The Mechanisms of Interpersonal Privacy in Social Networking Websites: A Study of Subconscious Processes, Social Network Analysis, and Fear of Social Exclusion

With increasing usage of Social networking sites like Facebook there is a need to study privacy. Previous research has placed more emphasis on outcome-oriented contexts, such as e-commerce sites. In process-oriented contexts, like Facebook, privacy has become a source of conflict for users. The majority of architectural privacy (e.g. privacy policies, website mechanisms) enables the relationship between a user and business, focusing on the institutional privacy concern and trust; however, architectural privacy mechanisms that enables relationships between and among users is lacking. This leaves users the responsibility to manage privacy for their interpersonal relationships. This research focuses on the following question: How does privacy influence the sharing of personal information in interpersonal relationships on Social networking sites? The management of the sharing of personal information is explained using the Need to Belong theory, psychological contract, and approach-avoidance motivation theory. Individuals\u27 desire to interact Socially and engage in relationships where respect for personal information is implied leads to overcoming concerns over privacy. Three essays address the question of interest. Essay 1 explains that this drive is motivated by a fear of Social exclusion from Social transactions and interpersonal relationships and does not rely on the institutional relationship between a user and the Social media website. Essay 2 uses a Social network analysis lens to describe how the multiplexity of relationships and Social influences (both of the network and the self) influence Social interaction and the sharing of personal information. Essay 3 focuses on explaining how individuals\u27 disposition toward subconscious processes of approach or avoidance motivation influence decisions to share and not share personal information. The implication of these studies is that privacy in a process-oriented context--like Facebook--involves different attitudes and beliefs centered on interpersonal relationships rather than institutional ones

The Impact of Mindfulness on Non-Malicious Spillage within Images on Social Networking Sites

Insider threat by employees in organizations is a problematic issue in today’s fast-paced, internet-driven society. Gone are the days when securing the perimeter of one’s network protected their business. Security threats are now mobile, and employees have the ability to share sensitive business data with hundreds of people instantaneously from mobile devices. While prior research has addressed social networking topics such as trust in relation to information systems, the use of social networking sites, social networking security, and social networking sharing, there is a lack of research in the mindfulness of users who spill sensitive data contained within images posted on social networking sites (SNS). The author seeks to provide an understanding of how non-malicious spillage through images relates to the mindfulness of employees, who are also deemed insiders. Specifically, it explores the relationships between the following variables: mindfulness, proprietary information spillage, and spillage of personally identifiable information (PII). A quasi-experimental study was designed, which was correlational in nature. Individuals were the unit of analysis. A sample population of business managers with SNS accounts were studied. A series of video vignettes were used to measure mindfulness. Surveys were used as a tool to collect and analyze data. There was a positive correlation between non-malicious spillage of sensitive business, both personally identifiable information and proprietary data, and a lack of mindfulness

“People You May (or May Not) Know:” Usage Intensity, Status Motivation, and Intimate Self-Disclosure as Predictors of Bridging Social Capital on Facebook

Drawing on the concept of social capital, this study examines the impact of usage intensity, status motivations, and intimate public self-disclosure on Facebook users’ informational access and feelings of general social support. Survey data collected from a random sample of undergraduate Facebook users (n=583) were used to test several hypotheses predicting perceptions of bridging social capital. A multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model revealed significant positive associations between both Facebook usage intensity and status motivations, and perceptions of bridging social capital, while no significant relationships were found between various forms of intimate self-disclosure in public channels and perceptions of bridging. The findings of this study suggest that strict standards of information sharing exist on Facebook and that users selectively disclose personal information in order to adhere to these norms, supporting the view of social networking sites as diverse online communities that better facilitate the formation and maintenance of casual relationships rather than strong connections among users

Collaboration through Communities of Practice in the Digital Age

This paper aims to describe and explain the role of Communities of Practice (CoPs) as an informal communication mechanism in initiating, improving, and fostering collaboration in the digital age. CoPs play a critical role in the management of shared knowledge and create value for both their members and organizations. The advent of the Internet and specifically the World Wide Web (WWW) has forever changed the means of accessing and sharing data and information. With the inception of Web 2.0 technologies and social-networking sites in recent years, connections and relationships are now not only nurtured and sustained in an online environment, but also established through creating virtual communities. The authors also assert that the inception of Web 2.0 technologies and social-networking sites is a great advancement in providing a rich learning, communication, and collaborative environment, especially through the transfer of tacit knowledge that we take for granted in our face-to-face interactions. These reflections are based on personal communications with members of virtual CoPs and literature on the impact of CoPs on decision-making and knowledge management

