Just between us: Exclusive communications in online social networks

Social media websites such as Facebook are used for relationship development and maintenance often through self-disclosure and sharing of personal information. However, not all forms of social media communication may be equally suitable for this task. This paper explores users' norms about the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of social psychology 2018-07, Vol.158 (4), p.405-420
Main Authors: Carpenter, Jordan, Green, Melanie, Laflam, Jeff
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Closeness
Communication
Communication norms
exclusivity
Female
Humans
Information dissemination
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Mass media
online communication
Personal information
Privacy
relationships
Self Disclosure
Social Media
Social Networking
Social networks
Websites
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Summary:Social media websites such as Facebook are used for relationship development and maintenance often through self-disclosure and sharing of personal information. However, not all forms of social media communication may be equally suitable for this task. This paper explores users' norms about the appropriateness of using private vs. public Facebook messages to communicate different kinds of personal information, and the effectiveness of these types of communication in building relationships. Study 1, a survey, revealed that users endorse conflicting expectations about preferences for receiving information publicly or privately. Study 2, a field experiment testing the effects of private versus public Facebook communications on actual relationship development using participants' own Facebook pages, suggested that private messages lead to greater closeness.
ISSN:0022-4545
1940-1183
DOI:10.1080/00224545.2018.1431603