See you, see me: Teenagers’ self-disclosure and regret of posting on social network site

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence and interaction of social networks and personality traits on the self-disclosure behavior of social network site (SNS) users. According to social capital theory and the Big Five personality model, the authors hypothesized that social capital factors would affect the accuracy and amount of self-disclosure behavior and that personality traits would moderate this effect. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted to collect data from 207 SNS users. The questionnaire was administered in university classrooms and libraries and via e-mail. The measurement model and structural model were examined by using LISREL 8.8 and SmartPLS 2.0. Findings – Based on the path analysis, the authors identified several interesting patterns to explain self-disclosure behavior on SNSs. First, the centrality of SNS users has a positive effect on their amount of self-disclosure. Moreover, people who are more extroverted disclose personal information that is more accurate with the level of the cognitive dimension held constant and disclose a greater amount of personal information with the level of the structural dimension held constant. From a practical perspective, the results may provide useful insight for companies operating SNSs. Originality/value – This study analyzed the influence of social capital factors on SNS users’ self-disclosure, as well as the interactions between personality and social capital factors. Specifically, the authors examined six important variables of social capital divided into three dimensions. This research complements current research on SNSs by focusing on SNS users’ motivation to disclose self-related information in addition to information sharing.

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“Sharing is Caring”: Online Self-disclosure, Offline Social Support, and Social Network Site Usage in the UAE

Contemporary Review of the Middle East ◽

10.1177/2347798915601574 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 192-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Azza Abdel-Azim Mohamed Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Social Network ◽

Social Network Site ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Network Site

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Social Network Site Use among Dutch Students

Networked Sociability and Individualism ◽

10.4018/978-1-61350-338-6.ch006 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 103-125

Author(s):

Sonja Utz

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Social Interaction ◽

Current Trend ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Social Network Site ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Network Site ◽

Site Use ◽

Over Time

This chapter compares the SNS use of Dutch students across time and platforms. Between 2009 (n = 194) and 2010 (n = 212), many users migrated from Hyves, the hitherto largest Dutch SNS, to Facebook. Comparisons between the two years showed that SNS use remained relatively stable over time; only self-disclosure increased remarkably. However, there were several differences between the platforms. Facebook users were more active, they disclosed more about themselves, but they reacted also more to their friends. There were no effects of time and platform on positive or negative consequences of social interaction on SNS, indicating that the preference for a SNS is more a question of the current trend. In contrast to the assumption that SNS are especially useful to stay in touch with acquaintances, the respondents used them mainly for conversation with close friends. The implications of these findings are discussed.

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The reciprocal effects of social network site use and the disposition for self-disclosure: A longitudinal study

Computers in Human Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.chb.2012.10.002 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 1102-1112 ◽

Cited By ~ 107

Author(s):

Sabine Trepte ◽

Leonard Reinecke

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Reciprocal Effects ◽

Social Network Site ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Network Site ◽

Site Use

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Examining social media usage: Technology clusters and social network site membership

First Monday ◽

10.5210/fm.v14i1.2242 ◽

2008 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Andrew Schrock

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Social Network ◽

Computer Anxiety ◽

Future Research ◽

Social Network Site ◽

Daily Lives ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Media Usage ◽

Network Site ◽

The Social

The popularization of “social media” has raised questions of how and why young people use these various technologies in their daily lives. This exploratory study proposes a classification system based on Rogers’ concept of technology clusters, which posits that likelihood of adoption is based around similar perceived characteristics of a technology or medium. Results from a survey administered to 401 undergraduates at a large southern university indicated that social and non-social technology cluster use is correlated with psychological, affective, and behavioral factors (extroversion, self-disclosure, computer anxiety and self-efficacy). One particularly popular type of “many to many” social media is the social network site (SNS). MySpace members were significantly more likely to use both other many-to-many social technologies as well as one-to-many. Gender differences were also found, as MySpace members were more likely to be female, and females had significantly higher levels of extroversion and self-disclosure. Implications for future research, marketing efforts, and online safety are discussed.

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The Impact of Social Network Site Use on Young Adult Development: Extending the Research Beyond Time Use and Considering the Role of Self-Disclosure Motivations

Psychological Reports ◽

10.1177/00332941211054766 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003329412110547

Author(s):

Karlee J. O’Donnell ◽

Jaimee Stuart ◽

Bonnie L. Barber

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Social Network ◽

Young Adult ◽

Time Use ◽

Self Concept ◽

Social Network Site ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Network Site ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Young adults spend a good deal of time using social network sites (SNSs), and the consequences of this activity have come under considerable scrutiny in research. There is some evidence that SNSs offer a context for young adults to engage in self-disclosure, and that such behavior may contribute to their development. In the current study, self-disclosure motivations were explored as a moderator of the relationship between SNS time use and indicators of adjustment. It was hypothesized that the relationships between SNS time use and three indicators of young adult adjustment (belonging, self-concept clarity, and flourishing) would be moderated by self-disclosure motivations. Data were collected using a cross-sectional survey of 524 young adults aged 17–25 years (Mean age = 19.75; SD = 2.16) who used at least one social network site daily (Mean hours of daily use = 3.25; SD = 1.67). The relationships between SNS time use and both belonging and flourishing were moderated by self-disclosure motivations. Specifically, when participants were low or moderately motivated to self-disclose (for relationship maintenance or self-presentation purposes) SNS time use was negatively related to belonging and flourishing. Whereas when participants were highly motivated to self-disclose there was no significant relationship between SNS time use and belonging and SNS time use and flourishing. Additionally, there was no significant moderation of the relationship between SNS time use and self-concept clarity. Based on these findings, we recommend that in order for young adults to reap potential benefits of spending time online they should endeavor to use SNSs for purposes that promote positive self and relational development.

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