Strategic Management of Other-Provided Information Online: Personality and Network Variables

Effective self-presentation is challenging in the contemporary computer-mediated communication environment due to the abundance of other-provided information. This study compared two approaches, one that focuses on internal factors (the personality approach) and the other environmental factors (the network approach), explaining why individuals engage in strategic self-presentation to manage other-provided information on social network sites. Using an online survey (N=322) of participants from the United States and Singapore, results suggest that the two approaches work differently in different contexts, depending on the communication mode. Specifically, individuals who stake self-esteem on physical appearance and have diverse online networks are more strategic in their maintenance of other-provided information. Practical and theoretical implications about online self-presentation are provided.