The effect of gratifications derived from use of the social networking site Qzone on Chinese adolescents’ positive mood

Drawing from Uses and Gratifications Theory, this study explores the influence of the gratifications derived from use of the social networking site Qzone on Chinese adolescents’ positive mood. Qzone is the social networking site that is most preferred and used by Chinese adolescents. Hypothesized relationships are analyzed by structural equation analysis in a sample of 220 Chinese adolescents aged 14–19 with an online Qzone profile. Gratifications that Chinese adolescents receive from use of the online social network Qzone, such as socializing, information-seeking, and entertainment are found to have a significantly positive influence on their positive mood. Findings of this study extend the existing theoretical framework on the application of the Uses and Gratifications Theory to social networking sites. In addition, findings are in line with those of a number of authors who suggest that social networking site use may have positive consequences for teenagers. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

College students’ disclosure of location-related information on Facebook

This study drew on existing research and three behavioral intention models to develop the beginning of a new model to explain why college students share their locations on Facebook. Findings showed that students were more likely to disclose their location on Facebook if their friends did so, a concept called subjective norm. Results also showed that subjective norm had an indirect effect on whether people disclosed their location, mediated through people’s attitude toward disclosure, while controlling for usefulness of disclosing. Collectively, this model explained 61% of the variance in why college students share locations on Facebook. Findings are discussed in relation to behavioral-intention models, and practical implications for social media companies are offered.     

Emotional disclosure on social networking sites: The role of network structure and psychological needs

We conducted three studies to understand how online emotional disclosure is influenced by social network structure on Facebook. Results showed that emotional disclosure was associated with both the density and size of users’ personal networks. Facebook users with denser networks disclosed more positive and negative emotions, and the relation between network density and emotional disclosure was mediated by stronger need for emotional expression. Facebook users with larger networks on Facebook disclosed more positive emotions, and the relation between network size and emotional disclosure was mediated by a stronger need for impression management. Our study extends past research by revealing the psychological mechanisms through which personal social network structure influences emotional disclosure. It suggests that social network size and density are associated with different psychological needs, which in turn lead to different patterns of emotional disclosure.     

The influence of depression and personality on social networking

Established literature supports the notion that depressed individuals tend to be socially maladjusted and behave differently from those who aren't depressed. Yet, previous studies seem to overlook the influence of personality on behavior. Particularly, neuroticism may moderate the effect of depression on the way people behave. As one of the Big-Five factors of personality, neuroticism refers to a trait of one's capability to control emotional distress. Based on behavioral data from 393 Facebook users, current research demonstrates the interaction between depression and personality. Users engaged in activities at different levels of activities corresponding to their depression levels. Further, the effect of depression on social networking was regulated by personality: once neuroticism exceeded certain points, an increase in depression led to a decrease in social networking activities.     

An Empirical Study Evaluating Social Networking Continuance and Success

Social networking site (SNS) use decisions have led to major economic and social transformations worldwide. While many organizations seek to use SNSs from a strategic perspective to reach their customer, it is important to understand what makes SNSs successful in order to use them for competitive purposes. The current research evaluates the influence of the social capital theory on SNS success measures. A model was developed and empirically tested using two data samples to ensure valid and reliable results for success of SNSs. The results display the importance of social capital in SNS success followed by practitioner and academic implications.     

Understanding how big data leads to social networking vulnerability

Although the term “Big Data” is often used to refer to large datasets generated by science and engineering or business analytics efforts, increasingly it is used to refer to social networking websites and the enormous quantities of personal information, posts, and networking activities contained therein. The quantity and sensitive nature of this information constitutes both a fascinating means of inferring sociological parameters and a grave risk for security of privacy. The present study aimed to find evidence in the literature that malware has already adapted, to a significant degree, to this specific form of Big Data. Evidence of the potential for abuse of personal information was found: predictive models for personal traits of Facebook users are alarmingly effective with only a minimal depth of information, “Likes”, It is likely that more complex forms of information (e.g. posts, photos, connections, statuses) could lead to an unprecedented level of intrusiveness and familiarity with sensitive personal information. Support for the view that this potential for abuse of private information is being exploited was found in research describing the rapid adaptation of malware to social networking sites, for the purposes of social engineering and involuntary surrendering of personal information.     

Gravitating towards Facebook (GoToFB): What it is? and How can it be measured?

In its current state, the Facebook literature speaks very little about metrics developed specifically for this important social networking service. This study tries to fill part of this gap by conceptualizing, developing and validating a new Facebook use construct, “Gravitating towards Facebook” (GoToFB). Unlike traditional Facebook usage views that have focused on lean usage measures, the one presented in the current study offers a broader conceptualization of the same by taking into account the interaction among three elements: the user, Facebook features, and task. This investigation has put extensive efforts to validate the new Facebook instrument using a series of exploratory and confirmatory scale development techniques and found that it exhibits adequate measurement properties. The resultant scale consists of eight dimensions: connecting, sharing, relaxing, organizing, branding, monitoring, expressing, and learning. The instrument would be useful for businesses looking for deeply understanding how potential customers use Facebook and for researchers seeking to develop and test Facebook success models.     

“It’s Not Who You Know,but Who You Add:” An investigation into the differential impact of friend adding and self-disclosure on interpersonal perceptions on Facebook

This research seeks to understand how people perceive and respond to structural factors and different types of disclosure on Facebook when evaluating the profile of someone they have never met offline. Using a 2 × 3 × 2 between-subjects experimental design, this research explored the relationship between friend adding (add; no add), levels of self-disclosure (low, medium, high), and sex of the Facebook profile owner (male; female) on feelings of interpersonal liking, future behavioral intentions to interact, and homophily. Results indicated that friend adding and higher levels of self-disclosure led to greater feelings of interpersonal liking and homophily amongst both male and female participants. In addition, males tended to view other male profiles with moderate amounts of disclosure and female profiles with the highest amount of disclosure most favorably. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Another brick in the Facebook wall – How personality traits relate to the content of status updates

Status updates represent a new form of one-to-many communication which is widely used among members of social networking sites (SNS). The present study investigated the question of who in particular uses the self-presentational opportunities of this feature and which users engage in riskier self-disclosures than others. Combining questionnaire and content analysis, we related self-reports on users’ personality traits (extraversion, narcissism, self-efficacy, need to belong, need for popularity) to the actual use of Facebook status updates. Results showed that higher degrees of narcissism led to deeper self-disclosures and more self-promotional content within these messages. Users with higher need to belong disclosed more intimate information in status updates, while perceived efficacy of self-presentation was negatively related to the mass suitability of postings. Findings extend prior research on personality and SNS usage with regard to dynamic features and content differences in online self-presentation.     

Topographical control of cell-cell interaction in C6 glioma by nanodot arrays

Nanotopography modulates the physiological behavior of cells and cell-cell interactions, but the manner of communication remains unclear. Cell networking (syncytium) of astroglia provides the optimal microenvironment for communication of the nervous system. C6 glioma cells were seeded on nanodot arrays with dot diameters ranging from 10 to 200 nm. Cell viability, morphology, cytoskeleton, and adhesion showed optimal cell growth on 50-nm nanodots if sufficient incubation was allowed. In particular, the astrocytic syncytium level maximized at 50 nm. The gap junction protein Cx43 showed size-dependent and time-dependent transport from the nucleus to the cell membrane. The transport efficiency was greatly enhanced by incubation on 50-nm nanodots. In summary, nanotopography is capable of modulating cell behavior and influencing the cell-cell interactions of astrocytes. By fine-tuning the nanoenvironment, it may be possible to regulate cell-cell communications and optimize the biocompatibility of neural implants.