RESEARCH PAPERS

Establishment and Coordination of Privacy Boundaries for Social Media Users: A Dual-Process Theory Perspective

  • Geng Ruili ,
  • Sun Yu ,
  • Li Sentao
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  • 1 School of Information Management, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001;
    2 Zhengzhou Data Science Research Center, Zhengzhou 450001;
    3 Data Governance Research Center of Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450001
Geng Ruili, aassociate professor, PhD, doctoral supervisor; Sun Yu, master candidate, corresponding author, E-mail: 15922723125@163.com; Li Sentao, doctoral candidate.

Received date: 2024-08-05

  Revised date: 2024-11-24

  Online published: 2025-06-21

Supported by

This work is supported by the project of the National Social Science Fund of China, titled “Identification and Mitigation Mechanisms of Privacy Risks Derived from Sudden Public Events’” (Grant No. 22BTQ074).

Abstract

[Purpose/Significance] As users continuously engage with social media, factors such as the culture of oversharing, complex privacy settings, and algorithmic recommendations have led to a gradual loss of control over information boundaries. Managing personal information boundaries is a critical defense against privacy risks. [Method/Process] Constructing a two-stage model of user privacy boundary management. Exploring the psychological mechanism of social media users’ privacy boundary management behavior under the perspective of dual-process theory. Data were collected through survey and experimental research methods. Path analysis was used to investigate the effects of internal heuristics information interaction, emotional interaction, privacy risk perception, and systematic privacy literacy on the users’ privacy boundary establishment. Two-factor ANOVA was used to discuss the interaction effects of external heuristic privacy uncertainty and systematic privacy literacy in the coordination stage of users’ privacy boundaries. [Result/Conclusion] The findings suggest that social media users’ privacy boundary management follows a dual-process decision-making model, with privacy literacy playing a driving role in the establishment of privacy boundaries. Users demonstrate specific behavioral tendencies under high privacy uncertainty. Increased privacy literacy can help users avoid cognitive biases triggered by heuristic stimuli. The interaction between privacy literacy and privacy uncertainty results in differentiated privacy boundary management behaviors. The findings not only provide new insights into users’ decision-making behaviors in complex and dynamic information environments, but also offer scientific and practical guidance for policy-making, platform design, and user education.

Cite this article

Geng Ruili , Sun Yu , Li Sentao . Establishment and Coordination of Privacy Boundaries for Social Media Users: A Dual-Process Theory Perspective[J]. Library and Information Service, 2025 , 69(13) : 56 -70 . DOI: 10.13266/j.issn.0252-3116.2025.13.005

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