Lurking: Good or Bad?
The word implies negative behaviour, but the reality is often far more reasonable.
The more online we are as a society, the more people are concerned about privacy—especially those that are relatively unfamiliar with the technology. How do we know when we’ve shared too much information online?
The rise of e-commerce on social media doesn’t help. Many people make accounts with businesses to make that checkout process easier, filling in their personal information without a second thought. People also want to connect with one another online, meaning they often divulge those personal details in order to bond.
So how do we stay safe on social media while still maintaining a presence? Believe it or not, some research has found that lurking is the way to go.
What is Lurking?
Not to be confused with doomscrolling or social media addiction, we often think of lurking as a sort of invasive act. However, researchers have found that it’s a pretty reasonable protection mechanism.
In past research, lurking has been viewed in two key ways:
Conservatively entering an online group (social media platform) but keeping personal information undisclosed for privacy safety reasons.
Joining social media but keeping a quiet, unmarked presence to observe the culture of a group before diving in.
In this study, the researcher defined lurking as ‘a member of an online community or online social network who observes, but does not actively participate.’ If that’s the definition, then we’re all at least part-time lurkers! We’ve all spent time online—especially on social media—just observing, scrolling, and surfing.
People who lurk usually want access to information or content they’re interested in and are quick to leave the online community or platform when it stops being fulfilling or becomes too distracting.
Why Do People Lurk?
Well, this study showed there are a few main reasons people lurk on social media:
They’re anxious about using computers
They’re concerned about online privacy
Browsing is just enough for them
Interestingly, and perhaps counterintuitively, lurking was viewed as a communication strategy in this study. Lurkers could maintain a connection with groups while keeping a comfortable distance.
Computer Anxiety and Privacy Concerns
Computer anxiety refers to feelings of disproportionate anxiety about computers, usually stemming from not fully understanding them. Computer anxiety comes from fear of the unknown or worry that computer use will cause frustration, embarrassment, or disappointment.
Studies show that people who suffer from computer anxiety will also have heightened fears about information privacy. For example, they get nervous about things like posting messages onto a public wall instead of a private one—a very understandable concern.
This study showed that computer anxiety was a mediating factor in how people used social media and can often lead to lurking behaviour.
Social Media Users and Privacy
Information privacy concerns on social media are so common there’s a (pretty obvious) term for it: concern for social media information privacy (CFSMIP). This phenomenon is partly due to the increase in businesses infiltrating social media and using peoples’ preferences to sell them targeted goods/services. The more you put online, the more businesses can take advantage of your interests (think: the highly personalized ads you see while you scroll).
The other side of CFSMIP is the fear of diving too deep with online groups. This study showed that those who are nervous about computers in general are also the most nervous about their personal information being misused online. Divulging information as you get comfortable with a platform is a good way to manage this.
For those who think enjoying social media from a distance is enough for them, that’s okay! As long as you don’t spend too much passive time on social media, you should be just fine. Plus, keeping your personal info close is always a good idea!
Study Objectives & Methods
Is lurking an anxiety-masking strategy on social media sites? The effects of lurking and computer anxiety on explaining information privacy concern on social media platforms.
Babajide Osatuyi, PhD.
Published in Computer in Human Behaviour, 2015.
A researcher looked into the phenomenon of lurking on social media with the hope of understanding its mediating effects on computer anxiety and privacy concerns. Measurement scales for this study were adapted from other research. Computer anxiety, lurking, behavioural intentions and CFSMIP were measured using a 5-point Likert type scale. 250 undergraduate students in a computer information systems course completed a web-based survey to collect data for this study.
