What causes users to switch from a local to a global social network site? The cultural,social, economic,and motivational factors of Facebook’s globalization

This study investigates what causes local users to switch or not to switch from a domestic to a global social network site (SNS), Facebook. In the prediction model using cultural, social, economic factors, and motives for using SNS, we found in S. Korean users that, along with entertainment motives, the expected benefit of a new global SNS was a positive predictor of transition to Facebook. The western cultural values of a global SNS and the sunk costs of using a local SNS were negative predictors of the intention to use Facebook as the main platform of online social networking. Given that global SNSs force anti-localization policies related to privacy protocols and relationship styles, the results highlight the fact that cultural values are a critical factor for resisting globalization of SNSs.     

Retaining and attracting users in social networking services: An empirical investigation of cyber migration

Users are the most critical strategic resource of any online social networking service (SNS). This paper offers strategic recommendations for SNS providers based on an empirical study exploring why users switch from a primary SNS to others. We first identify important characteristics that combine to distinguish SNSs from conventional information systems, then develop a “cyber migration” research model that includes push, pull and mooring factors which influence user intention to switch from one SNS to another. Findings from a field survey of 180 users reveal four significant factors that promote switching: dissatisfaction with socialization support, dissatisfaction with entertainment value, continuity cost, and peer influence. Strategies grounded in these factors are suggested for SNS providers to better attract and retain users.     

Influence of SNS User Innovativeness and Public Individuation on SNS Usage Patterns and Social Capital Development: The Case of Facebook

This paper studies the correlation between users’ psychological traits and their social network sites (SNS) usage patterns, and the correlation between SNS usage patterns and the development of social capital as it relates to Facebook. Individual personality traits, including user innovativeness and public individuation, are proposed to be positively correlated with SNS usage patterns such as usage rate and diversification of use. This study specifically classifies social capital into two types—bridging vs. bonding—based on Social Capital Theory, and examines the correlation between SNS usage patterns and social capital development. To investigate the proposed hypotheses of this study, SNS users in Korea were surveyed and a structural equation model was used to analyze and verify the hypotheses. The results showed that users exhibiting both a high degree of innovativeness and public individuation use SNS more frequently and in more diverse ways than users who exhibited lower degrees of innovativeness and public individuation. It was also found that SNS usage patterns are correlated with social capital. The results of this study contribute to SNS-related research work as this study focuses on the development of social capital—a key concept behind the creation and use of SNS—and allows for a deeper understanding of how the psychological traits of individual users affect SNS usage patterns and the development of social capital. This study also offers insights to the corporate sector by providing practical guidelines on how to utilize SNS more effectively.     

Users' Satisfaction with Social Network Sites: A Self-Determination Perspective

When the online social networking market is no longer a “blue ocean,” retaining existing users and maintaining their satisfaction with the current social network site (SNS) become SNS providers' most important tasks. This study applies Self-Determination Theory and examines the relationship between trust, relatedness need, and users' satisfaction with SNSs. Using Facebook as the context, we tested our hypotheses with the student sample from a large state university in U.S. The results show that competence and benevolence trust beliefs positively influence relatedness need satisfaction; relatedness need satisfaction and relatedness need level significantly influence uses' satisfaction with SNSs. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are also discussed.     

Delineating the dimensions of social support on social networking sites and their effects: A comparative model

Social networking sites (SNSs) allow users to connect with each other by overcoming geographical and temporal boundaries and thus empower people to search for social support from online. Social support has been considered a key social value that online users can obtain from SNSs. However, few studies have systematically investigated social support in such a context. Motivated to address this gap, we have developed an advanced and theoretical framework to delineate social support on SNSs by clearly revealing the dimensions of online social support on SNSs and examining their effects on users' commitment and SNS continuance. Further, we introduce gender as a key moderator and explain in theory how differently men and women perceive the importance of the dimensions in evaluating online social support over SNSs. Our research results indicate that the identified three dimensions (informational support, emotional support, and network management) are important components of the online social support on SNSs, which is positively associated with commitment and continuance. In addition, the weight of each dimension in the evaluation of online social support varies by gender. This study is among the very first to explore online social support in the context of SNS and its effects, and has rich theoretical and practical implications.     

