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Fall 10
St. John Fisher College
Abstract-A social networking site is an emerging form of communication with college students around the world, allowing users to transmit personal information and interests across a new media landscape. However, online networking has led to a concern that sites such as Facebook have allowed users to place too much information on the Internet. In a survey conducted at Nazareth College, along with commentary from admissions officers from University of Rochester, Nazareth College, and the Rochester Institute of Technology, the research will demonstrate that students are interacting online with a misplaced sense of security towards their personal information. In order to interpret the survey data collected, the research made reference to the Uses and Gratifications Theory to better understand the uses of this medium. The results, as predicted in the hypothesis, show that users on a traditional college campus interact online with little to no regard to personal privacy on Facebook. With over half of the survey respondents unaware of the available privacy levels, and 94% of students feeling Facebook does not educate users enough, it was found that students need to become more educated about the risks social networking poses to users.
By: Zachary Swan
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Introduction
The future of emerging social networking among college students is
arriving faster than some would hope. With the growth of a different type of web
browsing, Web 2.0, websites rely on a new generation of online user participation
by generating and posting personal content to the web. This type of web
browsing allows students to build an online network composed of friends, family,
co-workers, and classmates. A social networking site, which is part of this new
web format, encourages collaboration among users and makes it possible for
users to make connections with new friends from the comfort of their computer.
However, the dangers this can pose from those who misuse the Internet has left
a feeling of concern among parents and educators who see the effect social
networking could have on students entering the working world. While more
people today are turning to the Internet as a form of communication, the sharing
of personal information online has caused a fear that the lenient privacy
standards on Facebook have made it an unsafe place for personal information.
With these current standards in place, one could contend that the current privacy
settings on Facebook provide students with a misplaced sense of security
regarding their personal information on this site. While privacy on the Internet has
been a reoccurring problem, today’s youthful users of these sites seem intent on
continuing to post information for people all around the world to see.
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A social networking site can be defined as a type of virtual community in
which users communicate through the Internet about their various interests and
activities (Boyd, 4). Understanding what is happening online will help give some
insight into the realm of social networking, as well as what can be done to further
protect users information as these sites grow in popularity. Some of today’s most
popular social networking sites include MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, and
Facebook. Of all the social media sites, Facebook has risen to prominence
mostly on college campuses as well as in the media. Conceived in 2004 by
former Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook started off as a restricted
site for people enrolled in universities (those having a .edu email address to gain
conformation). By the end of 2004, Facebook’s first official year online, the site
had over 1 million registered accounts created. As of September 11 th, 2006,
Facebook dropped the .edu requirement and was available for anyone thirteen
and older to create a profile and join a network through school, work, or
geographic region (Cheung, Chiu, and Lee, 1). Six years later, Facebook now
has over 23 million accounts while generating over 1.5 billion page views per day
(Pempek, Yermolayeva, and Calvert, 233).
Online social networking on college campuses has been used as a way to
make new friends or stay in touch with old ones. Profiles laced with pictures,
screen names, contact information, and class schedules allow students a way to
make new friends outside the classroom. But what most don’t see when they
post this personal information online is the risk this imposes on personal privacy.
Personal privacy online has been the factor that social networking sites have
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spared to allow users to be fully engaged in their networks online. According to
Danah Boyd, professor at Harvard University and California Berkley, “Offline,
people are accustomed to having architecturally defined boundaries. Physical
features like walls and limited audio range help people have a sense of just how
public actions are.” But what she also found, is: “the digital world has different
properties and these can be easily altered through the development of new
technologies, radically altering the assumption that people have when they
interact online” (Boyd, 2).
Networking sites on the web currently allow users to personally control
different levels of privacy in order to create a safer online environment. But with
the need for more privacy comes the issue for networking sites that rely on
personal information to propel their business model. It is this paradox that makes
interacting on these sites a danger for college students today. While many
students feel that they have a control over who can access their profiles,
businesses and universities are finding prospective students with greater ease to
further screen potential applicants habits not available on resumes. The purpose
of this original research is to survey current college students, and, in conjunction
with the Uses and Gratifications Theory, define users’ perceived sense of
security based on patterns of usage and the site’s psychological benefits. The
goal of this study is to provide a better understanding of specific users’ motivation
to continue placing information online, despite knowing that privacy settings do
not offer the protection that users think they are getting from them.