Appropriation of privacy management within social networking sites

Social networking sites have emerged as one of the most widely used types of interactive systems, with memberships numbering in the hundreds of millions around the globe. By providing tools for their members to manage an ever-changing set of relationships, social networking sites push a constant expansion of social boundaries. These sites place less emphasis on tools that limit social boundaries to enable privacy. The rapid expansion of online social boundaries has caused privacy shockwaves. Privacy offline is enabled by constraints of time and space. Online, powerful search engines and long term digital storage means private data have no expiration date. Within an online culture of anonymity and fluid self-presentation of identity, social networking sites can be turned into places of perceived safety but with privacy risks that actually extend indefinitely. While these sites do deploy privacy management features, it is not understood how people use social networking sites, how they use privacy management features, and how these two are related. In order to create better privacy mechanisms for social software, designers must first understand how members manage their privacy in the current environment. This dissertation introduces The Social Software Performance Model, which describes relevant factors and their interaction in order to explain patterns of privacy management. The Model is a synthesis of Adaptive Structuration Theory, the Fit Appropriation Model and socio-technical systems theory. Adaptive Structuration Theory attempts to explain appropriation, defined as the process by which people integrate technology into their daily tasks and activities. A central premise of this research is that the appropriation perspective is a valuable lens for teasing apart how members of these sites adopt and adapt privacy management features. Using Adaptive Structuration Theory, this dissertation developed and validated new measures that capture appropriation patterns related to privacy management within social networking sites. The research introduces three independent constructs that measure privacy management appropriation. They are the Use appropriation move, which measures actual use of privacy management features; the Familiarity appropriation move, which measure knowledge of privacy management features; and the Restricted Scope appropriation move, which measures the extent to which members independently limit the scope of their online social network to protect their privacy. Survey data was collected from subjects in two different social networking sites, Facebook and MySpace, and used to evaluate hypotheses developed from The Social Software Performance Model. Using a partial least squares analysis, the research model explained 28.5% of the variance with respect to appropriation of privacy management features. This is a strong result for exploratory research. This research makes a contribution by extending theories to a new context, by applying both the Adaptive Structuration Theory and the Fit Appropriation Model to the use of privacy management in social networking sites. Using types and sub-types of appropriation moves from Adaptive Structuration Theory, new measures were developed and validated. These new measures, with further efforts to establish validity and reliability, can be adapted to understand appropriations for other forms of social software. The main finding of the research is a method to evaluate the effectiveness of different implementations of privacy management within social networking sites. While information system theory has been primarily concerned with systems used in an organizational context, the results of this research shows these theories are relevant to new systems based on social interaction. These new types of social software, generically labeled as Web 2.0, are among the most popular on the Internet. Besides Facebook and MySpace, examples of Web 2.0 include the video sharing site YouTube.com, and the photo sharing site Flickr.com. These sites thrive on intensive social interaction, and are growing in scope and importance. There has been little consensus among researchers as to how to measure the effectiveness of Web 2.0 systems. This lack of consensus presents a strategic opportunity for information systems theory, which has made determinations of effectiveness an important focus. This research has adapted information systems theory to study the effectiveness of privacy management. The development of privacy management has proven to be a difficult problem, and a deeper understanding of its effectiveness is expected to improve the overall design of these systems. By adapting information systems theory to the use of privacy management within social networking sites, this research shows that information systems theory can also be used applied to Web 2.0 applications. This provides a foundation for the further development of methods to measure the effectiveness of additional components within social software