Credibility of Social Network Sites for Political Information Among Politically Interested Internet Users

Scholars have confirmed that political candidates are increasingly turning to social network sites (SNS) to persuade voters to vote for them, and that these sites have become prominent sources of political information. But a fundamental question arises about the sustainability of social networks as a campaign tool: How much do users trust the information they find there? This study employed an online survey to examine the degree to which politically interested online users view SNS as credible. SNS were ranked the least credible among the nine traditional and online sources examined. Reliance on social networks proved the strongest predictor of SNS credibility.     

Sentiment community detection: exploring sentiments and relationships in social networks

Social networking sites (SNS), which allow users to express opinions on products/services, have become an important channel and platform for enterprises to acquire and trace users’ sentiments in order to design appropriate business strategies and online marketing campaigns. However, with the large number of users and complex user relationships on SNS, effectively capturing these sentiments for business decision support is still a big challenge. In this study we introduce the concept of “Sentiment Community,” a group of users who are closely connected and highly consistent in their sentiments about one product/service. Discovering such sentiment communities would be very valuable to enterprises for customer segmentation and target marketing. Taking into account both connections and sentiments, we propose two methods to discover sentiment communities by adopting the optimization models of semi-definite programming (SDP). Our experimental evaluations demonstrated great performances for the proposed methods. This study opens the doors to effectively explore users’ sentiments on SNS for business decision making.     

The reciprocal effects of social network site use and the disposition for self-disclosure: A longitudinal study

Since the advent of social network sites (SNSs), scholars have critically discussed the psychological and societal implication of online self-disclosure. Does Facebook change our willingness to disclose personal information? The present study proposes that the use of SNSs and the psychological disposition for self-disclosure interact reciprocally: Individuals with a stronger disposition show a higher tendency to use SNSs (selection effect). At the same time, frequent SNS use increases the wish to self-disclose online, because self-disclosing behaviors are reinforced through social capital within the SNS environment (socialization effect). In a longitudinal panel study, 488 users of SNSs were surveyed twice in a 6 months interval. Data were analyzed using structure equation modeling. The proposed reciprocal effects of SNS activities and self-disclosure were supported by the data: The disposition for online self-disclosure had a positive longitudinal effect on SNS use which in turn positively influenced the disposition for online self-disclosure. Both effects were moderated by the amount of social capital users received as a consequence of their SNS use.     

How to unite the power of the masses? Exploring collective stickiness intention in social network sites from the perspective of knowledge sharing

This study aims to investigate users’ knowledge-sharing intention and collective stickiness intention towards social network sites (SNS). SNS offer an opportunity for users to interact and form relationships, while knowledge is accrued by integrating users’ information, experience, and practice. However, there have been few systematic studies that question why people use SNS to share knowledge. We adopt social capital theory, social identity theory, as well as use and gratification theory, to explore the determinants of members’ knowledge-sharing intention in using SNS. The survey was conducted on two education virtual communities (VCs) on Facebook, of which most members were teachers and educators. Data analysis was executed to validate our research model, and SmartPLS was used to analyse users’ collective stickiness intention. The results show that social capital and social identity have an impact on teachers’ knowledge-sharing intention, which, in turn, influences collective stickiness intention towards SNS. Our findings can not only help researchers interpret why members share their knowledge in VCs, but can assist practitioners in developing better SNS strategies as well.     

Should I stay or should I go? The moderating effect of self-image congruity and trust on social networking continued use

Recent reports show that although users of large online social networks (such as Facebook) score low in terms of satisfaction, they manage to retain, or even increase, their user base. This study sheds an exploratory light on the reuse behaviour of online social network services (SNS). Specifically, we investigate the moderating effects of self-image congruity and trust on the relationship between satisfaction and continuance to use online SNS. To capture post-adoption behaviour of SNS users, we employ the expectation–confirmation model as a core structure for our theoretical model. The model is empirically tested using survey data collected from 288 Facebook users. Results reveal a possible trend suggesting that users perceiving a high match of the SNS with their self-image will be more loyal even if they experience low satisfaction levels. The same trend has been extracted for trust and its moderating effect on the relationship between satisfaction and usage continuance intention. This paper concludes with a discussion on the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.     

