Perceptions of privacy on Facebook

Information privacy in an information age is a paradoxical issue, especially with the recent innovations of the Internet. Social networking sites collect a great deal of personal information about their users. Previous studies regarding both traditional and online commercial marketplace privacy issues have found consumers to be wary of disclosing personal information, but also unaware of the regulations concerning sharing of customer information among companies. This study focused on the differences between heavy and light users’ perceptions on privacy on Facebook. Results from a 25-question survey showed heavy users of social networking sites perceive a greater depth of communication on Facebook and have a more accurate perception of Facebook’s privacy policy than did light users of social networking sites

Students' Attitudes Towards Facebook and Online Professionalism: Subject Discipline, Age and Gender Differences.

The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes towards the use of Facebook and online professionalism among students studying three health and social care courses at a UK university. The increasing popularity of social networking sites (SNS) has changed the way people manage information about their personal and professional lives. Previous studies have considered how medical students use Facebook, but there is a paucity of research looking at other professional disciplines; either individually or exploring whether there are inter-professional differences. An anonymous online survey was completed by 595 students at one UK university; pharmacy (n = 91, 15%), social work(n = 166, 28%) and nursing students (n = 338, 57%)across all years of the courses. Significant differences were found with regard to attitudes towards Facebook and online professionalism between the subject disciplines, year of study, age and gender of the students. Findings suggest more education and guidance is needed to provide students with the appropriate knowledge of how to maintain professionalism in an online context

Social Media, Online Shopping Activities and Perceived Risks in Malaysia

The Internet shopping experience offers dissimilar ways of off-online communications with communication differences tools that need a better decision of their effect on customer communications. Social networking sites is also fast becoming the platform for interaction, attracting new potential customers and has become the trend for companies to engage with their consumers online. The main objective of this research is to examine Malaysia customer’s risk perception toward online shopping via social media website. Findings suggest that respondents from all age groups have generally accepted the Internet to be used for social networking, while older groups use the Internet for information search and online shopping. The key areas of risk for not using Internet shopping is related to product quality, scamming, and poor customer service; in which the female groups appeared to be more concerned about the risk involved. Higher income groups are more concerned with the risks on product quality suggesting they expect value for their money for the products. Findings further shows that older consumer groups require some form of education in technology, which is preventing them from fully exploring the Internet and shopping potentials. The area of concern for both genders, is information security, such as protecting private information, security of the website, comfort level with the site, information completeness and trust of the vendor. Female groups were found to have higher tendency of fear of the risk of breaching information, suggesting that they highly value their privacy and secrecy

Asymmetrical third-person effects on the perceptions of online risk and harm among adolescents and adults

Although research has identified a range of opportunities, risks, and harms related to online social networking, the public debate on online risks follows a set pattern by which members of older age groups (parents, regulators) hold a picture of members of younger age groups (teenagers, digital natives) at a uniformly high level of risk. Perceptions of online risk, however, are prone to third-person effects in which individuals perceive risks to be more apparent in others than themselves. This study investigated third-person effects across age groups to further our understanding of the set positions found in current public debate. Multivariate analysis was used to compare adolescent and adult users' personal and third-person perceptions of common psycho-social risks associated with social networking engagement in a sample of 506 UK-based Facebook users (53% male; 13–77 years). Results indicated that rates of exposure to online vulnerabilities were similar for both age groups. However, differences in adult and adolescent perceptions of risk highlighted apparent mismatches between reported exposure to risk and an individual's perceptions, with adults demonstrating lower personal perceptions and higher third-person perceptions of risk than their adolescent counterparts. The research considers the implications of risk perception on an individual's online vulnerability

Social Tie Strength and Online Victimization : An Analysis of Young People Aged 15-30 Years in Four Nations

Online interaction through the use of social networking sites (SNS) continues to be a significant component of the socialization of young people today, yet little research exists toward linking various relational forms to prevalent and much-studied online risks cross-nationally. This article provides a link between relational dynamics and online risks identified in previous research toward a new perspective on how social tie strength is related to experiences of hate victimization and harassment online. The analysis is based on survey data of Finnish (n = 555), American (n = 1033), German (n = 978), and British (n = 999) young people aged 15-30 years. Variables, including age, gender, main activity, SNS use, quantity, and extent of online and offline social networks including social tie strength and online community identification, were analyzed toward finding their associations with online hate victimization and harassment. Results showed that experiences of hate victimization and harassment were similar cross-nationally and that those who were personally harassed online also reported high SNS activity. Furthermore, no association was found between social network size and negative experiences. Notable cross-national differences were also detected in the results. Findings emphasize the importance of understanding variables fostering online risks for young people while providing a new perspective on what aspects of social life may help negate negative effects online.Peer reviewe

