An empirical study on message forwarding on social networking sites: a sample of Vietnamese users

Social network (SN) sites (SNSs) surged recently all over the world and have become new platforms for intimate communications. As the functionality of SNs was enhanced, users’ own information can be collected, stored, and manipulated much more easily. Privacy concerns have thus become the most concerned issue by both users and SN service providers. The service providers intend to maximize the profits and need to consider how users’ confidential information can be fully utilized in marketing and operations. At the same time, users usually concern over the misuse of private information by the website operations at the moment when disclosing individual details on SNSs. Apparently, a significant gap exists between the website operators’ intention to fully utilize the private information as well as the users’ privacy concerns about disclosing information on the SNSs. Such a cognition gap, or the “privacy paradox”, influences users’ trust on a specific SNS directly and further influences users’ acceptance and continuous usage of the sites. In this study, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was introduced as the theoretical basis by applying users’ private disclosure behavior, disclosure risks perception, and the extent of privacy settings in the SNSs as the main variables. In addition, in the past works, researchers found that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and the interaction strength for modern technology services or products influence the use intention. So, these factors were also added as research variables in the analytic model. The Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Based Network Process (DNP) was introduced construct the influence relationships between the variables. The weights being associated with the variables can be derived accordingly. By using the analytic model, the variables which can influence the privacy paradox on user’s trust of SNs can be derived. Such variables and influence relationships can be used in developing the security policies of the SNSs.

Social media, especially social network sites (SNS) such as Facebook have grown rapidly in popularity in the last ten years. [...]

PurposeTikTok, a social media application (app), was originally positioned as a short music video community suitable for young users, and the app is user-generated content (UGC) short video of vertical music. Users can make their own creative videos. Following the rhythm of the music, users can shoot various video content, personal talents, life records, performances, dances, plot interpretations, etc. However, what are the profiles and preferences of TikTok users, whereby the social media app is mainly developed by UGC? What is the impact of TikTok on the development of social media? In addition, what is UGC's social media model for user interactions in social networks? The purpose of this paper is to address and study these proposed issues.Design/methodology/approachAll questionnaire items are designed as nominal and ordinal scales (not Likert scale). The obtained data from questionnaires are put into the relational database (N = 2,011). This empirical study takes Taiwan TikTok users as the research object, implements data mining analytics to generate user profiles through clustering analysis and further uses association rules’ analysis to analyze social media apps in social network interaction and social apps’ development by proposing two patterns and several meaningful rules.FindingsThis study finds that social media apps is a valuable practical research topic on online social media development. In addition, besides the TikTok, the authors eagerly await subsequent research to provide more valuable findings of social media apps in both theory and practice.Originality/valueThis study presents the research evidences that social media apps such as TikTok will be able to transcend the current development pattern of social media and make good use of the media and technology innovation of apps in social development and social informatics.

An empirical study on message forwarding on social networking sites: a sample of Vietnamese users

Predicting the Adoption of Social Media: An Integrated Model and Empirical Study on Facebook Usage

Extract The extent of cognitive response to exposure of university youth to rumors on social networking sites - A field study) Keywords: (rumour, exposure, communication sites, audience, university youth) The research deals with the extent of response or interaction of university youth in their exposure to rumors on social networking sites and its reflection on their cognitive abilities in interpreting the media message, by conducting a survey study on a sample of students of the Faculty of Mass Communication at the Iraqi University. The problem of the study was the dual role played by social networking sites in spreading rumors on the one hand and confronting them on the other. This study is a descriptive study, and the survey method was used on a sample of the Iraqi university youth, by designing a questionnaire form and distributing it to the respondents by (150) individuals as a sample due to the homogeneity of the research community. Represented by the students of the fourth stage in the College of Information / Iraqi University in its three departments Among the most important findings of the study: - the research sample community believes that social networking sites have contributed to amplifying the volume of rumors. - the sample community believes that the program that contributes most to spreading rumors is the (Facebook) program. - the respondents see that one of the ways to confront rumors is to impose a kind of censorship on social networking sites.