Examining the beneficial effects of individual's self-disclosure on the social network site

Today, individual's self-disclosure on the social network sites (SNS) have become a prevalent phenomenon. This study proposes a research model for investigating the beneficial effects of individual's self-disclosure on the social network sites (SNS). In this study, social support and online social well-being are seen as the beneficial effects of individual's self-disclosure on the SNS. Furthermore, this study examines whether self-disclosure increases social support and online social well-being. For developing a more parsimonious research model, this study chose self-disclosure and social support as second-order constructs. Self-disclosure is devised as a formative second-order construct that includes five components: amount, depth, honesty, intent, and valence. Social support is used as a reflective second-order construct comprising two factors: informational support and emotional support. In addition, this research also proposes that social support increase online social well-being. Further, online social well-being is hypothesized to positively affect the continuance intention in relation to the SNS. Data collected from 333 Facebook users provided support for all the hypotheses. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, and suggestions are made for future research.     

When ‘friends’ collide: Social heterogeneity and user vulnerability on social network sites

The present study examines how the use of social network sites (SNS) increases the potential of experiencing psychological, reputational and physical vulnerability online. From our theoretical perspective, concerns over the use of social network sites and online vulnerability stem from the ease with which users can amass large and diverse sets of online social connections and the associated maintenance costs. To date most studies of online vulnerability have relied on self-report measures, rarely combining such information with user's validated digital characteristics. Here, for a stratified sample of 177 UK-based Facebook users aged 13 to 77, digitally derived network data, coded for content and subjected to structural analysis, were integrated with self-report measures of social network heterogeneity and user vulnerability. Findings indicated a positive association between Facebook network size and online vulnerability mediated by both social diversity and structural features of the network. In particular, network clustering and the number of non-person contacts were predictive of vulnerability. Our findings support the notion that connecting to large networks of online ‘friends’ can lead to increasingly complex online socialising that is no longer controllable at a desirable level.     

Constraint-based and dedication-based mechanisms for encouraging online self-disclosure: Is personalization the only thing that matters?

Consumer-generated self-disclosure is better than firm-generated advertising and sales reports in increasing contact opportunities and also more credible for firms to foster alignment with future market expectations. Previous research mostly assesses online self-disclosure from the rational approach of anticipated benefits and privacy risks without considering the “privacy paradox” phenomenon (users behave contrarily to privacy concern) in social networking sites (SNSs). We develop a theoretical model, grounded in constraint-based (lock-in) and dedication-based (trust-building) mechanisms and social identity theory, to predict online self-disclosure. We test the proposed theoretical model by surveying 395 consumers with participation experience in an online SNS. Different from the rational approach behind personalization, we advance knowledge on how to apply social identity, as well as constraint-based and dedication-based mechanisms, to motivate online self-disclosure induced by consumers. We provide theoretical and practical insights based on our research findings for managing the motivational mechanisms of online self-disclosure.     

Authenticity and well-being on social network sites: A two-wave longitudinal study on the effects of online authenticity and the positivity bias in SNS communication

In offline settings, authentic behavior has frequently been linked to increased well-being. Social network sites (SNSs) provide a new venue for authenticity, yet the effects of online authenticity are largely unknown. The present study investigated the reciprocal effects of authenticity on SNSs and the psychological well-being of SNS users in a two-wave longitudinal study (N = 374). The results demonstrate that online authenticity had a positive longitudinal effect on three indicators of subjective well-being. The data further illustrate that this beneficial effect of SNS use is not equally accessible to all users: participants with low levels of well-being were less likely to feel authentic on SNSs and to benefit from authenticity. We propose that the results can be explained in light of a “positivity bias in SNS communication” that favors positive forms of authenticity over negative ones.     

