Factors affecting migration of Iranian messenger users of Telegram to WhatsApp instead of domestic messengers after the Telegram filtering

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the Factors affecting migration of Iranian messenger users of Telegram to WhatsApp instead of domestic messengers after the Telegram filtering. This research is an explorative applied research. For analyzing factors, thematic analysis method was used. Then, using Interpretive Structural Modeling, the relationship between these factors was identified by 15 experts. These factors were classified into 5 levels. The results show that three factors: WhatsApp doesn’t need VPN, voice and video call capability and WhatsApp compatibility with all mobile devices, are the most influential factors; and factors like habit to use foreigner messengers, presence of contacts on WhatsApp (popularity), absence of contacts in domestic messengers (non-popularity), forming or migrating groups to WhatsApp and sending files through WhatsApp at the request of others, pressure of others to migrate to WhatsApp, negative WOM about domestic messengers and feeling of insecurity in domestic messengers are the most impressive factors.

Keywords

• virtual social network
• social messenger
• domestic messenger
• interpretive structural modeling
• whatsapp
• telegram