scholarly journals Risky eBusiness: An Examination of Risk-taking, Online Disclosiveness, and Cyberstalking Victimization

Author(s):  
Andrew Welsh ◽  
Jennifer A. A. Lavoie

The expansion of online social networking sites and the relative accessibility to personal information provided by these sites has raised concerns about the risks for a variety of negative experiences, including cyberstalking. The present study investigated whether the theoretical concepts of Routine Activities Theory (RAT) could account for patterns of cyberstalking victimization among social networking site users. The study employed a self-report survey design using a convenience sample of 321 female undergraduate students. RAT was operationalized in the cyber context by measuring the level of online disclosure, frequency of internet use (online exposure) and general proclivity for risk-taking behaviours among participants. Personal experiences of cyberstalking were also assessed. Analyses specifically examined the relationship between RAT variables and cyberstalking outcomes and the extent to which a specific form of guardianship, online disclosiveness, served as a mediator between online activities and the risk for victimization. Online exposure and a proclivity for social risk-taking were associated with cyberstalking victimization. Levels of online disclosure demonstrated a direct positive impact on cyberstalking victimization, however our findings elucidating the role of online disclosure as a guardianship effort mediating the effects of exposure on cyberstalking victimization were mixed.

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 577
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Alblwi ◽  
Dena Al-Thani ◽  
John McAlaney ◽  
Raian Ali

Procrastination refers to the voluntary avoidance or postponement of action that needs to be taken, that results in negative consequences such as low academic performance, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Previous work has demonstrated the role of social networking site (SNS) design in users’ procrastination and revealed several types of procrastination on SNS. In this work, we propose a method to combat procrastination on SNS (D-Crastinate). We present the theories and approaches that informed the design of D-Crastinate method and its stages. The method is meant to help users to identify the type of procrastination they experience and the SNS features that contribute to that procrastination. Then, based on the results of this phase, a set of customised countermeasures are suggested for each user with guidelines on how to apply them. To evaluate our D-Crastinate method, we utilised a mixed-method approach that included a focus group, diary study and survey. We evaluate the method in terms of its clarity, coverage, efficiency, acceptance and whether it helps to increase users’ consciousness and management of their own procrastination. The evaluation study involved participants who self-declared that they frequently procrastinate on SNS. The results showed a positive impact of D-Crastinate in increasing participants’ awareness and control over their procrastination and, hence, enhancing their digital wellbeing.


Author(s):  
Vincenzo Corvello ◽  
Mariacristina Chimenti ◽  
Carlo Giglio ◽  
Saverino Verteramo

Scientific social networking sites like Researchgate or Academia.edu have become part of the work practice of academic researchers. These digital platforms have been designed precisely to encourage the exchange of knowledge between scholars and to help the expansion of collaborative networks among them. Even if studies on this topic have multiplied in recent years, there is a dearth of research on the actual impact of these platforms on scientific production. The goal of this study is to investigate the relation between the attitude of researchers towards scientific social networks and the use of knowledge in their scientific work. Data from users of the scientific social networking site Researchgate were collected. A total of 143 valid responses were received and structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis. Findings of this study confirmed that researchers use knowledge obtained from scientific social networking sites both incorporating it within their research products and to acquire new competences. In particular approaching the platform as a scientific community with a shared language and a shared vision was found to have a positive impact on knowledge use. To the best knowledge of the authors this is the first study investigating the actual use of knowledge from scientific social networking sites by academic researchers. Results help to understand the impact of these platforms on the work practice of a strategic sector like scientific research.


