These days, modern technology has had a strong impact on people’s everyday lives. A relatively recent phenomenon in the history of computer-mediated communication (CMC) is the enormously spreading popularity of social network sites (SNSs). A diverse and comparably large amount of CMC takes place on these online social networks in which users have to deal with various communication channels and face new challenges in terms of online privacy. In order to find a balance between the exchange of (private) information and keeping a certain degree of privacy, users need to develop a certain communication and language behavior which this paper is going to study.
In this context, Chapter 2 gives a general overview of basic theoretical knowledge in order to find an approach to the impact of privacy on SNS. It regards the creation of virtual identities and examines the concept of face. Furthermore, the chapter examines the phenomenon of privacy concerns related to CMC in general.
The third chapter of this paper focuses on the topic of SNSs considering its self-contradictory nature more closely. On the one hand, they demand private data in order to attract curiosity and interest. But on the other hand, they lack privacy to a certain degree and have, thus, aroused a huge controversy. Moreover, this chapter features an explanation of the term “friends” and its extraordinary use in a SNS-related context. Finally, the chapter considers a recent study by Lewis et al. (2008: 79-100) which looked at the privacy behavior of students on SNS.
Chapter 4 offers and studies some text type examples which describe and explain the use of both transparent and private SNS communication channels. In this context, it approaches a text type example of a status line, a wall post and a private message. Eventually, it tries to find correlations between the users’ choice of a particular communication channel and the privacy degree of the individual message. Employing these methods, this paper studies the impact of privacy of CMC and related to SNSs in particular. It tries to answer the question how strong privacy concerns affect the SNS communication behavior of individual users.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Concepts of Identity, Face and Privacy in Computer-Mediated Communication
2.1 The Construction of Virtual Identities
2.2 Putting on a Face
2.3 Privacy Concerns
3. Privacy in Social Network Sites
3.1 A Self-Contradictory Issue
3.2 A Note on the Term “Friends”
3.3 The Facebook Case Study
4. The Impact of Privacy on CMC on Social Network Sites
4.1 A Matter of Choosing the Appropriate Channel
4.2 Text Type Examples
4.2.1 Example 1
4.2.2 Example 2
4.2.3 Example 3
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines how concerns regarding online privacy influence the communication and language behavior of users on social network sites (SNSs). It investigates the interplay between the public nature of these platforms and the individual need for privacy, specifically focusing on how users select communication channels based on the sensitivity of their information.
- Theoretical concepts of identity, face, and privacy in computer-mediated communication (CMC).
- The self-contradictory nature of social network sites regarding data collection versus user privacy.
- Empirical insights into privacy behavior through a case study of college students on Facebook.
- Analysis of distinct text types (status lines, wall posts, private messages) and their relation to privacy degrees.
- The role of individual communication channel choices as a reflection of privacy management.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2.1 Example 1
The first example presented in this paper is a status line taken from Facebook: “it feels like i am making a fool of myself sharing this information about the possibility of an earthquake... so, ... if any of you would like to know more, please send me an email, no posting. Thank you Me siento un poco absurda al compartir esta informacion del posible terremoto.. asi que, si alguno de ustedes quisiera mas informacion, porfavor mandame un email, y no postings. Gracias....”
As mentioned above, this text type example is a Facebook status line which implies the chance for the sender’s friends to read her concern. From the nature of this status line, one can conclude that the one-to-many communication channel was chosen on purpose. Particularly, the bilingualism of the message implies an address of numerous people. Furthermore, the person directly speaks to a number of recipients since he/she offer her readers: “if any of you would like to know more (…)”.
Moreover, the author of the status line directly addresses the problem of shared privacy in two different ways. On the one hand, he/she expresses his/her concern about sharing this information. More explicitly, the sender feels uneasy with his/her chosen communication channel, the status line. On the other hand, he/she has already determined the communication channels that the responders to his/her message ought to choose and thus demands a higher privacy level for all future communication related to his/her concern.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the rise of social network sites and the resulting challenges for user privacy and language behavior.
2. The Concepts of Identity, Face and Privacy in Computer-Mediated Communication: Provides a theoretical framework regarding online identity construction, Goffman's concept of face, and general definitions of privacy.
3. Privacy in Social Network Sites: Explores the inherent contradiction of SNSs needing private user data while failing to ensure complete privacy, including a case study on student behavior.
4. The Impact of Privacy on CMC on Social Network Sites: Analyzes how privacy concerns manifest in real-world communication through the examination of specific text types like status lines and private messages.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes that while SNSs offer extensive freedom for identity play, users must navigate significant privacy risks through informed communication channel selection.
Keywords
Social Network Sites, Computer-Mediated Communication, Privacy Paradox, Virtual Identities, Self-Presentation, Face-work, Online Privacy, Facebook, Communication Channels, Data Security, Digital Identity, Language Behavior, Information Control, SNS Usage, Social Media Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this academic paper?
The paper examines the intersection of privacy concerns and communication behavior within social network sites (SNSs), analyzing how users navigate the balance between personal information exchange and privacy preservation.
Which thematic areas are primarily covered?
The work covers theoretical concepts of online identity, the social and legal aspects of privacy in digital environments, the paradox of SNS business models, and the practical application of these concepts in user communication.
What is the central research question?
The primary research goal is to understand how deeply privacy concerns affect the communication behavior of individual users on social network sites and how this is reflected in their choice of interaction channels.
What scientific methods does the author employ?
The author combines a theoretical overview of identity and privacy literature with a qualitative analysis of real-world text type examples (status lines, wall posts, and messages) and references existing survey studies.
What content is discussed in the main body of the text?
The main body focuses on theoretical foundations of identity and face, the specific privacy challenges of platforms like Facebook, and a detailed analysis of how different communication formats influence privacy management.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), social network sites (SNS), virtual identities, the privacy paradox, self-presentation, and communication channel selection.
How does the concept of "identity workshop" apply to this research?
The author uses the "identity workshop" metaphor to describe how online environments allow users to experiment with various roles and identities, which in turn necessitates specific privacy strategies.
What does the Facebook case study reveal about student privacy?
The case study indicates that privacy settings on Facebook are influenced by social factors, such as peer behavior and gender, as well as the user's overall activity level on the platform.
Why are status lines and wall posts considered transparent?
These channels are categorized as transparent because they allow for one-to-many communication and are visible to a wider audience, which fundamentally lowers their degree of privacy compared to private messages.
- Quote paper
- Nico Reiher (Author), 2009, Privacy on social network sites and its impact on computer-mediated communication, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/154916