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Literature Review
Online privacy has been at the center of recent debate, one that has
begun to raise awareness of one of the fastest growing issues facing Internet
users in our society. As stated in the introduction, the first step in understanding
this ongoing issue relies on a fundamental definition of the word privacy in the
context of social networking online. As Lewis, Kaufman, and Christakis (2008)
point out, there is not a single universally or consciously accepted definition of
privacy in regards to social networking sites. Since the issues of privacy and
social networking are rather new practices for researchers of the topic, a
functional definition is constantly being debated among scholars of the medium.
Prior studies reviewed here address the assertion that the current privacy
settings on Facebook provide students with a misplaced sense of security
regarding their personal information.
Cheung, Chiu, and Lee from the University of Hong Kong (2010)
conducted one of the most recent studies concerning the use of Facebook by
college age students. In a study based on the Uses and Gratifications Theory,
along with the concept of We-Intention, the writers were able to examine the
impact of social influence and social presence process on social networking
sites. Between this paradigm of social influence and social presence, Cheung,
Chiu, and lee were able to better understand individual’s motivation to use a
specific medium over alternative communication channels (227). With the help of
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the Uses and Gratifications Theory, the researchers were able to distinguish a
set of five widely adopted behaviors of student users. Purposive value, self-
discovery, maintaining interpersonal interconnectivity, social enhancement, and
entertainment value are the key needs for a community online (Cheung, Chiu,
and Lee, 228). The authors of this research concluded that the combination of
these five behaviors, along with the theory of We-intention that describes an
individuals commitment to participate in a medium with no boundaries;
encompases a specific users perception of the amount of information acceptable
social interaction on Facebook.
In a similar study conducted by Pempek, Yermolayeva, and Calvert
(2009), the researchers were concerned with the use of Facebook by college
level students. More specifically, these researchers looked at the amount of time
spent interacting online, the primary use of the site, what type of interaction
occurred online, and the development of an identity and friendship as a result of
the individual’s use of the site (Pempek, Yermolayeva, and Calvert, 228).
Through the use of diary measurements of Facebook use and a follow up survey,
the researchers were able to detail the previously mentioned research questions.
What the researchers found, and something that correlates to the uses and
gratifications theory, was a relationship between the willingness to participate on
Facebook and the five behaviors related to a typical student’s interaction with
social networking sites (236).
In a study done out of Harvard University, researchers conducted an
analysis of college students’ Facebook profiles in order to understand how the
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growth of social networking sites has contributed to mounting privacy issues.
According to Lewis, Kaufman, and Christakis, privacy on Facebook has become
an issue because of the sites need for users to identify themselves in such an
authentic manner (2008, 79-80). What this means to their research, and one of
the integral reasons for this growing issue online, is that users of these sites feel
the need to place sensitive material on their profiles to make their experience
truly authentic. The second issue relevant to Facebook encompasses its
organization and affiliation around its system of networks. With profiles organized
around defined groups of networks, the access of profiles remains easy and
privacy is left exposed and forgotten (82).
As privacy becomes more prevalent with the study of social networking, so
does the psychological impact on the user as this medium becomes more
engrained in our daily routine. A study conducted in 2009 by Debatin, Lovejoy,
Horn, and Hughes investigated the level of knowledge students possessed about
current privacy settings and how that correlated to the behaviors and attitudes
shared by students using this medium. In the study, these researchers
discovered that over 74 percent of Facebook users were aware of the privacy
settings available to each user, yet only a handful of the students surveyed
actually monitored and utilized those benefits. With that, it was discovered that
users repeatedly jumped between the privacy risks of social networking and the
perceived benefits it could offer (64). With these results, it was shown that
students have preconceived beliefs about the “standard” privacy that Facebook
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provides, deeming it unnecessary to dive deeper into complicated settings and
preferences (66).
