When did fun become so much work: The impact of social media invasiveness on continued social media use

an article by Eleanor Loiacono (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts, USA) and Scott McCoy (College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA) published in Information Technology & People Volume 31 Issue 4 (2018)

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the negative impact the invasive nature of social media technologies (SMTs) can have on a user’s continued intention to use it.

Design/methodology/approach
In order to understand the impact technology invasiveness (TI) has on people’s continued SMT behavior, a research model and corresponding survey were developed based on a comprehensive literature review and data collected from actual SMT users.

Findings
The authors found perceived usefulness has a large impact on user’s attitudes. Additionally, social networking (SN) has a significant and direct impact on both attitude toward the use of the SMT and its continued use. Another interesting finding is how strongly SN increases a user’s TI. The negative impact technology has on users’ lives comes from the need users feel to continue to update and manage their online persona.

Practical implications
Social media tools are becoming part of the workplace environment. If not careful, companies may introduce increased pressures on their workers to constantly be “connected” to SMTs. In order to obtain the advantages of SMT usage, companies would be wise to set expectation standards that alleviate some of this pressure.

Social implications
This growth in social media would lead one to assume that all is well with SMTs and their usage is similar to other web-based technologies. However, there are some negative effects of SMT that warrant society and companies pausing to rethink the focus on these technologies.

Originality/value
Previous research has looked at IT from system success and acceptance. In this paper, we investigate the negative impact the invasive nature of SMTs can have on a user’s continued intention to use it.

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