Self-Disclosure on Social Networking Sites: Intimate, But Also Entertaining Self-Disclosure Increases the Feeling of Connection

• In Event: Self Disclosure in Social Media

Abstract

This paper examines whether traditional assumptions about the effect of intimate self-disclosure on relational outcomes still holds for social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook. Levels of (semi-) public self-disclosure are often high on SNS, although self-disclosure in face-to-face settings usually drops from dyadic to group settings. Status updates are often positive and funny, so self-disclosure might also fulfill an entertainment function. Respondents were asked to judge their own and their friends’ status updates as well as their private conversations on several dimensions (e.g. intimate, entertaining). Motives and effects were also assessed. Although status updates were less intimate than private messages and maintaining friendships was not the main motivation for posting status updates, people felt more connect when they read or posted more intimate messages. However, entertainment also played a major role: People felt more connected with their friends when they read entertaining messages.

Author

• Sonja Utz, Knowledge Media Research Center