Photograph Use on Social Network Sites among South Korean College Students: The Role of Public and Private Self-Consciousness

Abstract

This study challenges theories of computer-mediated communication (CMC) that typically assume a lack of visual cues in CMC and conceptualize them as a situational factor. We examine individual differences in photo use on social network sites and link them to the dispositional tendency of self-consciousness (SC). Included were 231 students from one university in South Korea, who owned and maintained Cyworld profiles (called "mini-homepages"). Findings suggest that public SC, but not private SC, was positively associated with the higher frequency of posting photos, replying to comments on the photos, and scrapping photos on their mini-homepages. The frequency of posting specific content types of photos (concerning social relationships or life events) was also determined by participants' public SC but not by private SC. Implications of the findings for CMC theories are discussed.