2018 ◽  
Vol I (I) ◽  
pp. 26-31
Author(s):  
Javeria Nazeer ◽  
Muhammad Farooq

In recent era, Social networking sites (SNSs) have become an important source of communication and also became a matter of interest for researchers in several disciplines such as communications, technology and sociology. As SNSs are spreading rapidly, new issues regarding privacy and security are also raising. These Social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter etc. often reveal private data through the enclosure of public profiles, photographs, videos and messages send to the family, friends and general public. That is why the researcher is concerned to investigate the impact of Social networking sites (SNSs) on human basic privacy rights. As it was not possible to conduct a survey in complete population, therefore sample of 250 respondents (50% males & 50% females) was selected from different universities and colleges of Lahore, city of Pakistan. In the process of survey, questionnaire technique has been used to obtain the quantitative data. The findings revealed that Social Networking Sites significantly violate the human basic privacy rights. Majority of the respondents were of the view that privacy rights are harmed by SNSs. 10.4% respondents were strongly disagreeing about the statement that Facebook privacy is a real problem, 18.0% were disagree, 20.4% were neutral about the problem while 38.4% said they are agreed and 12.8% were strongly agree. The results also suggested that social networking sites leak personal data and also become a reason for disclosure of personal information. Hence, it is necessary when a user involves in the Social networking site he/she should be aware and vigilant of the privacy and security risks.


2014 ◽  
pp. 992-1012
Author(s):  
Teresa Correa ◽  
Ingrid Bachmann ◽  
Amber W. Hinsley ◽  
Homero Gil de Zúñiga

Research on digital media has mostly paid attention to users' demographics, motivations, and efficacy, but with increasingly popular web tools like social media, it is important to study more stable psychological characteristics such as users' personality traits, as they may significantly affect how people use the Web to communicate and socialize. Relying on the “Big Five Framework” as a theoretical approach, this chapter explores such relationships. Survey data from a national sample of U.S. adults show that more extraverted people are more likely to use social networking sites, instant messaging, and video chats, while those more open to new experiences tend to use social networking sites more frequently. Also, emotional stability is a negative predictor of social networking site use. That is, individuals who are more anxious and unstable tend to rely on these sites. When looking at a specific use of social media–to create political content—emotional stability was a negative predictor, whereas extraversion had a positive impact. These findings confirm the usefulness of combining explorations of personality and digital media usage.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Zhichao Cheng ◽  
Yang Pan ◽  
Yuan Ni

We examined how orientation of self-determination affects the use of online self-presentation strategies among social networking site users. Participants were 374 young adult WeChat users (age range = 18–22 years; 166 men, 208 women) who completed the self-report measures of the General Causality Orientations Scale and the Online Interpersonal Communication Strategies Scale. The results indicated that an autonomy orientation of self-determination was positively related to the use of automatic ingratiation strategies; a controlled orientation of self-determination was the most active motivational orientation and was related to the use of the online self-presentation strategies of ingratiation, self-promotion, exemplification, and supplication; and an impersonal orientation of self-determination was primarily associated with use of the supplication strategy of self-presentation. These novel insights regarding self-determination could help to explain individual differences in online self-presentation.


Author(s):  
Roberto Marmo

Social engineering is a process that cyber criminals use to psychologically manipulate an unsuspecting person into divulging sensitive details. Social engineering is an extremely powerful tool that can be deployed to exploit the human's element of security and inherently psychological manipulation. According to a security industry survey, social engineering tops the list of the 10 most popular hacking methods. The first step in any social engineering attack is to collect information about the attacker's target. A social networking site is an online platform that allows users to create a public profile and interact with other users on the website. They are also a hotbed for social engineering cyber attacks to personal information; they are a relevant source of wealth of personal and organisational information that can be found within these social environments. This article defines social engineering and some techniques of social engineering attacks based on social networking sites, drawbacks on a users' privacy, and arising implications.


Author(s):  
Teresa Correa ◽  
Ingrid Bachmann ◽  
Amber W. Hinsley ◽  
Homero Gil de Zúñiga

Research on digital media has mostly paid attention to users’ demographics, motivations, and efficacy, but with increasingly popular web tools like social media, it is important to study more stable psychological characteristics such as users’ personality traits, as they may significantly affect how people use the Web to communicate and socialize. Relying on the “Big Five Framework” as a theoretical approach, this chapter explores such relationships. Survey data from a national sample of U.S. adults show that more extraverted people are more likely to use social networking sites, instant messaging, and video chats, while those more open to new experiences tend to use social networking sites more frequently. Also, emotional stability is a negative predictor of social networking site use. That is, individuals who are more anxious and unstable tend to rely on these sites. When looking at a specific use of social media–to create political content—emotional stability was a negative predictor, whereas extraversion had a positive impact. These findings confirm the usefulness of combining explorations of personality and digital media usage.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9732
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Corvello ◽  
Maria Cristina Chimenti ◽  
Carlo Giglio ◽  
Saverino Verteramo