In a more focused study, Carly Brandenburg from the School of Law at
Indiana University investigated the growing relationship between employers and
social media outlets. In the article The Newest Way to Screen Job Applicants: A
Social Networker’s Nightmare, Brandenburg explored the message that students
are communicating while interacting on Facebook and other social media outlets
on the Internet. One question Brandenburg looked to answer, and one that has
become more prevalent as the Internet continues to grow, is that with the growth
of collaboration online has privacy become impossible to protect fully? The
results of Brandenburg’s content analysis revealed that privacy settings and
other information blocking services could only apply a minimum level of privacy
from other users. Additionally, Brandenburg concluded by saying that the only
complete way a user can control the amount of private information online is by
monitoring their posting habits and self-censoring the material being posted
(2008, 604). With this distinction, Brandenburg’s assumptions that students are
aware of privacy settings and that they can apply these settings while interacting
with this medium parallels this study’s original hypothesis. Students need to be
aware of privacy levels of Facebook while also having a level of perceived
privacy concerning what materials make it to their respective profiles.
Personal privacy online has been the factor that social networking sites
have spared to allow users to connect with different networks online. According
to Danah Boyd, people are used to having constructed boundaries when
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communicating in everyday life. However, when the channel switches to digital
communication, new technologies and properties tend to alter the users
assumption of public actions (2008, 2). With that said, one of these media
technologies that has been used to spread information on Facebook is the
introduction of the News Feed. With the focus now on friend’s actions across the
site, Facebook made information that was previously unknown hard to look over.
Now that individuals are not able to choose what information they will disclose to
this feed, the need for more self-censored posting was necessary for the safety
of personal information. What Danah Boyd discovered as a result of her research
was the need for users to censor information being posted online. However, as
Facebook continues to broadcast users personal information in attempts to make
profiles more accessible to visitors, personal information needs to become
censored at the source instead of relying on the sites privacy settings.
Internet privacy includes feelings of control users have over information
sharing online and to what audience it reaches. Information sharing online has
been the focus of change for today’s social networking sites. This change,
however, has caused users to feel that information they post is no longer private.
Users of social networking sites, conclusively, have a misplaced sense of what
degree of privacy social networking sites are providing its users. It is this feeling
that has led many to attempt to self-censor information placed on Facebook and
the control over who may access this information. As social networking becomes
an even greater tool for employers, universities, and networking, a base level of
privacy must be created that all users are both familiar with and utilized. With the
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use of prior literature done regarding privacy on social media and original
research concerning college senior’s use of Facebook on campus outlined in
Appendix A, the following data will look to describe the sense of security users
feel while interacting on Facebook.
Method
In order to define the question of whether or not college age students have
a misplaced sense of security while interacting on Facebook, a survey was
conducted at Nazareth College and a questionnaire was sent to Graduate
Schools in the area that are using social media to screen potential applicants.
The group of students surveyed at Nazareth College was a group of senior
students involved in the Undergraduate Student Association, responsible for
governing student activities and groups, on the Nazareth campus. This select
group was chosen because they will be entering the workforce in the next year
and the students are non-communication majors on campus. The non-
communication demographic will be important when results are yielded. Because
these students are not discussing social media in the context of classes held on
campuses that offer the discipline, the hope is that students will have a more
authentic relationship with the site.
With the student piece sent out, the next step in the research was to
contact surrounding schools in the Rochester area that offered graduate classes
to students. With the use of this dimension in the research, the survey data
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collected can be analyzed against a backdrop of current protocol being used in
various admissions offices. The Colleges used in this research include Nazareth
College, Binghamton University, and the University of Rochester. These
institutions were contacted and chosen because all three schools graduate
admissions offices use social media as a factor in the admissions process for
prospective students. The staff members contacted were effective and proper to
survey because they work first hand with the media in the application process.
The information gathered, and the methods these institutions have in place,
ultimately shaped the content that was sought after in the survey that can be
found in Appendix A.
