Management Information Systems Commons^™

Does Privacy Still Matter In The Era Of Web 2.0? A Qualitative Study Of User Behavior Towards Online Social Networking Activities, Qing Hu, Shuo Ma

Qing Hu

In this study, we attempt to understand one frequently observed paradox in user social networking behavior – highly concerned about privacy issues on social networking sites, yet actively participating in social networking activities. Based on qualitative analysis of student essays on their social networking activities and perceptions, we propose a theory for user online social networking behavior – the adaptive cognition theory (ACT). The main argument of the theory is that user behavior toward social networking is dynamic and adaptive primarily influenced by the perceived benefits and risks. More often than not, the perceived benefits dominate the perceived risks in …