TRANSFORMATION OF SECRECY AND PRIVACY: SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIOR OF TURKISH AND KYRGYZ STUDENTS

Abstract

In this study, an effort will be made to show how social network users manage the issue of personal secrecy and privacy, how they view the matter of others’ personal secrecy and privacy, and especially the issue of one’s privacy being learned by someone else with the help of social networks in the digitalizing society. In the study, a survey was used as the data collection tool based on the quantitative approach. Survey questions consisted of the measures of individuals’ social networking behaviors and attitudes, the demographics category, and the level of privacy and secrecy scale. The data obtained from participating university students in Kyrgyzstan and Turkey were analyzed statistically. Accordingly, the biggest sources of anxiety for students on the Internet were viruses, identity theft and hackers. Females’ level of anxiety and concern in social media was higher than that of male students. Turkish students were observed to pay more respect for personal information, legal privacy and security of Internet sites on social media platforms than Kyrgyz students. In terms of privacy behavior, Turkish students were found to be more open than Kyrgyz students. On the other hand, Kyrgyz students tended to hide their true identity more in social media.