The survey used in this research was distributed through the Nazareth
Facebook page dedicated Undergraduate Student Association officers and
seniors. Created with the Qualtrics survey software, the questions and answers
could be created, distributed, and tracked online through the use of a unique link
to the survey. The content of the questions were structured around users
perception of privacy and content distribution while engaged on Facebook. With
a hypothesis looking at a student’s sense of security on Facebook, it was
important to include open-ended questions that would gather student’s opinions
regarding the need of students to place personal information as it relates to
social networking. To evaluate this hypothesis with the data received in the
survey, the researcher developed four distinct groups of questions that cover
privacy, profiles, content, and the future use of social media.
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For this specific research hypothesis, a quantitative analysis is the most
efficient and effective process to address the research. Because this type of
research yields results in a numerical value, the specific number of students who
are aware of privacy settings on Facebook or who knowingly understood the
risks of placing personal information on the web can be determined exactly. With
this type of data, specific conclusions could be drawn to represent the number of
users who were unaware of the different privacy levels available for students
against those who feel Facebook does not do enough to educate users enough
concerning available privacy settings.
Results and Findings
The results of this research are biased on the 71 Nazareth College
respondents who completed the online survey. These results, along with the
rubric developed by the University of Rochester and followed by Nazareth
College and the Rochester Institute of Technology, will be analyze against the
hypothesis that asserts college students have an internalized sense of security
while placing information on Facebook.
Respondents of the online survey were first asked a series of questions
that related to the basic information regarding their online profile. The first
question sought to gauge the length of time a respondent had interacted with and
maintained a Facebook profile. 62 of the 71 (87%) reported having a profile for
three to five years, which for a senior in college, would mean they carried a
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profile for the majority of their college career. When asked what level of privacy
was currently in place on their profile, 56% of respondents answered that their
profile was available to everyone while 35% reported having no level of privacy
active on their profiles. As shown in figure A, only a combined 8% of users at
Nazareth College reported having some type of added protection to content in
the form of who was allowed to preview their profile.
Figure A
After defining a user’s level of privacy, the respondents were then asked
what type of information is being shared on their profiles. According to Christine
LaBarre, a graduate admissions assistant at the University of Rochester, content
being examined most online include applicant’s pictures, postings, and the
amount of personal information being disclosed (including phone numbers,
current location, and screen names). In reference to figure B, 99% of
respondents reported posting pictures, 97% reported having contact information
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available, 65% had their current location listed, and 48% listed both the school
they attended and the networks they were apart of. Other information that was
listed in the survey included a respondent’s sex, relationship, and birth date.
Figure B
The next group of questions looked at users’ awareness of privacy levels
and their feeling of education from Facebook itself. When asked if a specific user
was informed about the different levels of privacy available for users on
Facebook, 54% said that they were not aware while 46% said they had some
understanding that it was available. Respondents were then asked if they
personally felt Facebook did enough to educate its users about online privacy
and current settings. Of the 71 respondents, 67 (94%) said that Facebook did not
do enough to educate them about online threats.
The third area of focus concerned users’ perception of social media and
the future implications these profiles have on prospective schools and employers.
Respondents were asked if they felt the information they currently had online
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could harm future opportunities after graduation. In response, 80% felt they were
in danger with the information they had up on their profile. After surveying a
user’s perception of harmful content, respondents were asked if they were aware
colleges and businesses were using Facebook in their search for potential
applicants. Only 7% of those surveyed claimed they were alert to this practice.
While it may seem like a threat to those pursuing a masters degree after they
graduate, both admissions officers at Nazareth College and the University of
Rochester claim they only survey profiles when junior staff was available.
However, as noted in the previous literature review, larger colleges and
universities now have full time staff that is responsible for combing profiles in
search of information not found on student’s résumés and applications.
The final section of questions dealt with users motivation to post content to
the web and if the practice of “self-censoring” of personal information is apparent
among college seniors. The practice of self –censoring while interacting on
Facebook was thought to be the safest way to control private information online.
