Open AccessThemes of Facebook Status Updates and Levels of Online Disclosure: The Case of University Students
Author(s) -
Shuaa Aljasir,
Ayman Bajnaid,
Tariq Elyas,
Mustafa Alnawasrah
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international journal of business administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1923-4015
pISSN - 1923-4007
DOI - 10.5430/ijba.v8n7p80
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , sample (material) , personally identifiable information , psychology , politics , social status , internet privacy , computer science , sociology , qualitative research , political science , social science , chemistry , computer security , chromatography , law
This paper presents an analysis of the status updates generated by Saudi university students on their profiles along with their levels of disclosure. Indeed, this study conducted thematic and quantitative content analyses of profiles of a sub-sample of 50 students to explore the status updates they generated and the types of information they disclosed. It also presents the relationship between status updates and levels of disclosure of personal information, and the extent to which the status updates reflect reported gratifications. Analysis of Saudi university students’ Facebook usage revealed 16 distinctive themes of status updates. These themes most often related to communication with friends and discussion of social, religious, and political issues.