Self-disclosure in Blogging Makes You Befriended and Happy
Some bloggers, I think most of them reflect some of their inner feelings through their writing. Most bloggers more or less use self-disclosure, a process by which an individual shares his or her feelings, thoughts, experiences, or information with others. Self disclosure leads to gain of acquaintance or even develops intimate relationships with others. Witnessed this a couple of time. Posts with a high level of self-disclosure evokes more comments and more subscriptions to your blog. Therefore, self-disclosure may help bloggers to both maintain existing human relations and extend their human network, increase their social capital. More social capital contributes to more sense of well-being.
The question is whether more self-disclosure leads to more social capital and subjective well being.
The answer to this important question comes from a recent study to be published in Cyberpsychology and Behavior.
It appears that as bloggers share their inner thoughts of their moods/feelings with others through writing, they may gain greater social support and improve their social integration. Therefore, self-disclosure through blogging may serve as the core of building intimate relationships. Furthermore, social capital, built through blogging, may improve a blogger’s satisfaction with his or her social contact, interpersonal communication, and overall quality of life.
How was this study done?
This study targets the student groups that comprise the majority of journal blog users in Taiwan (n=569). We employed a questionnaire to collect data, which were then analyzed using structural equation modeling. All items selected for the constructs were adapted from prior research to ensure content validity, the last of which consisted of 43 self-reported items. A pretest and a pilot test were also conducted to validate the instrument and further test the feasibility of this research.
These studied bloggers expressed their mood and feelings very often, and most of their audience come from their classmates and friends in real life (classmates 88.76%, friends 77.68%). This way they can improve their existing relationships in real life. Moreover, audiences interacting with bloggers include lurking strangers (32.55%) and online friends (38.76%), suggesting that self-disclosure behavior can help people turn latent relations into weak ties and expand their social networks.
Is this important?
The trouble is that blogging adolescent students from Taiwan are hardly the core of bloggers in the world. Other influences such as motivation, personality, problems were not included in this study. I think generalizability to other cultures, age groups is hard. The studied population is very different from this old grumpie psychiatrist blogging. What do you think?
Self-disclosure can certainly improve your blogging experience to my opinion what do you think?
Hsiu-Chia Ko, Feng-Yang Kuo (2009). Can Blogging Enhance Subjective Well-Being Through Self-Disclosure? CyberPsychology & Behavior, 2147483647-5 DOI: 10.1089/cpb.2008.0163
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January 13, 2009 @ 6:34 am
Self-disclosure has helped me to gain great perspective, something that was definitely missing for me. Having other people’s support and advice through their comments on my blog has been fundamental in allowing myself to open up more in my day to day relationships. It has given me more confidence to voice my emotions when I am face to face with people now.
I will say I have witnessed this form of self-disclosure get out of hand however, as bloggers become sensationalists in order to attract more attention to their blog and spark more controversial comments to their posts. Dangerous and damaging behaviour.
January 13, 2009 @ 8:39 am
I was going to comment that I find diary-type blogs particularly boring, but if Hanberry Pie could direct me to one of these dangerous sensationalist blogs, then I might change my mind.
January 13, 2009 @ 9:37 pm
Self-disclosure in blogging (as opposed to semi-anonymous comments) is something I wish I had the guts to do. I come from a pretty toxic upbringing where everything could and would be used against me, I didn’t even maintain a diary lest it would be stolen and used against me. Not surprisingly, even my IRL relations suffer… Not as much as my online networking though: the thought that anyone in the world can access personal information about me to possibly use against me is quite disturbing. I’ve seen too many getting internet stalked as well as having their (non-financial) identities stolen…
Yet I’m painfully aware of how important it is that people compare as well as bond over experiences.
How does one balance self-disclosure with privacy?
January 13, 2009 @ 10:11 pm
@Rr That is a very difficult question. It depends with wath level your comfortable. It also depends on your experience as a blogger. You can always start with no disclosure and practice with more self disclosure over time if your more comfortable with it. That would be my best reflection on this, anyone?
