Social Media and Consumer Culture: Addicted to the Idealized Consumer

For better or for worse, social media has become party of the fabric of society. As technology and social networking sites increasingly affect the behavior and culture around us, signs of digital addiction are on the rise. This article discusses the connection between consumer culture and social networking site addiction

Social Networking Websites and Posting Personal Information: An Evaluation of Protection Motivation Theory

The popularity of social networking websites among Internet users continues to grow, even though social networking remains a risk for users who do not participate with caution. Using protection motivation theory (PMT) as a theoretical lens to provide a research model, and by issuing a fear appeal to social network users about the potential threat to their privacy, this study identified perceptions and beliefs held by users that influence their behavioral responses to the imposed threats. A snowball sample survey measuring the variables conceptualized by PMT was completed by 522 social network users. A time-ordered hierarchical regression analysis of the responses showed that PMT provides explanations for both adaptive and maladaptive responses, particularly for the response of hopelessness. Implications and directions for future research in this area are offered

Do social networking website have an implication on millenial´s academic and/or occupational performance?

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementThe purpose of this paper is to identify if there are any implications of Social Networking Website use on academic and/or occupational performance given the staggering number of users of such platforms. An online survey assessed the proposed determinants of Social Networking Websites (SNW) Addiction and if it has any repercussions on the user’s academic and/or occupational performance. The collected data (n=451) includes respondents of the Millennial generation from the U.S.A. and Europe, Portugal being the example. The results support some relationships of the proposed model, such as Diminished Impulse Control and Escapism explain SNW Addiction in USA context. In Eurepean context the drivers of SNW Addiction are Diminished Impulse Control and Self-Identity. The role of SNW Addiction in predicting Diminished Performance (Academic/Occupational) is confirmed in both regions. Diminished Impulse Control was the most important factor in determining Social Networking Website Addiction

Potential Threats of Information Disclosure in Social Media: a Systematic Literature Review

Along with the growth of social media, a variety of potential threats to users is also increasing. These kinds of threats often occur because the users accidentally or unknowingly disclose their information or identity on social media. Threats resulted from the disclosure of information are needed to be known so that the users can understand the risks that arise and take precautions. This research was aimed to summarize the potential threats arising from the information disclosure in social media. The research method used was a systematic literature review to explore and summarize the literatures that discuss the specific topic. The research results show that the potential threats are mostly social threats and identity theft

Munchausen by internet: current research and future directions.

The Internet has revolutionized the health world, enabling self-diagnosis and online support to take place irrespective of time or location. Alongside the positive aspects for an individual's health from making use of the Internet, debate has intensified on how the increasing use of Web technology might have a negative impact on patients, caregivers, and practitioners. One such negative health-related behavior is Munchausen by Internet

Self-Disclosure on Social Networking Sites

This study aims to show that the intention to disclose information is similar but not equivalent to the intention to use social networking sites. Several factors that were not shown to have an impact on intention to use but were shown to have an impact on intention to disclose information were the consumer’s emotional stability and agreeableness. Also several factors that have been shown to impact a consumer’s perceived risk, perceived benefit, and trust for different scenarios were tested

Integrating Technology Addiction and Use: An Empirical Investigation of Facebook Users

The purpose of this study was to conceptually replicate the model proposed by Turel, Serenko, and Giles (2011) in the new context of social networking websites. For this, the original instrument was adapted, data from 186 social networking website users were collected, and the model was analyzed by means of Partial Least Squares (PLS). The results supported the ideas advanced in the original study and show that addiction distorts user perceptions of usefulness and enjoyment attributed to the system, which in turn, influence behavioral usage intentions. In contrast to study 2 in the original paper, and in line with study 1 in the original paper, no relationship between addiction and perceived ease of use was observed. Comparing central tendencies across studies, it seems that users of social networking websites are more likely to exhibit technology addiction symptoms than users of online auction websites. The results ultimately imply that context matters in technology addiction research since it can alter some aspects of the measurement model, nomological network, and construct means

How does risk mediate the ability of adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live a normal life by using the Internet?

The focus of this position paper is Internet use by adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Drawing on existing literature in the field we will identify problems with and gaps in the current research. Our review is framed by three main questions: What constitutes a ‘normal’ life for adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities? What constitutes ‘normal’ use of the Internet for adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities? How does risk mediate the ability of adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live a normal life by using the Internet? The key focus of this review is the complex relationship between adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those providing support; how they negotiate access to and use of the Internet and how perceptions regarding risk and normalcy mediate this negotiation. As a result of this review will argue that identified gaps and problems in the research field need to be addressed by expanding both methodological and conceptual approaches. In particular we will propose the need for more in-depth qualitative research that is inclusive in nature. We will also propose that an adapted positive risk-taking framework might be useful in framing the design, implementation and analysis of future research

Factors influencing the use of privacy settings in location-based social networks

The growth of location-based social networks (LBSN) such as Facebook and Twitter has been rapid in recent years. In LBSNs, users provide location information on public profiles that potentially can be used in harmful ways. LBSNs have privacy settings that allow users to control the privacy level of their profiles, thus limiting access to location information by other users; but for various reasons users seldom make use of them. Using the protection motivation theory (PMT) as a theoretical lens, this dissertation examines whether users can be encouraged to use LBSN privacy settings through fear appeals. Fear appeals have been used in various studies to arouse fear in users, in order to motivate them to comply to an adaptive behaviour through the threat of impending danger. However, within the context of social networking, it is not yet clear how fear-inducing arguments will ultimately influence the use of privacy settings by users. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of fear appeals on user compliance, with recommendations to enact the use of privacy settings toward the alleviation of privacy threats. Using a survey methodology, 248 social-network users completed an instrument measuring the variables conceptualized by PMT. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the validity and reliability, and to analyze the data. Analysis of the responses show that PMT provides an explanation for the intention to use privacy settings by social-network users. Risk susceptibility, response efficacy, self-efficacy and response cost were found to have a positive impact on the intention to use privacy settings, while sharing benefits and maladaptive behaviours were found to have a negative impact on the intention to use privacy settings. However, risk severity and fear were not found to be significant predictors of the intention to use privacy settings. This study contributes to existing research on PMT in a sense that fear appeal should focus more on coping appraisal, rather than on threat appraisal which is consistent with the results of most studies on protection motivation