Scientific social networking sites like ResearchGate or Academia.edu have become part of the work practice of academic researchers. These digital platforms have been designed precisely to encourage the exchange of knowledge between scholars and to help the expansion of collaborative networks among them. Even if studies on this topic have multiplied in recent years, there is a dearth of research on the actual impact of these platforms on scientific production. The goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between the attitude of researchers towards scientific social networks and the use of knowledge in their scientific work. Data from users of the scientific social networking site ResearchGate were collected. A total of 143 valid responses were received and structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis. Findings of this study confirmed that researchers use knowledge obtained from scientific social networking sites both incorporating it within their research products and to acquire new competences. In particular approaching the platform as a scientific community with a shared language and a shared vision was found to have a positive impact on knowledge use. To the best knowledge of the authors this is the first study investigating the actual use of knowledge from scientific social networking sites by academic researchers. Results help us to understand the impact of these platforms on the work practice of a strategic sector like scientific research.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630511770440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Santarossa ◽  
Sarah J. Woodruff

The aim of this study was to investigate whether problematic social networking site (SNS) use (i.e., degree of dependent relationship with SNSs), total SNS time/day, total SNS friends, and specific SNS activities were related to body image (BI), self-esteem (SE), and eating disorder (ED) symptoms/concerns. A sample of young adults ( N = 147) completed an online survey which measured SNS usage, problematic SNS use, BI, SE, and ED symptom/concerns. The findings revealed that females and males spent 4.1 ± 3.9 and 2.9 ± 2.8 hr on SNS, respectively, with the majority of time spent lurking (i.e., looking at another users’ profile but not actually communicating with them). Furthermore, problematic SNS use was found to be related to BI, SE, and ED symptoms/concerns. Moreover, SNS activities, such as lurking and posting comments on others’ profiles, were found to be related to BI, whereas SNS total time was found to be related to ED symptoms/concerns. Overall, this study demonstrates the possible correlational influence of SNSs on BI, SE, and ED symptoms/concerns.


Author(s):  
Anastasiia Zerkal ◽  
◽  
Viktoriia Holomb ◽  

The article considers the peculiarities of the formation of marketing communication strategies of the enterprise in terms of digitalization of the economy. The main directions of mass media in the twentieth century are determined and the delimitation of modern social media is presented. The conditions of compliance of the website have been determined so that it can be considered as a part of web 2.0: the ability to independently contribute to the content of the site; User control of your own information and website design -interactive and useful. The influence of digital and mobile technologies on the peculiarities of users' communication, as well as their attitude to the interactivity of social networks is proved. The potential of social networks to support their brands, increase the customer base and promote goods and services of enterprises has been identified. It is determined that due to its popularity, social networking sites have had a significant impact on ways of social communication and as a result have changed the sales channels of enterprises. It is estimated that the number of people using social networks is growing very fast, and at the time of writing, more than 2.62 billion people are using social networking sites. The largest social networks were analyzed: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram. Their features and advantages for both users and professional marketers of enterprises are determined. It is estimated that in 2021, 71% of the total number of Internet users were users of social networks, and this percentage is projected to increase. The most popular activity among Internet users is social networking, and it has a high level of user engagement, which has a positive impact on the sales of businesses that work with digital marketing tools. The ease and low cost of Internet marketing compared to conventional advertising has proven that businesses in all sectors of the economy can more effectively reach their target audience, and social networks help influence other potential customers, and allow businesses to get useful feedback on their product or service. Ultimately, this leads to improved products / services and customer engagement, ie improves the company's marketing communication strategies in today's digital economy.


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