Uses and Gratifications of digital photo sharing on Facebook

Despite the rapid adoption of Facebook as a means of photo sharing, minimal research has been conducted to understand user gratification behind this activity. In order to address this gap, the current study examines users’ gratifications in sharing photos on Facebook by applying Uses and Gratification (U&G) theory. An online survey completed by 368 respondents identified six different gratifications, namely, affection, attention seeking, disclosure, habit, information sharing, and social influence, behind sharing digital photos on Facebook. Some of the study’s prominent findings were: age was in positive correlation with disclosure and social influence gratifications; gender differences were identified among habit and disclosure gratifications; number of photos shared was negatively correlated with habit and information sharing gratifications. The study’s implications can be utilized to refine existing and develop new features and services bridging digital photos and social networking services.Peer reviewe

The Online and Offline Communication Preferences of Armenian Social Network Users

Online is one of the main types of communication and relationship building. Social networking site users are increasing day by day, not only in Armenia but worldwide. Currently, debates are actively underway about the impact of online communication on offline communication. Are online and offline communications two complementary means, or does one completely replace the other? "If people stay at home and do their daily activities without engaging with others, they will not put in the effort to establish social connections beyond the online world, as it would seem futile." The article explores the prevalence of social networks among Armenian users, their variations, online and/or offline communication preferences of Armenian users in various spheres of life, connected with age, gender, and depending on the subject of communication. As a result of a survey conducted using questionnaires, a range of preferences were identified, based on which users construct online communications. The main differences were observed among different age groups, rather than gender

What is engaging content? : influence of the social media type of message on the consumer engagement

The process of communicating with consumers has changed dramatically with the rise of social media, as social networking sites have established themselves as a legitimate, direct and free-of-charge communication channel. Considering that content is fundamental to the social media sphere, as it does not depend solely on the brands to be created, it is important to understand the pertinence, significance and impact of brand page content on Facebook. A brief look at concepts like social media, social networking sites, consumer engagement and content allowed a more congruent selection of the path chosen. By exploring the impact that seven different types of social media content have on consumer engagement regarding Facebook brand page posts, this research aims to provide relevant insights for practitioners via the identification of patterns, links and insights. In order to achieve these goals, an online survey that encompassed real Facebook brand page posts was administered and provided interesting results. The seven types of content – seasonal, activity, corporate social responsibility, customer service, product awareness, brand awareness and reward – registered different results, proving that the type of content influences consumer engagement. Moreover, corporate social responsibility was the type of content most probable to stimulate consumer engagement, followed by reward. Besides this surprising result, an overall advantage of emotional appealing types of content over informational ones, as well as differences in both age and gender groups were registered

How Different Are Young Adults From Older Adults When It Comes to Information Privacy Attitudes & Policies?

Media reports teem with stories of young people posting salacious photos online, writing about alcohol-fueled misdeeds on social networking sites, and publicizing other ill-considered escapades that may haunt them in the future. These anecdotes are interpreted as representing a generation-wide shift in attitude toward information privacy. Many commentators therefore claim that young people “are less concerned with maintaining privacy than older people are.” Surprisingly, though, few empirical investigations have explored the privacy attitudes of young adults. This report is among the first quantitative studies evaluating young adults’ attitudes. It demonstrates that the picture is more nuanced than portrayed in the popular media. In this telephonic (wireline and wireless) survey of internet using Americans (N=1000), we found that large percentages of young adults (those 18-24 years) are in harmony with older Americans regarding concerns about online privacy, norms, and policy suggestions. In several cases, there are no statistically significant differences between young adults and older age categories on these topics. Where there were differences, over half of the young adult-respondents did answer in the direction of older adults. There clearly is social significance in that large numbers of young adults agree with older Americans on issues of information privacy. A gap in privacy knowledge provides one explanation for the apparent license with which the young behave online. 42 percent of young Americans answered all of our five online privacy questions incorrectly. 88 percent answered only two or fewer correctly. The problem is even more pronounced when presented with offline privacy issues – post hoc analysis showed that young Americans were more likely to answer no questions correctly than any other age group. We conclude then that that young-adult Americans have an aspiration for increased privacy even while they participate in an online reality that is optimized to increase their revelation of personal data