Information Disclosure and Generational Differences in Social Network Sites

Despite recent media reports regarding the negative consequences of disclosing information on social network sites (SNSs), young adults are generally thought to be unconcerned about the potential costs of this. Given the widespread use and potential dangers associated with online communication, an understanding of SNSs features and how people are using these sites is critical to educating users about protecting their information and themselves. This study compares attitudes of 18-24 with 40+ year olds, to identify differences in privacy concerns. The study finds that the picture is more nuanced than usually portrayed, with remarkable similarities between the two groups with regards to privacy concerns and user attraction to SNSs. The 40+ age group are more knowledgeable about privacy in general (offline and online), so lack of knowledge rather than lack of concern regarding privacy may be a reason why the 18-24 group act in Facebook in a seemingly unconcerned manner.