Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Privacy Online pp 143–156Cite as

The Uses of Privacy Online: Trading a Loss of Privacy for Social Web Gratifications?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

According to Etzioni (1999), the first step in analyzing privacy is to determine whether or not there is a problem. Given the easy availability of private information on the Internet and the seemingly great readiness of Social Web users to disclose personal data, it would appear that the protection of privacy is not a major problem for users. However, empirical evidence demonstrates that Social Web users are in fact quite concerned about their privacy (Barnes 2006; Tufekci 2008; Debatin et al. 2009).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Acquisti A, Gross R (2006) Awareness, information sharing, and privacy on the Facebook. Presentation on the 6th Workshop Privacy Enhancing Technologies, Cambridge, 28–30 June 2006

    Google Scholar 

  • Altman I (1975) The environment and social behavior. Privacy, personal space, territory, crowding. Brooks/Cole, Monterey

    Google Scholar 

  • Altman I (1977) Privacy regulation: culturally universal or culturally specific? J Soc Issues 33:67–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altman I, Taylor DA (1973) Social penetration: the development of interpersonal relationships. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ancu M, Cozma R (2009) MySpace politics: uses and gratifications of befriending candidates. J Broadcast Electron 53:567–583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Awad NF, Krishnan MS (2006) The personalization privacy paradox: an empirical evaluation of information transparency and the willingness to be profiled online for personalization. MIS Quart 30(1):13–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes S (2006). A privacy paradox: Social networking in the United States. First Monday, 11(9). http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue11_9/barnes/-index.html

  • boyd dm (2007) Why youth (heart) social network sites: the role of networked publics in teenage social life. In: Buckingham D (ed) Macarthur foundation series on digital learning – youth, identity, and digital. MIT Press, Cambridge, pp 119–142

    Google Scholar 

  • boyd dm, Ellison NB (2008) Social network sites: definition, history, and scholarship. J Comput Mediat Commun 13:210–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • boyd dm, Hargittai E (2010) Facebook privacy settings: who cares? First Monday 15. http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/-viewArticle/3086/2589

  • Burgoon JK, Parrott R, LePoire BA, Kelley DL, Walther JB, Perry D (1989) Maintaining and restoring privacy through communication in different types of relationship. J Soc Pers Relat 6:131–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Debatin B, Lovejoy JP, Horn A-K, Hughes BN (2009) Facebook and online privacy: attitudes, behaviors, and unintended consequences. J Comput Mediat Commun 15:83–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duval S, Wicklund RA (1972) A theory of objective self-awareness. Academic, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekdale B, Namkoong K, Fung TKF, Perlmutter DD (2010) Why blog? (then and now): exploring the motivations for blogging by popular American political bloggers. New Med Soc 12:217–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott P (1974) Uses and gratifications research: a critique and a sociological alternative. In: Rosengren KE, Wenner LA, Palmgreen P (eds) Media gratifications research. Current perspectives. Sage, Beverly Hills, pp 249–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellison N, Heino R, Gibbs J (2006) Managing impressions online: self presentation processes in the online dating environment. J Comput Mediat Commun 11(2):415–441 (Article 2)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Etzioni A (1999) The limits of privacy. Basic Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Fried C (1984) Privacy: a moral analysis. In: Schoeman FD (ed) Philosophical dimensions of privacy: an anthology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 371–377 (Reprinted from Yale Law Journal, 1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gavison R (1984) Privacy and the limits of law. In: Schoeman FD (ed) Philosophical dimensions of privacy: an anthology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 421–471 (Reprinted from Yale Law Journal, 1980, 89)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerstein RS (1984) Intimacy and privacy. In: Schoeman FD (ed) Philosophical dimensions of privacy: an anthology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 265–271

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Haridakis P, Hanson P (2009) Social interaction and co-viewing with youtube: blending mass communication reception and social connection. J Broadcast Electron 53:317–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog H (1944) What do we really know about daytime serial listeners? In: Lazarsfeld PF, Stanton FN (eds) Radio research 1942–1943. Duell, Sloan & Pearce, New York, pp 3–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Hixson WL (1987) Privacy in public society: human rights in conflict. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Joinson AN (2001) Self-disclosure in computer-mediated communication: the role of self-awareness and visual anonymity. Eur J Soc Psychol 31:177–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz E, Foulkes D (1962) On the use of the mass media as “Escape”: clarification of a concept. Public Opin Q 26:377–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz E, Blumler JG, Gurevitch M (1974) Utilization of mass communication by the individual. In: Blumler JG, Kath E (eds) The uses of mass communication, Current perspectives on gratifications research. Sage, Beverly Hills/London, pp 19–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Krämer NC, Winter S (2008) Impression management 2.0: the relationship of self-esteem, extraversion, self-efficacy, and self-presentation within social networking sites. J Med Psychol 20(3):106–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Lampe C, Ellison NB, Steinfield C (2007) A familiar face(book): profile elements as signals in an online social network. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems, New York, pp 435–444

    Google Scholar 

  • Laurenceau J-P, Feldman Barrett L, Pietromonaco PR (1998) Intimacy as an interpersonal process: the importance of self-disclosure, partner disclosure, and perceived partner responsiveness in interpersonal exchanges. J Pers Soc Psychol 74:1238–1251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee JK (2006) Who are blog users? Profiling blog users by media use and political involvement. Paper presented at ICA conference in Dresden, Germany. http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation-/0/9/2/9/6/pages92964/p92964-1.php

