Being together online: a qualitative study of teenagers' information sharing on Facebook

Abstract

Social networking sites have become immensely popular, especially among Norwegian teenagers. An integral part of these sites is information sharing. Most previous research, however, has investigated teenagers' information sharing in light of risks and concerns. The purpose of this thesis, therefore, was to get teenagers' thoughts and experiences of how and why they share information on Facebook. The study was conducted through qualitative interviews with 7 Norwegian teenagers, as well as observations and solicited diaries. My study revealed that why and how teenagers' shared information on the site was influenced by the nature of their intended audience; their offline contacts. Motivation for sharing information included giving and receiving reaffirmation, being recognizable to and to been seen by their friends. At the same time information sharing was part of their social interaction on the site; a key motivation for signing up. While Facebook gave teenagers new opportunities to be together, it also introduced new challenges. After all, my study showed that what teenagers shared on the site was often visible to close friends and distant others, as well as to parents and peers. This, I found had implications for how teenagers shared information on the site.