Social Networking Sites (SNS): The Factors of User Intention Toward Online Self-Disclosure in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract

The use of Social Networking Sites (SNS) is increasing daily. These sites provide a virtual platform for the users to disclose their personal information such as their names, pictures, status etc. a phenomenon called Self-Disclosure. However, before the user decides to put their information online, some factors come into play and affect the amount of information that will be shared by the user. Even though there is a lot of Self-Disclosure occurring on SNS, the factors behind remain little understood. This research aimed to investigate the factors that can affect a user’s Self-Disclosure in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Toward this aim, a model was built, and a questionnaire was designed through which the model was tested with 607 users. The results revealed that risks, benefits, and social influence have a significant relationship with Self-Disclosure whereas trust does not have a strong impact on Self-Disclosure. It is confirmed that risk is determined by the perception of privacy and security and that enjoyment and relationship-building opportunities determine perceived benefits.