that user interface could be the key differ-
entiator factor among different MIM apps. To be precise, the different MIM service providers should
focus on providing a user-friendly and unique user interface. Apart from ease of use, the functional
value was found to be the second most influential predictor of MIMs continuation intentions. This
means that service providers should focus on ensuring that users’ utilitarian needs through their MIM
usage are satisfied. In other words, users will continue using MIM apps if they are functionally relevant
to the users. The functional value could act as the guiding principle behind the development of future
MIM features. Therefore, MIM service providers should invest in understanding different aspects of
users’ functional value. Developing future offerings based on firsthand information about users’
expectations about functional value can help MIM service providers to differentiate from other service
providers. This can help them in gaining an edge in the existing competitive market. MIM service
providers should focus on satisfying the social needs of the users. The social value was found to be the
third important factor in predicting users’ continuation intentions. The service providers should imple-
ment various strategies for ensuring the satisfaction of users’ social needs. For example, provision of
stickers or emoticons promoting a sense of belongingness and acceptability among MIM users.
Furthermore, the study results also informed MIM service providers to refrain themselves from
involving in enhancing social influence and show-off-related factors. The increased focus on social
influence can exert the negative influence on users’ continuation intentions.
The study suggests that all the previously mentioned factors (such as PEOU, functional value, and
social value) should be stressed for fostering positive continuation intentions among adolescents
toward MIM in general and LINE specifically. Adolescents are an important, but less studied, user
group. As mentioned previously, it is essential for MIM service providers to examine adolescents’
behavior, since they have an influential role in the adoption and usage-related decisions of their
friends, family, and social circle (Lapowsky, 2014). Additionally, they are not loyal to any specific
brand and keep on switching from one service to another depending on the latest happenings
(Lapowsky, 2014). To the best of our knowledge, none of the prior studies investigating continuous
toward MIM use has placed a specific focus on adolescents.
18 Social Science Computer Review XX(X)

Study Limitations and Future Work

The present study has two main limitations that should be addressed in future studies. First and
foremost, the study represents the opinion of only one cultural and age-group. This might limit the
findings of the study to some extent. Oghuma et al. (2016) expressed that the usage of MIM apps
might differ across different cultures. Hence, future studies should focus on validating the findings
of this study with other cultural groups as well as other age-groups within Japan and outside.
Moreover, it would also be beneficial to confirm the findings with users from other MIM apps as
well. We are of the opinion that the findings of the present study might have general applicability.
Nonetheless, we encourage future research aimed at the exploration of cultural differences in the
context of MIM usage. All the suggestions mentioned above can help in enhancing the universality
of the study findings. Secondly, the study was conducted using the online survey, and so the
respondents are self-selected, and data are self-reported. This might lead to getting responses of
the users who are actively engaged with LINE. This could have potential influence or bias on the
overall findings of the study. Hence, it would be beneficial to involve users with low activity levels
on LINE in future. Furthermore, longitudinal research should be planned to ensure the global
applicability of the study findings. Longitudinal research can also help in understanding how con-
tinuation intentions related to MIM usage in general and, LINE specifically, evolves over time.
Finally, the future research could also explore the role of gender, age, and different individual
characteristics (e.g., personal innovativeness and personality) in formulating users’ continuance
intentions. The understanding of such factors can further enhance our existing knowledge about
continuance intention toward MIM in general and specific apps like LINE.

Authors’ Note
The data used in this article may be obtained for scholarly and replication purposes by writing to the lead author
at amandeep.dhir@helsinki.fi.

Acknowledgements
We appreciate Prof Norito Kawakami, Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, The
University of Tokyo. This study was partly supported by MEXT KAKENHI Grant Number JP21119003, JSPS
KAKENHI Grant Number JP16H06395, 16H06398, and 16K21720. In addition to this, we also acknowledge
the support received from the Academy of Finland (Grant decision No 311191, 298098, 318452, 317752,
311550)

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or
publication of this article.

Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Author Biographies
Amandeep Dhir holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Helsinki, Finland, as well as a DSc (Tech)
from the Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Finland. He specializes in social media research,
instant messaging, virtual economy, services, and compulsive use of media.
Puneet Kaur is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Aalto
University. She holds a PhD in industrial engineering and management from the same department. She
specializes in service innovation, virtual economy, user behavior, pre- and postadoption, and social media.
Risto Rajala is an associate professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Aalto
University. He holds a PhD in information systems science from Aalto University School of Business. He
specializes in management of industrial service systems, collaborative service innovation, and business model
performance.