Nowadays, Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have attracted billions of users all around the world. In Vietnam, SNSs become more and more familiar with Vietnamese people and Facebook is the most popular SNS. Social Capital is an important term in the study and social behavior, an important sector in the major universities of the world. However, Social Capital is still very vague concept, not only for citizens but also for policy makers in Vietnam. There are a few of studies have examined the impact of SNSs to Social Capital and Knowledge Sharing through word of mouth in environment of SNSs (e-WOM) in Vietnam. Based on previous research model, this research examines whether the intensity of using SNSs has a positive impact on users’ Social Capital, Knowledge Sharing and e-WOM. A survey was conducted with Facebook users in Vietnam. The regression analysis was utilized to examine the nine main hypotheses through a questionnaire designed which is based on the Likert five-point scale. The results show that the intensity of using SNSs raise the Trust and Identification dimension of Social Capital, especially the Trust, and these dimensions have positive effects to e-WOM Quality on SNSs. It also finds out that the e-WOM Quality impacts positively on Knowledge Sharing through SNSs environment in the context of Vietnam.

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) are commonly used to communicate and connect with people across physical boundaries all over the world. Beyond that, SNSs have become public platforms that are increasingly used for extensive self-disclosure. Disclosing the self on the Internet can entail beneficial outcomes such as getting appreciation or social support. Strikingly, self-disclosure on SNSs can cause privacy risks and negative outcomes, affecting different dimensions of people’s privacy, as well. From an interdisciplinary perspective, this work addresses the threat to people’s privacy in the ubiquitous and heterogeneous online world. Specifically, this dissertation examines possibilities of empowering users with regard to online privacy protection through utilizing technical privacy interventions, which are communicating current privacy risks to the users. Accordingly, users’ privacy needs, personal characteristics, and situational motivations to disclose or withdraw the self are considered. Taken together, this work investigated the impact of technical privacy interventions on users’ actual privacy behavior under the consideration of intrapersonal factors by means of four empirical studies. Users’ self-disclosure and self-withdrawal behavior on SNSs as well as their individual needs and requirements for technical privacy interventions were explored qualitatively in Study 1. A paradoxical relation between users’ desire for privacy and their mistrust in technical privacy interventions was revealed. In sum, Study 1 functioned as fruitful basis for the following studies that further investigated the qualitative findings regarding users’ privacy behavior and needs. Study 2 quantitatively assessed users’ attitudes toward an opting-out measure (super-logoff; i.e. self-withdrawal), concrete motives for opting-out (which revealed to be avoidance of pressure, protection from personal attacks, and avoidance of distraction), and their behavioral intention to opt-out. Data demonstrated positive relations between the intention to opt-out and each, corresponding attitudes, intentions, amount of self-disclosure, privacy concerns, and impression management motivation. Through an experimental study (Study 3), users’ actual privacy behavior was investigated within a non-artificial SNS environment after being exposed to persuasive privacy prompts either in a consensual or in an authoritarian style of communication (with varying degree of provided information within the prompts). The presence of persuasive privacy prompts was related to data parismony of participants. Persuasive interventions in a consensual style were more effective if less (compared to more) information was provided within the prompt, whereas the impact of interventions in an authoritarian style did not differ regarding high and low amount of information. Study 4 provided further evidence for the findings of Study 3 through showing that improved persuasive privacy interventions in a consensual style with a moderate amount of information and dynamic adaptation to the current privacy level (i.e. change in color of the privacy intervention depending on the amount of disclosed information) in an SNS environment was positively related to information withdrawal. Study 4 further demonstrated that for privacy-related decision-making (i.e. privacy calculus), the anticipated severity of a negative consequence of disclosing the self is a more decisive factor than the likelihood of its occurrence and anticipated benefits of self-disclosure. In both, Study 3 and Study 4, privacy behavior itself was influenced by specific intrapersonal factors whereas the impact of the privacy intervention was not influenced by individual characteristics. Overall, findings partly contradict prior research but provide valuable practical implications indicating that technical privacy interventions for online environments should focus on risk-communication through transmitting basic information regarding potential consequences of self-disclosure in a consensual style of communication. This dissertation contributes to the research field of online privacy by providing actual behavioral data as a response to technical privacy interventions that were designed alongside user requirements (derived from Study 1), and further investigated quantitatively with respect to intrapersonal factors. In addition, insights into the black box of the privacy calculus (Culnan & Armstrong, 1999), stressing the relevance of the severity of negative outcomes related to self-disclosure, are revealed. The findings of four empirical studies are discussed by drawing on the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991), the protection motivation theory (Rogers, 1975) and the privacy calculus (Culnan & Armstrong, 1999). In sum, this work reflects on the promising opportunities of utilizing technical measures for protecting users’ individual online privacy but also on its challenges with regard to the maintenance of users’ autonomy and self-determined – but privacy-aware – behavior.

