Impact of Social Media User Anxieties, Privacy and Security Issues, and Self-Regulation on User Behavior

Abstract

This research studies social media user fears, privacy and security concerns, and their effect on social media behaviour. It also studies the role of self-control on social media behaviour. The study is conducted in three stages; initially, four research constructs of user fears, privacy and security concerns, self-control, and social media behaviour were developed;-and tested for validity and reliability using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Then, hypothetical relations affecting user behaviour are tested with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Lastly, mediation analysis is conducted to study the role of self-control on user behaviour due to user fears and privacy-security concerns. Analysis shows that self-control plays a vital mediation role in social media behaviour. Further, gender and usage frequency have a controlling relationship between user fear, self-control, and self-control with user behaviour. Social media users tend to self-control their behaviour due to social media fears and privacy-security concerns. User fears lead to the user’s self-control tendency to affect their behaviour. Similarly, privacy and security perceptions lead to self-control, which affects social media behaviour. Social media firms should understand users’ self-controlling behaviour, fears, and privacy-security concerns and develop security solutions to resolve them. This research is different in that it statistically confirms the self-controlling behaviour of users of social media applications.