The Role of IT Identity in Self-disclosure Behavior of Instagram Users: A Survey of Students in University of Tehran

As people use social networking sites (SNS) more than ever before, disclosing personal information continues to be an issue of increasing concern both for practice and research. In spite of existing privacy concerns, people paradoxically continue to disclose personal information. Information Systems (IS) literature has provided partial explanations for this paradox. However, recent studies have recommended the consideration of spontaneous privacy-related behaviors. The emerging research on IT identity (ITID) – the extent to which an individual views use of an IT as integral to his or her sense of self – has opened a new window on better explaining IT use behaviors. This study aims to investigate the role of ITID in self-disclosure behavior of SNS users. To meet this end, a survey was administered among 467 students at University of Tehran who were also Instagram users. The results of this research, shows that ITID is positively associated with self-disclosure behavior on SNS. Furthermore, it also shows that ITID is indirectly associated with self-disclosure behavior through the mediating constructs of trust, perceived benefits and risks. This study contributes to the research by providing a better explanation of privacy paradox phenomenon and considering the role of ITID in predicting privacy-related behaviors.