In order to gauge user’s level of awareness, respondents were asked if there was
certain information they would not feel comfortable placing on Facebook. Of the
71 participants, 87% responded by saying they have content they will not put on
their profiles. While it was not determined what information was kept off the
Internet, it shows that users are showing a level of alertness to the issue. The
final question asked in the survey was in the form of an open-ended question that
looked to provide insight into why users felt the need to place so much
information on Facebook. Of the many responses tallied, respondents stated that
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users hold the assumption that the more information they placed on Facebook
the more they would get from the network. Among the other popular answers
included the ability to connect with more/new people, Facebook making it so
easy to place information in profiles, and the idea that social media revolves
around this type of content.
The research done, and the findings that followed, did in fact support the
hypothesis presented at the beginning of the study stating students have a
misplaced sense of security online. With the number of students who felt un-
educated by Facebook at such a staggering number, it can be seen why students
at Nazareth College have such lax security levels currently in place. It is
important to note, however, that the reason this demographic was chosen
reflected their familiarity with the media, since it is not intensively covered in the
classroom. This data simply reflects the average college student’s perception of
security on the web; while behind false walls of privacy on Facebook, users of
social media on college campuses feel their information is safe from harmful
eyes.
Discussion
Personal privacy online has been an aspect that social networking sites
have spared to allow users to connect with different social networks online. As
Facebook remains the beneficiary of these settings, social convergence on the
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Internet is allowing this personal information to be shared across multiple media
platforms at alarming rates.
Reference throughout this study to the Uses and Gratifications were made
in attempts to identify with a users motivation and satisfaction from the mass
media. The Uses and Gratifications Theory, as outlined by Rosenberry and
Vicker, looks closely at the role of an active audience and the needs or goals
associated with the users choice of media. In addition, the Uses and
Gratifications Theory is highly contingent upon a users need gratification and the
chosen medium (124-125).
Looking specifically a the first element of the Uses and Gratifications
Theory, where an audience member is conceived to be active in the media, one
can understand the need for users to place specific information such as contact
information, photos, and networks on Facebook profiles. Since there is such
importance placed on a user’s goal direction in the mass media in this theory, it
was supported in the data with 99% of students placing photos, 97% posting
contact information, and 65% posting location and networks. These numbers
show that Facebook users are active in the media, and to reach their goals, find it
necessary for them to place personal information on the web in large quantities.
Linking a user’s goal, along with the individual’s media choice, is what
further defines this mass media theory. This relationship was illustrated in the
data when respondents were asked to comment on users motivation to place
information on the web. As social media becomes a popular media outlet on
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college campuses, more users will find themselves interacting on the medium
and sharing information in order to get the most from the medium. As Facebook
continues to make profiles an attractive place for personal information, more and
more college students will find themselves exploring and gaining satisfaction with
this medium.
With the conclusion of the survey came a better understanding of the
hypothesis stated at the beginning of this research. As the survey data was
measured against the uses and Gratifications Theory, it can be concluded that
college students do, in fact, interact on social networking sites with a misplaced
sense of security. This was an important conclusion to the research, and is
significant in the future of colleges across the world. Although Nazareth currently
does not offer a major associated within communications or the media, students
on all college campuses need to understand the risks associated with social
networking. More specifically, classes need to be offered on college campuses
that discuss the implications of Facebook in our society as well as how to control
the posting of private information. With that said, freshman seminar classes that
touched on the implications social media plays both on and off campus would
benefit first year students in making more educated decisions when interacting
with the medium.
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(Note: Only the most pertinent information to the study was analyzed from the
survey data. All other information collected from respondents from Nazareth
College can be found in Appendix A)
Conclusion
The future of online social networking is getting its start in today’s society
and the number of online users is only on the rise. While self-expression is a goal
of most networking sites, the amount of information being placed on profiles is
the cause of much concern on college campuses. While social networking offers
users many advantages, the disadvantages such as a lack of privacy have
contributed to the negativity surrounding these sites. As the Internet continues to
act as a prominent form of communication, a concern over the education of
available privacy settings to users is making Facebook an unsafe place for users
to be dumping personal information. Education can be the turning stone that
allows students to use Facebook for personal promotion and networking.
However, as students continue to rely on little to no privacy on their profiles,
educators and potential employers are scanning the site to find applicants in an
unfavorable light. The future of social networking starts with the education of
today’s college age students as they continue to pioneer the age of online
communication.