The purpose of this study is to explore the experience of the consultant’s usage on social-network and the subsequent decisions made To this end, the following four issues will be the focus of this research: the motivation and current state of the consultant’s usage on social networking sites; the consultant’s personal decision-making considerations on social networking sites; the challenges faced by the consultant on social networking sites; the consultant’s perspective on “the usage on social networking Accordingly, the research methods used will be purposive sampling and semi-structured in-depth interviews. First, six consultants would be invited to participate in the research on the usage for social networking sites. Next, the data collected through interviews would be organized, summarized and analyzed with grounded theory. Finally, the results of the study will be discussed comprehensively. Interviewee responses to the research questions: 1.The motivation and current state of the consultant’s usage on social networking The motivation for the respondents to apply for a social networking site is to interact with friends. The current state of the respondents’ usage on social networking can be summarized as follows: respondents who have long term experience in social networking will have more than one personal site; the direction of writing and the presentation of content, will be affected by the features of social networking sites, which also affects the relationship with the audience. Furthermore, the micro-blog type community site has become an integral part of the respondents’ lives. 2.Consultant’s personal decision-making considerations on the usage on social networking There are several considerations that factor into the consultants’ decisions when using the social networking sites: openness of the community site itself, ease of to spreading on the network, convenience for browsing, privacy of their own and others, personal confidentiality and protection of personal rights and interests. Furthermore, the potential ability of social networking to influence others is an important consideration for consultants due to their roles and responsibilities. 3.The challenges faced by the consultants on social networking (A)Respondents experienced negative emotions after prying into certain cases on social networking out of curiosity. (B)Respondents with the aforementioned experience tend to readjust their perspective and actions on social networking sites. 4.The consultant’s perspective on “the usage on social networking sites (A)Consultants should not be denied the right to use social networking due to their profession. However, consultants should use such with professional integrity. (B)The ability of consultants to understand the purpose of using social networking and the information to be conveyed would enable them to have a clear concept of appropriate message content. (C)Consultants would be able to avoid posting inappropriate messages on social networking if they have a good sense of self-awareness, and are able to reflect and assess the issue on hand. (D)Consultants need to pay attention to the content of messages on community websites as they have no control over the audiences’ interpretation of it. (E)Consultants should remain professional on social networking and this includes refraining from criticisms and inferences. Discoveries derived from analysis of the interview data: 1.Psychology consultants deem that social networking have become an interactive tool that is indispensable in both life and work 2.Psychology consultants’ value of individual privacy and are conscious of their input on social networking site. 3.Psychology consultants create an identity and role for themselves through the Internet and social networking 4.Psychology consultants are affected by their professional role and ethics responsibilities when using social networking sites. 5.Psychology consultants tend to be concerned over how individuals perceive the information they posted on social networking sites. 6.Psychology consultants believe that their messages on social networking may subconsciously affect the discussion on these sites. 7.Psychology consultants are influenced by their training in ethics and this makes them extra cautious when using social networking sites. 8.Psychology consultants tend to attempt to separate the “professional” and the “personal” on social networking sites. The following conclusion can be drawn from the above research and analysis of the results: 1.Recommendations for consultants (A)The importance of the effects of personal network-related messages on the consultant’s profession, work and case relationship (B)The intention usage, and function of social networking requires care and consideration. (C)In cases of ethical dilemma, consultants should seek advice and discussion with other professionals. 2.Recommendations for consultants’ training programs (A)Inclusion of Internet knowledge in training programs so consultants are familiar with its potential. (B)There should be a focus on the ethics training of consultants. 3.Recommendations for the future research (A)Public opinion on consultants’ usage of social networking sites. Consultants’ years of service can be included as a factor in the study.