Influence of Gift-Giving in Social Network Games on Social Capital: Relationship Types,Gift-Giving Types,and the Big Five Factors of Personality

Recently, Social network games (SNGs) are gaining popularity. As various types of SNGs are expected to spread, empirical research on the usability of SNGs is necessary. This study investigates whether the influences of gift-giving types on social capital are significant depending on the relation types between users. In addition, the influences of social capital on the continuous usage intention were observed. The relationships are divided into “friends” and “neighbors.” The types of gift-giving are divided into “in-game gift-giving,” in which gifts are exchanged within the game, and “out-of-game gift-giving,” in which gifts are delivered outside the game, for example, through SNS personal messages. We conducted a survey targeting SNG users and found out that most of the social capital was significantly influenced by the gift-giving attitude. To supplement the results from the quantitative research, we conducted interviews to observe whether the results of the survey agreed with respondents’ actual perceptions.     

Excessive use of mobile social networking sites: Negative consequences on individuals

While pervasive technologies, such as mobile social networking sites (SNS), can contribute to increased enjoyment and convenience, their pervasive nature can also result in excessive use and consequently may arise several negative outcomes. We applied cognitive behavioral model and social cognitive theory to explain the negative consequences related to family, personal and professional life of excessive use of mobile SNS. The research model was empirically tested with 490 mobile SNS users. Our findings significantly contribute to the domain of “dark side of information technology” by theoretically and empirically investigating the negative outcomes of excessive use, and further examining their inter-relationships.     

基于图卷积神经网络的在线社区行为预测

在线知识社区中,问题的回答可以看作多个回答者用户(领域专家)之间的协作行为。协作行为在知识社区中通常是大规模地发生,协作行为预测对在线社交中领域专家的推荐有重要意义。基于在线知识社区中回答者用户之间的协作行为,构建以领域专家为节点,以他们之间的协作回答关系为边的协作网络。由于协作行为网络的构建与社交关系网络的构建上结构的相似性,可以将协作行为预测构建为协作网络中的链接预测问题。通过构建基于图卷积神经网络的链接预测模型,对在线知识社区中回答者用户的协作行为进行预测。基于“知乎”数据集的实验验证,与其他经典的预测方法进行比较时,发现提出的方法能够更加有效地预测在线知识社区中回答者用户之间的协作行为。     

Motivators of online vulnerability: The impact of social network site use and FOMO

Continued and frequent use of social network sites (SNS) has been linked to a fear of missing out (FOMO) and online self-promotion in the form of friending and information disclosure. The present paper reports findings from 506 UK based Facebook users (53% male) who responded to an extensive online survey about their SNS behaviours and online vulnerability. Structural equation modelling (SEM) suggests that FOMO mediates the relationship between increased SNS use and decreased self-esteem. Self-promoting SNS behaviours provide more complex mediated associations. Longitudinal support (N = 175) is provided for the notion that decreased self-esteem might motivate a potentially detrimental cycle of FOMO-inspired online SNS use. The research considers the implications of social networking on an individual's online vulnerability.     

Mining User Knowledge for Investigating the Facebook Business Model: The Case of Taiwan Users

Social network sites (SNS), as web-based services, allow users to make open or semi-open profiles within the systems they are part of, to see lists of other people in the group and to see the relations of people within different groups. Facebook is essentially an online social network site in which individuals can share photographs, personal information, and join groups of friends. This study investigates the experiences on Facebook of various users in Taiwan. Their degrees of confidence were often demonstrated by word-of-mouth disseminations about the social network site. Further, this research looks at how the reputations of Facebook proprietors and their affiliates were disseminated through relationship marketing for formulated social network marketing in its business model concerns. Therefore, this study uses the a priori algorithm as an association rules approach, and cluster analysis for data mining. We divide Facebook users into two groups of contributors and lurkers by their profiles and then find each group’s social network community information utilization and online purchase behaviors for investigating the Facebook business models.