THE INFLUENCE OF EASE OF USE AND SOCIAL PERCEPTION ON THE POPULARITY OF CANVA APPLICATION WITH USER SATISFACTION AS AN MEDIATING VARIABLE

Abstract

This research examines the effects of Ease of Use (X1) and Social Perception (X2) on the Popularity (Y) of the Canva application, with User Satisfaction (Z) as a mediating variable. The study is theoretically grounded in the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) and the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT), both of which emphasize how communicative needs and social adjustments influence media adoption and popularity. Using a quantitative approach with a sample of 240 active Canva users, data were collected through structured online questionnaires that measured the four research variables with validated instruments. The analysis employed multiple linear regression, a statistical method that estimates the relationship between multiple independent variables and a dependent variable simultaneously. This method allows researchers to test both direct and indirect effects among variables, providing insight into how different communicative factors interact to influence popularity. The results indicate that the direct effects of Ease of Use and Social Perception on Popularity are stronger than their indirect effects through User Satisfaction. In other words, while satisfaction contributes as a mediating factor, Canva’s popularity is more powerfully shaped by users’ perceptions of its simplicity and by how it is socially validated and accepted in communicative contexts. Based on these findings, future studies are recommended to employ more varied research designs, with broader and more representative samples, and to explore additional variables such as digital literacy, communication styles, and cultural context, to deepen understanding of digital communication technologies.