Cyberbullying on Social Networking Sites: A Self-Awareness Perspective (Abstract)

Fueled by the socio-technical nature of social networking sites (SNSs), these social platforms have become a breeding ground for cyberbullying. While researchers in the Information Systems field have begun to investigate the cause of such behaviors, there is a lack of explanation to delineate the effects of the technological environment in shaping such behaviors while accounting for its collective deviant nature.

Drawing on differential self-awareness theory, we develop a research model that explains how submergence in an online social network environment reduces self-awareness and leads users to gang up and act aggressively on SNSs. Specifically, we examine the effects of two SNS environmental cues on diminishing self-awareness, which in turn, entice cyberbullying on SNSs as a group. We conceive that accountability cues will positively influence public self-awareness, whereas attentional cues will positively influence private self-awareness, and the two facets of self-awareness will then influence the frequency of cyberbullying on SNSs.

The research model will be tested with an anonymous survey study. The study is expected to add to the growing body of knowledge of cyberbullying on SNSs and provide recommendations for technology-based intervention.