Designing for the commercial exploitation of online identity

In our digital era, social networking sites are becoming increasingly relevant to multiple aspects of individuals’ lives, including personal and professional. A group of professionals who heavily rely on these platforms for commercial purposes is book authors, as they use them to connect with readers and promote their books. In their attempts to establish their professional identities in these platforms, they face multiple challenges that public self- presentation carries. Three studies were conducted for this dissertation giving both qualitative and quantitative insights to the ways authors use social networking sites. The findings resulted in the identification of design opportunities that could facilitate online identity management for commercial purposes. The first study surveyed 103 authors about their attitudes and behaviours regarding information sharing via their professional social networking. It found that authors engage in rich self-presentation concerning multiple life aspects but avoid sharing information of a personal nature. This finding led to the development of Layered Identity Theory that represents all identity aspects, both intimate and non-intimate, as layered with inner layers conveying more personal information. Another practice of authors is the management of multiple accounts in a single platform to support different life aspects. There are also authors who use pen names to avoid links between their author selves and their personally identifiable life aspects when publishing their books and managing their social networking. A novel hybrid self-presentation was identified, as there were authors who reported sharing real information about themselves but alter it to prevent their mass audiences from knowing their real name identities. Multiple challenges could rise for them, such as accidentally sharing content in wrong accounts or revealing personally identifiable information. The second study, an online investigation that was based on observing authors’ behaviours in social networking sites, provided insights about authors’ activities across platforms and the content they generate in the most popular ones. The study verified that authors cover a variety of topics about multiple life aspects, including family and relationship; however their sharing cannot be considered personal. This finding established the relevance of Layered Identity Theory to online information sharing. The study also found that authors form online networks and employ their relationships with other users to further establish their professional identities. At the same time, they use social networking sites for creative purposes, such as feedback collection and direct promotion. Indications that authors’ online identity management conveys underlying tensions were identified and discussed. These tensions involve identity incoherence across platforms, difficulties in managing audiences, blurred profiles, and the possibility of negative involvement of others in their self-presentation. The final study, which comprised of two co-design workshops, explored how authors relate to tensions that were previously identified in the studies conducted. In addition, the workshops uncovered authors’ experiences with other users of social networking sites who were negatively involved with their identity management. Managing multiple accounts in a single platform was confirmed by authors as a challenging activity, whereas sharing multiple life aspects was described as a positive common practice among authors when there is an overall balance in the types of information shared. Interestingly, authors’ motivation for sharing multiple life aspects with their online audiences is their desire to attract large audiences and be discovered by publishing companies. Authors acknowledge the underlying tensions that sharing multiple life aspects could generate, such as attracting audiences not interested in writing. When it comes to others’ involvement in their self- presentation, it was found that despite authors’ attempts to balance boundaries between their professional and other life aspects in social networking sites, the information fluidity that characterises the online world makes their different identities come together. Authors acknowledged not being fully aware of the different features that exist in social networking sites; however they had novel design ideas, such as prioritisation and categorisation of generated content, extra layers of security before content sharing, and greater control over others’ content about them. Overall, the findings of this dissertation reveal that even though social networking sites lack features to fully support authors’ self-presentation, the creativity that characterises this group of professionals allows them to use these platforms in ways that partially fulfil their needs; yet remain challenging and need to be facilitated. The studies conducted suggest that many opportunities rise for them online, such as the development of personal relationships with readers and other authors, despite the fact that their self- presentation is based on carefully planned activities. Moreover, the findings uncover that authors establish a new identity aspect online that is formed using a pen name and slightly altered information from their other identity aspects. By identifying Layered Identity Theory to precisely study information sharing online, hybrid self-presentation, as well as other commercial online practices, underlying tensions, and design recommendations, this dissertation raises considerations that could be used to further investigate the commercial use of social networking sites and design relevant supporting technology

Social networking sites and social capital: An appraisal of Nigerian universities' students

By using Web 2.0, it obviously means that we are interacting, sharing, collaborating and exchanging ideas especially using the SNSs (Social Networking Sites) like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Second Life, NigeriaDotCom, Hi5, Okcut, and thousands of others. Social capital refers to the intangible resources embedded within interpersonal relationships or social institutions. This study aimed in investigating and reported the extent of SNSs usage and its influence on social capital among university students in Nigeria. In a qualitative approach using interview employed on 12 subjects from the scope area. The qualitative results indicated the extent of the influence of SNS usage on social capital among the students in Nigeria. And found SNSs as social norms; information and communication channels academically, politically, religiously and economically

The Unintended Consequences of Social Media on Media-raised Generation

While there are promising benefits to using social media as a tool of productivity and expression, “media-raised” generation needs to understand the truths of social media in order to avoid the unintended consequences that are inherent in its use. One of the first truths about social media is the ability to conveniently enable conversations and sharing of information among targeted audience. However, when social media gets to know its users so well then there should be some cautionary measures that needs to be taken to avoid the unintended consequences. Some teens describe becoming so hooked on online social networking that they check their sites many times a day and spend much of their free time at their computers or on mobile devices initiating relationships with strangers as part of daily practice, interest and simply hanging-out. While introverted teens are typically at risk for Internet obsessions, extroverted teens may be more at risk for a social networking compulsion

The effect of excessive social networking sites on credit overuse behavior through money trust, money anxiety, and money power

The development of social media technology has an impact on the welfare of users but has side effects on communication and behavior when used excessively. Excessive use of social networking sites impacts user behavior in obtaining fast information and sharing information with other users to show their strengths as a personal profile. Data was collected on young adults who made purchases on credit with pay letters as many as 210 users of social media Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The analysis used in the study used Partial Least Square version 4. The research data was obtained by distributing questionnaires via Google Forms. The study results show that excessive SNS use influences money attitudes, including money anxiety, trust, and power. The money trust that users have has an impact on money power. Money attitude affects credit application PayLater overuse behavior. The results showed that money trust did not impact increasing credit application PayLater overuse behavior, while money power and money anxiety influenced credit application PayLater overuse behavior. Research makes a practical contribution for SNS users to continue using it reflectively, so it does not interfere with work activities, family relationships, and the responsible use of money. The theoretical contribution enriches the theory of money behavior, e-payment, and money attitude using social medi