As Social Network Sites (SNS) permeate our daily routines, the question whether participation results in value for SNS users becomes particularly acute. This study adopts a 'participation-source-outcome' perspective to explore how distinct uses of SNS generate various types of social capital benefits. Building on existing research, extensive qualitative findings and an empirical study with 253 Facebook users, we uncover the process of social capital formation on SNS. We find that even though active communication is an important prerequisite, it is the diversified network structure and the increased social connectedness that are responsible for the attainment of the four benefits of social capital on SNS: emotional support, networking value, horizon broadening and offline participation. Moreover, we propose and validate scales to measure social capital benefits in the novel context of SNS.

Purpose - This study analyzed the characteristics of social networking sites (SNSs) using related literatures, and researched the models discussed in precedent studies, to investigate the effects of SNS characteristics upon consumers’awareness, purchase intention, and recommendation. The purpose of the study was to investigate the use of SNSs as a marketing tool. Design, methodology, and approach - For an empirical analysis, the author distributed questionnaires online and offline, to verify the models and hypotheses. Respondents were persons aged 17 or older, who were frequent users of SNSs. The questionnaire survey was conducted for 11 days from September 30, 2013 to October 10, 2013. The author distributed 450 copies and received 430 responses. Finally, 412 copies were used for the analysis after excluding 18 copies having poor answers. Results – The findings about SNS users' behavior could be used as material in the future use of SNS as a marketing tool. Further, the study provided not only theories about SNS characteristics, but also variables and items that were verified during the empirical study. Conclusions – Further studies are needed to overcome the limitations and to establish various kinds of SNS marketing strategies in detail.

In recent years, the emergence of social networking sites (SNSs) like, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and MySpace are changing the lives of the human beings. Human beings at a professional and personal level are taking notice of the phenomenal growth of SNSs and are developing new tactics to take advantage of them. The purpose of this research paper is to understand the perception of individuals towards these professionals and personal social networking sites and to what extent they serve the purpose of joining them. The question which is being asked and explored in this paper is whether the ideals and conventions for the social and professional networking sites are different or the same? To what extent are these SNSs are somewhat overlapping in serving the desired needs and objectives with which they have been joined by the individuals. Extended focus of this research is also on understanding how classes of various age groups and gender are using various SNSs across the globe. Finally, we will discuss how research in the SNSs can benefit from this conceptualisation of online social presence and spell out the practical implications.

During the past few years, hundreds of thousands of Danes have created personal profiles on websites such as Arto, Facebook and MySpace. With the emergence and popularisation of these sites, we have witnessed a new media concept: social network(ing) sites. As is often the case with new media, teenagers have been the first to take social network sites to heart. In this paper I discuss the concept of online social networking and describe how social network sites are used as part of everyday teenage life to maintain social relations. I do this, firstly, by presenting a number of concepts that I consider to be important in relation to young people's use of social network sites. Secondly, I highlight some results from my own research on 12-18-year-old children and adolescents’ use of various social network sites, including Arto.com, which has been Danish teenagers’ preferred venue on the Internet for a relatively long time. Using empirical examples, I analyse and discuss how social network sites are an integral part of the young users' friendships and social lives. The article is based on four years of ethnographic studies.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technology has generated a new dynamic that empowers the advertising business and social networking environment. In terms of convenience, consumers benefit from the generation of customized ad content through their activities on social network sites (SNS). However, concerns about data privacy and impaired well-being remain, notably in relation to Generation Z consumers, who are considered tech-savvy, narcissistically-oriented, and vulnerable in their SNS usage. Drawing on cognitive dissonance theory, we show how a dilemma of convenience vs. privacy drives their technology dissonance and their dependence on SNS. Our empirical study in the US demonstrates the trade-off between convenience and privacy that results from the customizability of technology, the opposite functions of these facets in technology dissonance, and the negative impact on SNS dependence. When the key role of the ego in the dissonance in Generation Z’s SNS behavior is recognized, vulnerable narcissism is found to show nuances of psychological dissonance induced by privacy concerns. Our findings enhance the discussion on the customizability of AI-enabled technology by indicating how advertisers can improve targeted marketing and ensure the well-being of Generation Z consumers.

