An extended hedonic motivation adoption model of TikTok in higher education

As information technologies develop, social networking services have gradually gained attention from both researchers and practitioners. However, little is known about the technology adoption of social networking from the perspective of hedonic motivation. For this purpose, this study applied the hedonic motivation system adoption model (HMSAM) to TikTok and incorporated two innovative factors, i.e., perceived boredom and personal innovativeness. Via structural equation modeling (SEM), this study used SmartPLS 4.0.8 to analyze 246 valid responses from Chinese university students via an online survey. The results showed that the research model was adequate for the adoption of TikTok. Curiosity and perceived boredom significantly mediated the positive relationships between perceived ease of use and behavioral intention. Additionally, the educational level moderated the relationship between joy and focused immersion. The results of this study provided insights for future researchers and innovative teaching. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10639-023-11749-x.