  • Leung L (2009) User-generated content on the internet: an examination of gratifications, civic engagement and psychological empowerment. New Med Soc 11:1327–1347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin CA (1996) Looking back: the contribution of Blumler and Katz’s uses of mass communication to communication research. J Broadcast Electronic 40:574–581

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu S-H, Liao H-L, Zeng Y-T (2007) Why people blog: an expectancy theory analysis. Issues Inform Syst 8:232–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Matheson K, Zanna MP (1989) Persuasion as a function of self-awareness in computer-mediated communication. Soc Behav 4:99–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Nardi B, Schiano D, Gumbrecht M (2004) Blogging as social activity or would you let 900 million people read your diary? In: Proceedings of the 2004 ACM conference on computer supported cooperative work, Chicago, pp 222–231. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1031643. Accessed 8 Dec 2010

  • Newell PB (1994) A systems model of privacy. J Environ Psychol 14:65–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newell PB (1995) Perspectives on privacy. J Environ Psychol 15:87–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newhagen JE, Rafaeli S (1996) Why communication researchers should study the internet: a dialogue. J Commun 46:4–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norberg P, Horne DR, Horne DR (2007) The privacy paradox: personal information disclosure intentions versus behaviors. J Consum Aff 41(1):100–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nov O (2007) What motivates Wikipedians, or how to increase user-generated content contribution. Commun ACM 50:60–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paine C, Reips U-D, Stieger S, Joinson A, Buchanan T (2006) Internet users’ perceptions of ‘privacy concerns’ and ‘privacy actions’. Int J Hum Comput St 65:526–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palmgreen P, Wenner LA, Rosengren KE (1985) Uses and gratifications research: the past ten years. In: Rosengren KE, Wenner LA, Palmgreen P (eds) Media gratifications research, Current perspectives. Sage, Beverly Hills, pp 11–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Parent W (1983) Privacy, morality and the law. Philos Pub Aff 12:269–288

    Google Scholar 

  • Pastalan LA (1975) Privacy preferences among relocated institutionalised elderly. In: Carson DH (ed) Man-environment interactions, vol 2. Hutchinson & Ross, Stroudsburg, pp 73–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen DM (1997) Psychological functions of privacy. J Environ Psychol 17:147–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rafaeli S, Ariel Y (2008) Online motivational factors: incentives for participation and contribution in wikipedia. In: Barak A (ed) Psychological aspects of cyberspace: theory, research, applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 243–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin AM (1979) Television use by children and adolescents. Hum Commun Res 5:109–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin AM (2002) The uses-and-gratifications perspective of media effects. In: Bryant J, Zillmann D (eds) Media effects. Advances in theory and research. Erlbaum, Mahwah/London, pp 525–548

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin AM (2009) Uses-and-gratifications perspective on media effects. In: Bryant J, Oliver MB (eds) Media effects. Advances in theory and research, 3rd edn. Routledge, New York, pp 165–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruggerio TE (2000) Uses and gratifications theory in the 21st century. Mass Commun Soc 3:3–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shao G (2008) Understanding the appeal of user-generated media: a uses and gratifications perspective. Internet Res 19:7–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoeman F (1984) Privacy and intimate information. In: Schoeman F (ed) Philosophical dimensions of privacy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 403–417

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sproull L, Kiesler S (1986) Reducing social context cues: electronic mail in organizational communication. Manage Sci 32:1492–1512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sproull L, Kiesler S (1991) Two-level perspective on electronic mail in organizations. J Org Comp Elect Com 1:125–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Suler JL (2004) The online disinhibition effect. Cyberpsychol Behav 7(3):321–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swanson DL (1977) The uses and misuses of uses and gratifications. Hum Commun Res 3:214–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taddicken M (2008) Methodeneffekte bei web-befragungen: einschränkungen der datengüte durch ein ‘reduziertes kommunikationsmedium’? [Mode effects of Web surveys: Limitation of data quality because of a ‚reduced communication mode’?]. Halem, Köln

    Google Scholar 

  • Tidwell LC, Walther JB (2002) Computer-mediated communication effects on disclosure, impressions, and interpersonal evaluations: getting to know one another a bit at a time. Hum Commun Res 28:317–348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tufekci Z (2008) Can you see me now? audience and disclosure regulation in online social network sites. B Sci Technol Soc 28:20–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren SD, Brandeis LD (1890) The right to privacy. Harv Law Rev 4:193–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westin A (1967) Privacy and freedom. Atheneum, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeless LR (1976) Self-disclosure and interpersonal solidarity: measurement, validation, and relationships. Hum Commun Res 3:47–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeless LR, Grotz J (1976) Conceptualization and measurement of reported self-disclosure. Hum Commun Res 2:338–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Monika Taddicken

  2. University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany

    Cornelia Jers

Authors
  1. Monika Taddicken
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cornelia Jers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Monika Taddicken .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Fachbereich Psychologie, Universität Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Sabine Trepte

  2. , Fachbereich Psychologie, Universität Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Leonard Reinecke

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Taddicken, M., Jers, C. (2011). The Uses of Privacy Online: Trading a Loss of Privacy for Social Web Gratifications?. In: Trepte, S., Reinecke, L. (eds) Privacy Online. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21521-6_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21521-6_11

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-21520-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-21521-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation