Self-Disclosure Patterns among Chinese Users in SNS and Face-to-Face Communication

Abstract

This exploratory study focused on Chinese social network sites (SNS) users to determine whether their online self-disclosure differed from offline and whether culture had an impact on the patterns of their self-disclosure. Sixteen active users of Chinese online social networks were interviewed about their self-disclosing experiences. Results of a qualitative analysis suggest that culture was likely to impact the behavior of study participants by modifying the patterns of self-disclosure. Participants tended to disclose themselves indirectly on SNS, strived to make positive impressions, and revealed few intimate issues. In face-to-face communication, the relationships between disclosers and target persons as well as the target persons' status and background influenced the contents of self-disclosure.

WeChat use is significantly correlated with college students' quality of friendships but not with perceived well-being

“…A rather surprising finding is that online self-disclosure is not discovered to be related to students' friendship quality or well-being. The finding is contrary to previous research suggesting that the increased online self-disclosure is related to closer and higher quality relationships as well as greater life satisfaction ( Chen, 2015 ; Wen et al., 2016 ). One explanation is that samples in previous studies were mainly from western cultures, mainly including America and Europe.…”

“…Built on the quantitative method, the study attempts to elucidate how using WeChat could contribute to college students' friendships and well-being in Chinese society. In line with earlier studies ( Chen, 2015 ; Wen et al., 2016 ), the findings demonstrate that WeChat has promoted students' real-world quality of friendship through helping them connect with existing social relationships and contact each other. Second, the study contributes to the well-being literature by validating the positive correlation between quality of friendships and life satisfaction.…”

“…Ledbetter posited that self-disclosure as the fundamental and specific motivation that could promote web-based interpersonal communication more generally ( Ledbetter, 2009 ). Social web users are reported to disclose themselves indirectly on the computer-mediated communication environment and simultaneously strive to maintain positive impressions ( Chen, 2015 ). Specifically, within the settings of SNS, individuals expose themselves to an online context that reinforces the number and depth of self-disclosure because their experience can reduce both physical and nonverbal cues, discreetly redact their utterances, control their followers, as well as selectively share potentially useful cognitive resources ( Trepte and Reinecke, 2013 ).…”

“…Similarity, Trepte and Reinecke have documented that the SNS environment may encourage individuals to disclose personal information more conveniently and immediately in comparison with face-to-face communication ( Trepte and Reinecke, 2013 ). Furthermore, the lack of social status and non-verbal cues during online interaction also promote users' online self-disclosure practices ( Chen, 2015 ).…”

WeChat usage during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: the mediating role of online self-disclosure on quality of friendship and well-being

“…It can be in a form of text, picture, video or even audio. On social media platform like the WeChat, users always make good use of its various features to indirectly disclose all kinds of information about themselves and also portray themselves in favorable manner to their online friends (Chen, 2015). Social media users are mostly expressing themselves and engaging more in online self- disclosure than those who engage only in face-to-face communication (Walther, 1996).…”