Overall Conclusion and Outlook

Abstract

To conclude this book, this chapter offers some perspectives on future research and some practical implications of this work. Although the proposed theory allows for a more nuanced investigation of privacy and self-disclosure processes in a variety of online environments, several challenges remain. On the one hand, we need to investigate potential privacy loss beyond individual control (e.g., loss of privacy due to other people’s disclosure behavior) and processes of unintended disclosure of private information (e.g., through collection of meta-data by online service providers). Furthermore, several recommendations for fostering privacy literacy are presented. Yet, future research needs to determine the exact role of online privacy literacy in fostering individual self-determination and political deliberation in the context of online media use.