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References
Brandenburg, C. (2008). The Newest Way to Screen Job Applicants: A Social Networker's Nightmare.Federal Communications Law Journal, 60(3), 597-626. Retrieved from Communication & Mass Media Complete database.
Boyd, D. (2008). Facebook's Privacy Trainwreck. Convergence: The Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 14(1), 13-20. doi:10.1177/1354856507084416.
Cheung, C., Chiu, P., & Lee, M. (2009). Online social networks: Why do students use facebook?. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30, 227-238
Debatin, B., Lovejoy, J., Horn, A., & Hughes, B. (2009). Facebook and Online Privacy: Attitudes, Behaviors, and Unintended Consequences. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 15(1), 83-108. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01494.x.
Lewis, K., Kaufman, J., & Christakis, N. (2008). The Taste for Privacy: An Analysis of College Student Privacy Settings in an Online Social Network. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14(1), 79-100. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008.01432.x.
Pempek, T., Yermolayeva, Y., & Calvert, S. (2009). College students' social experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30, 227-238
Rosenberry, Jack, and Lauren Vicker. Applied Mass Communication Theory: A Guide for Media Practitioners. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2010. Print.
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Appendix A- Online Survey Copy
Initial Report
Last Modified: 11/25/2010
1. How long have you had a Facebook profile?
# Answer Response %
1 0-2 6 8%
2 3-5 62 87%
3 6+ 3 4%
4 Don't have one 0 0%
Total 71 100%
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Statistic Value
Min Value 1
Max Value 3
Mean 1.96
Variance 0.13
Standard Deviation
0.36
Total Responses 71
2. What is your current privacy setting?
# Answer Response
%
1 Available to everyone 40 56%
2 Avalible to just friends 1 1%
3Available to friends of friends
2 3%
4 Custom settings 3 4%
5 None 25 35%
Total 71 100%
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Statistic Value
Min Value 1
Max Value 5
Mean 2.61
Variance 3.61
Standard Deviation
1.90
Total Responses 71
3. Are you aware of the different privacy levels available for users of Facebook?
# Answer Response %
1 Yes 33 46%
2 No 38 54%
Total 71 100%
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Statistic Value
Min Value 1
Max Value 2
Mean 1.54
Variance 0.25
Standard Deviation
0.50
Total Responses 71
4. Do you feel Facebook does enough to educate users about online privacy?
# Answer Response %
1 Yes 4 6%
2 No 67 94%
Total 71 100%
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Statistic Value
Min Value 1
Max Value 2
Mean 1.94
Variance 0.05
Standard Deviation
0.23
Total Responses 71
5. What type of information do you share online?
# Answer Response %
1 Photos 70 99%
2Contact information (Phone, E-mail)
69 97%
3 Birth date 16 23%
4 Sex 19 27%
5Current Location or Hometown
46 65%
6 Relationship 13 18%
7 Networks 34 48%
8 School attending 35 49%
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Statistic Value
Min Value 1
Max Value 8
Total Responses
71
6. Do you feel the information you currently have online could harm future opportunities after you graduate?
# Answer Response %
1 Yes 57 80%
2 No 14 20%
Total 71 100%
Statistic Value
Min Value 1
Max Value 2
Mean 1.20
Variance 0.16
Standard Deviation
0.40
Total Responses 71
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7. Did you know that Universities and Businesses are using Facebook to screen potential applicants?
# Answer Response %
1 Yes 5 7%
2 No 65 93%
Total 70 100%
Statistic Value
Min Value 1
Max Value 2
Mean 1.93
Variance 0.07
Standard Deviation
0.26
Total Responses 70
8. Why do you think users feel the need to place so much personal information on Facebook?
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Statistic Value
Total Responses
38
9. Is there any information you will not put on Facebook?
# Answer Response %
1 Yes 58 87%
2 No 9 13%
Total 67 100%
Statistic Value
Min Value 1
Max Value 2
Mean 1.13
Variance 0.12
Standard Deviation
0.34
Total Responses 67
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