Inside out and outside in: How the COVID-19 pandemic affects self-disclosure on social media

Highlights

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  People engage in self-disclosure on social media to stay connected with others during the pandemic.

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  There appears to be a shift in which disclosures are considered socially inappropriate and which disclosures serve the public goodWe observe a shift in which disclosures serve the public good and which are considered socially inappropriate.

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  We propose using the self-focus and other-focus perspectives to explain pandemic-related self-disclosure on social media.

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  We present a research agenda and discuss practical insights.

Abstract

As social distancing and lockdown orders grew more pervasive, individuals increasingly turned to social media for support, entertainment, and connection to others. We posit that global health emergencies - specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic - change how and what individuals self-disclose on social media. We argue that IS research needs to consider how privacy (self-focused) and social (other-focused) calculus have moved some issues outside in (caused by a shift in what is considered socially appropriate) and others inside out (caused by a shift in what information should be shared for the public good). We identify a series of directions for future research that hold potential for furthering our understanding of online self-disclosure and its factors during health emergencies.