Competitiveness on Social Networking Sites and Its Implications on Individuals’ Security and Privacy Concerns

Abstract

Privacy and security of personal information in online settings continues to be a relevant and alarming issue for individuals who participate in social networking sites (SNS). A potential contributing factor of one’s propensity to share information online could be level of competitiveness embedded in one’s personality. Those who are more likely to socially engage in competitive activities may also be prone to conducting similar comparisons among peers in computer-mediated situations, such as SNS. In an effort to prove one’s superiority in an online setting, one may unknowingly reveal important personal information. In this paper, we present a research model intended to help predict SNS usage based on users’ innate propensity to be competitive with other SNS users, whether through the pure enjoyment of engaging in competition or via the desire to create conflict. Analysis of the model and potential implications are discussed further.