Kind regards Dr Shock
January 13, 2009 @ 10:20 pm
Self-disclosure isn’t about posting your address and bank details, or even your real name, to the internet at large. I don’t think that’s what causes the satisfying sense of interactions people report. Rather, it’s to do with talking about what matters to you, your thoughts and opinions, the things that make you who you are. Most of my family can tell you my name and date of birth and so on, but few or none of them could tell you what kind of person I’m really like, while “strangers” I’ve met on the internet through blogging could tell you all kinds of things about me that could make your hair stand on end! And it doesn’t bother me, because those are stories I’ve chosen to share, and I’ve been lucky enough that the rewards have far outweighed the risks so far. Because the rewards really have been great; the man who is now my husband says he fell in love with me thanks to my writing, and because of that I’ve moved to a new country to be with him, made more friends there through blogging, and had many of the experiences that have shaped the person I consider myself to be.
January 13, 2009 @ 10:42 pm
@Holy Very nice and impressive story. Did you meet him through your blogging? Besides thoughts and opinions you probably also shared your feelings, to my opinion a strong point of self disclosure, kind regards Dr shock
January 13, 2009 @ 10:55 pm
Oh yes, lots about my feelings! I’ve never been an emotionally subtle person. I was actually having a hard time in my life at that point and he found my LiveJournal through mutual online friends, started reading and commenting in an attempt to cheer me up, we got talking in e-mails, eventually on the phone, I flew over here to meet him, visited a few times, and now we’re married and I live here permanently. It sounds very simple put that way; it caused a lot of emotional strife of its own during the couple of years this was happening.
We had a lot to talk about but I think the emotional self-disclosure was among the most important aspects in us getting together; that’s a big part of what I was talking about above, knowing what a person is “really” like.
January 17, 2009 @ 7:20 am
Published on: http://www.beforeyoutakethatpill.com
Historically, information sources provided to American citizens were limited due to the few methods available to the public, such as radio, TV, or news print. And also this information was subject to being filtered and, in some cases, delayed. This occurred for a number of reasons, which included political ones.
Now, and with arguably great elation, there is the internet, which can be rather beneficial for the average citizen.
Soon after the advent of the internet well over a decade ago, web logs were created, that are now termed ‘blogs’. At that time the blogs were referred to as personal journals or diaries visible on line. As time passed, blogs became a media medium, and blog communities evolved into addressing topics that often were not often addressed in mainstream media, as they crossed previously existing political and social lines. In addition, blogs provide immediate contributions by others, the readers of the posts of the blog authors, instead of the cumbersomeness of opinion and editorial pieces historically and not always presented in such media forms as newspapers or magazines.
The authors of blogs vary as far as their backgrounds and intent of what they choose to address on their blogs exactly, just as with other media forms. Some are employed by the very media sources that existed before them. Furthermore, they are not exonerated from the legalities of what is written, such as cases of libel. While we can presume that bloggers like to write, they may not be quality writers, yet several are in fact journalists, as well as doctors and lawyers, for example. But to write is to think, which I believe is a good quality one should have. Regardless, a type of Socratic learning seems to be occurring due to the advent of blogs.
Yet presently, blogs have become quite a driving force for those with objectives and issues often opposed by others, and therefore have become a serious threat to others. These others may be politicians, our government, or corporations- all of which have been known to monitor the content of certain blogs of concern to them for their potential to negatively affect their image or their activities previously undisclosed. This is why blogs, on occasion, have become a media medium for whistleblowers, which will be addressed further in a moment.
While one disadvantage of blogs is the potential lack of reliability, blogs however do allow in addition to the comments of its readers the posting of authentic internal or confidential documents that typically are not created to be viewed by the public, yet are acquired by certain bloggers. For example, blogger Dr. Peter Rost, a whistleblower himself, not long ago posted a newsletter published by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca on his blog site, and this newsletter was given to him by AstraZeneca’s employees who called themselves the ‘AZ Group of Seven’- with the intent of this group being to bring to the attention of others the illegal activity of off-label promotion of one of AZ’s cancer drugs promoted by their employer. Yet this particular concern by AZ seven, by surprise, is not what caught the attention of so many who viewed the posted newsletter by Dr. Rost and was read with great interest by others. It was instead a comment included in this newsletter that was stated by former regional AZ manager Mike Zubalagga, who was being interviewed by a district manager in this newsletter. Mr. Zubalagga, who in this newsletter posted on Dr Rost’s blog site, referred to doctors’ offices as ‘buckets of money’, which caught the attention of several readers. This and other statements by this man were in fact published in this newsletter clearly not reviewed before its publication. . Again, the statement and the newsletter created by AZ was indeed authentic and further validated due to the content being in the written word, which added credibility.
