Hey Mom, What’s on Your Facebook? Comparing Facebook Disclosure and Privacy in Adolescents and Adults

TLDR

Online environments increasingly encourage sharing, and adolescents are perceived to be more susceptible and share more than other age groups. The study compared 288 adolescents and 285 adults on Facebook information sharing and privacy control usage. Adolescents disclosed more information and used privacy settings less than adults, yet the predictors of disclosure and control were largely similar across groups, with Facebook use time mediating disclosure differences and higher adult self‑esteem mediating control differences.

Abstract

People of all ages are increasingly exposed to online environments that encourage them to share and connect with others. However, there is a perception that adolescents are particularly susceptible to these cues and share more online than do other age groups. With a group of 288 adolescents and 285 adults, we explored differences and similarities in use of Facebook for information sharing and use of the controls to protect their privacy. Adolescents reported disclosing more information on Facebook and using the privacy settings less than adults. Despite these differences, the results indicated that adolescents and adults were more similar than different in the factors that predicted information disclosure and control. Adolescents spent more time on Facebook, which partially mediated the relationship between group (adolescents vs. adults) and disclosure. Self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between group and information control, with adults having higher self-esteem than adolescents.