Self-disclosure (SD) refers to revealing personal information about the self to others (Cozby, 1973). SD occurs in cyberspace via synchronous Internet arenas such as instant messaging and asynchronous communication such as email. It has mainly been considered to be a reciprocal tit-for-tat type exchange of personal facts, thoughts, and emotions (Altman & Taylor, 1973) to develop and maintain relationships. Most research has focused on differences between online and offline SD, often demonstrating an accelerated disclosure of personal and intimate information online than offline (e.g., Wallace, 1999) due to a sense of anonymity (Baker, 2005) and reduced fear of social rejection (Pennebaker, 1989) in cyberspace. Recent research considers the many available Internet arenas that possibly promote differences in quality and quantity of online disclosures (Attrill & Jalil, 2011), and the need to consider voluntary and involuntary SD online along with associated privacy and security risks within a theoretical framework.
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