Mr. Zubalagga was fired the next day due to this ‘buckets of money’ comment due to the effect it had on the image of his employer. His manager resigned soon afterwards from AZ.
Blogs, one can safely conclude, reveal secrets.
And there have been other whistleblower cases on various blogs in addition to this one described a moment ago, which illustrates the power of blogs as being a very powerful and threatening media medium of valid information disclosure that others cannot prevent from occurring.
This, in my opinion, is true freedom of information- largely free of embellishments or selective omissions. It’s a step towards communication utopia, perhaps, yet a force that has the ability to both harm and protect many others.
Yet again, the information on these blogs should not be taken as absolute truth without proof to verify claims that may be made, as with other media sources. Of course, documents that are authentic is an example of a good validation source. And this, in my opinion, is the blog’s greatest value, combined with the comments on blogs from the growing number of readers who are allowed to contribute to the subject matter so quickly, which fuels the objectives of the blogs, which may be a type of Socratic learning.
Like other written statements, some on such internet sites are composed with respect of the written word. Others are not. It’s the freedom that may be most appealing of this new medium which has the ability to convert citizens into journalists who want to contribute to an issue of their concern they share with the blogger often with great conviction and accuracy.
Because we, the public, have a right to know what we are entitled to know and what we want to know. This is especially true if the information disclosed on blogs could potentially be adverse to our well-being.
Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power.
“Information is the seed of an idea, and only grows when it’s watered.” — Heinz V. Berger
Dan Abshear
February 3, 2009 @ 10:47 am
Hi Dr. Shock,
I spent four years fighting on a Democratic political forum and revealing many of my positions. However, the “see-saw” nature of the commentary, and the ease with which people could “gang up” on other people for the silliest thing — was a real turn-off. The site is very interesting, and I still read it from time to time, but in July 2008, it came to a point where the mention of a viewpoint between the woman candidate and the black candidate would bring out terrible venom. I got deeply caught up in it, and blew my stack in full daylight a couple of times.
Here are my examples:
Hillary was verbally lynched dust-up
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132×5926709 – 5935748
Mentioning that a waitress was black
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=7054055&mesg_id=7054055
Mamma Mia review thread that got locked… even though I edited it immediately for an off-handed quip that became inflammatory.(“The movie will be fun for girls and gays” — which was used by others in their reviews.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105×7945061
It was an interesting experience to be in touch with so many people at one time, and I made a lot of cyberfriends. But my viewpoints were manipulated and regurgitated by a wide group of members until I was unceremoniously banned by the owner and moderators in July 2008. And, yes, much to my chagrin, they talked about me when I was gone.
In general, I have always spoken out about my life on the radio since the early 1970s. I really wouldn’t have known how to do anything else as a radio personality.
This is a more general link in which my day to day commentary on movies, stepparenting, politics and life in general were grouped. I no longer have access to this material.
Radio Lady: Archive from the Democratic Underground
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/?az=archives&j=418&page=1
Thanks for allowing us to share here.
Bayesian Investor Blog » Blog Archive » Livejournal
February 16, 2009 @ 8:32 pm
[…] someone is interesting if that person discusses personal thoughts on the web, and a report that self-disclosure in blogs may help develop better relationships with others helps confirm that I’m not the only one to react that […]
February 18, 2009 @ 8:27 pm
Published on: http://www.beforeyoutakethatpill.com
The Prevention of Ignorance
Historically, information sources provided to American citizens were limited due to the few methods available to the public, such as radio, TV, or news print. And also this information was subject to being filtered and, in some cases, delayed. This occurred for a number of reasons, which included political ones.
Now, and with arguably great elation, there is the internet, which can be rather beneficial for the average citizen.
Soon after the advent of the internet well over a decade ago, web logs were created, that are now termed ‘blogs’. At that time the blogs were referred to as personal journals or diaries visible on line. As time passed, blogs became a media medium, and blog communities evolved into addressing topics that often were not often addressed in mainstream media, as they crossed previously existing political and social lines. In addition, blogs provide immediate contributions by others, the readers of the posts of the blog authors, instead of the cumbersomeness of opinion and editorial pieces historically and not always presented in such media forms as newspapers or magazines.
