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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