My mom's on Facebook: an evaluation of information sharing depth in social networking

Abstract

Information sharing in social networking sites (SNSs) provides users the opportunity to maintain relationships and express themselves. However, users share information with a heterogeneous audience with varied expectations. As a result, various social spheres may influence the information individuals share or their decision to share at all. The current research describes dimensions of information in terms of horizontal and vertical information sharing. Previous research has demonstrated the salience of social spheres with conflicting norms for SNS users. We build on previous research by exploring the effects of social spheres on the depth of information shared by SNS users. Students from a university in the USA and South Korea were interviewed to understand their perceptions of information sharing and the influence social spheres have on the depth of information they provide. We found that conflicting social spheres influence the depth of information provided when a user posts to their SNS and that impression management plays a key role.