The authors of blogs vary as far as their backgrounds and intent of what they choose to address on their blogs exactly, just as with other media forms. Some are employed by the very media sources that existed before them. Furthermore, they are not exonerated from the legalities of what is written, such as cases of libel. While we can presume that bloggers like to write, they may not be quality writers, yet several are in fact journalists, as well as doctors and lawyers, for example. But to write is to think, which I believe is a good quality one should have. Regardless, a type of Socratic learning seems to be occurring due to the advent of blogs.
Yet presently, blogs have become quite a driving force for those with objectives and issues often opposed by others, and therefore have become a serious threat to others. These others may be politicians, our government, or corporations- all of which have been known to monitor the content of certain blogs of concern to them for their potential to negatively affect their image or their activities previously undisclosed. This is why blogs, on occasion, have become a media medium for whistleblowers, which will be addressed further in a moment.
While one disadvantage of blogs is the potential lack of reliability, blogs however do allow in addition to the comments of its readers the posting of authentic internal or confidential documents that typically are not created to be viewed by the public, yet are acquired by certain bloggers. For example, blogger Dr. Peter Rost, a whistleblower himself, not long ago posted a newsletter published by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca on his blog site, and this newsletter was given to him by AstraZeneca’s employees who called themselves the ‘AZ Group of Seven’- with the intent of this group being to bring to the attention of others the illegal activity of off-label promotion of one of AZ’s cancer drugs promoted by their employer. Yet this particular concern by AZ seven, by surprise, is not what caught the attention of so many who viewed the posted newsletter by Dr. Rost and was read with great interest by others. It was instead a comment included in this newsletter that was stated by former regional AZ manager Mike Zubalagga, who was being interviewed by a district manager in this newsletter. Mr. Zubalagga, who in this newsletter posted on Dr Rost’s blog site, referred to doctors’ offices as ‘buckets of money’, which caught the attention of several readers. This and other statements by this man were in fact published in this newsletter clearly not reviewed before its publication. . Again, the statement and the newsletter created by AZ was indeed authentic and further validated due to the content being in the written word, which added credibility.
Mr. Zubalagga was fired the next day due to this ‘buckets of money’ comment due to the effect it had on the image of his employer. His manager resigned soon afterwards from AZ.
Blogs, one can safely conclude, reveal secrets.
And there have been other whistleblower cases on various blogs in addition to this one described a moment ago, which illustrates the power of blogs as being a very powerful and threatening media medium of valid information disclosure that others cannot prevent from occurring.
This, in my opinion, is true freedom of information- largely free of embellishments or selective omissions. It’s a step towards communication utopia, perhaps, yet a force that has the ability to both harm and protect many others.
Yet again, the information on these blogs should not be taken as absolute truth without proof to verify claims that may be made, as with other media sources. Of course, documents that are authentic is an example of a good validation source. And this, in my opinion, is the blog’s greatest value, combined with the comments on blogs from the growing number of readers who are allowed to contribute to the subject matter so quickly, which fuels the objectives of the blogs, which may be a type of Socratic learning.
Like other written statements, some on such internet sites are composed with respect of the written word. Others are not. It’s the freedom that may be most appealing of this new medium which has the ability to convert citizens into journalists who want to contribute to an issue of their concern they share with the blogger often with great conviction and accuracy.
Because we, the public, have a right to know what we are entitled to know and what we want to know. This is especially true if the information disclosed on blogs could potentially be adverse to our well-being.
Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power.
“Information is the seed of an idea, and only grows when it’s watered.” — Heinz V. Berger
Dan Abshear
June 26, 2009 @ 12:28 pm
To paraphrase Rr in the comments earlier: how does one balance non-self-disclosure with honesty?
As for the general thrust of the piece… well, why do we blog? Obviously it must make us feel better in one way or another.
I’m not too sure about the social-capital idea. If you have plenty of friends already that you can open up to, then why blog?
Well, I think it’s a combination of two things: searching out fellow insomniacs, and communication through text is less challenging (possibly due to the inherent ambiguity – one reads in what one wants to read) than face-to-face.