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to describe the usage of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) by the faculty members of the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), at the College of Basic Education, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), Kuwait.Design/methodology/approach– A survey conducted to collect data from 33 faculty members of whom only 21 members were using SNSs, representing 63.6 per cent of the total sample, and 12 members were not using SNSs, representing 36.4 per cent of the total sample. This study revealed that SNSs are used moderately by the faculty members.Findings– This study showed that faculty members who were using SNSs tend to be males, aged between 41 and 50 years, PhD holders, ranked as assistant professors, full-time members, specialized in information technologies with a relatively new experience of teaching ranged from one to five years, and most of the faculty members who were not using SNSs tended to be also males, aged between 41 and 60 years, PhD holders, ranked as lecturers, full-time members specialized in organization of information with a teaching experience ranged from 16 to 20 years. More than half of the faculty members were using SNSs for three years to less than six years, and a large number of them were using SNSs several times a week and were accessing these sites more from their school office, home and school laboratory. There are no any statistical significant differences between the demographic data of participants (gender, age and education level) and either their use or non-use of SNSs. There are no significant differences between the academic rank, teaching status and teaching experience of faculty and their use of SNSs. However, there is a significant relation between the faculty’s area of teaching and their use of SNSs. Faculty members were interested in the use of SNSs. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and blogs respectively were used mostly by faculty members, but Twitter, Facebook and YouTube were the most famous SNSs they have profiles on. Faculty members have adopted SNSs mainly for the purpose of communicating with others, finding and sharing information with peers and students as well. Tasks on SNSs made by faculty members were mostly to make communication, send/receive messages and find general and specific information. Faculty members’ profiles on SNSs were mostly on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, wikis and podcasting respectively. Faculty members confirmed that the use of YouTube, Facebook, blogs, Twitter, wikis and podcasting respectively was at least effective and the use of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and Wikis respectively was at least fairly useful fairly easy to them. Faculty members are in general agreement about the effectiveness of SNSs especially for disseminating and sharing information, communication and informal collaboration. The study showed also that there is no gender-related difference among the faculty in terms of their usage of SNSs. The study revealed also that the time was the most important barrier both SNSs users and non-users faced at PAAET’s SLIS. Other barriers like trust about SNSs, training and skills were significant to SNSs users in this study, and barriers like interests in SNSs, awareness of them and trust about them were respectively the most important barriers to SNSs non-users. The study recommended that a further research is needed to examine more additional aspects of using SNSs among faculty members that may affect their use like the technical, legal, ethical and intellectual aspects. More information is needed to investigate why some faculty members do not use SNSs especially for educational purposes. A qualitative study of the perception and opinions of faculty members would provide much important data about that. A further research is also needed to specify the relation between the use of these sites and each area of study separately. Due to the lack of awareness and knowledge about the use of SNSs, shortage of language skills and training, this study recommended that SNSs non-users should be provided with necessary assistance to foster their skills towards such usage. A future study is needed to compare experiences of faculty members and students regarding the use of SNSs in educational practices and may look at how communicational uses of these sites have influenced educational uses.Research limitations/implications– This study involved a single and certain academic institution, namely PAAET. Therefore, findings, conclusions and recommendations may not be applicable and reasonable to be generalized on all Kuwaiti academic institutions.Social implications– This paper provides valuable insight into the usage of SNSs by a very important client group.Originality/value– This study is the first one of its kind conducted about the usage of SNSs by faculty members at a library school of one of the two public academic institutions in the state of Kuwait to examine and investigate more specific information about SNSs and related innovative topics.