Cybersecurity Challenges in Social Media Erdal Ozkaya

The first viewpoint: The need to belong vs. the need for privacy 
While opening his discussion on this perspective, Hammer first explains the Need to 
Belong theory, which states that humans wish to live and interact with others to gain some 
benefits. This brings about two things. The first one is a need to get into positive interactions 
and the second one is to reciprocate the concern for each other’s welfare. Hammer says that 
social media sites have been built to satisfy both of these. This, then, brings about the fear of 
social exclusion as a motivator for users sharing information on social media. Humans will 
try and avoid the fear of being rejected by or separated from the others. They will, therefore, 
be more willing to engage in conversations or make posts on social media to remain in touch 
with others. Hammer says that this gives a succinct answer to the first, second, and third 
research questions. As will be further discussed, Hammer gives a number of respondents a 

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survey to test a user’s willingness to post varying levels of sensitive information based on the 
desire to belong to a group.
The second viewpoint: Privacy conceptualization using the social network theory 
Hammer faults the existing conceptualizations of privacy that have only focused on 
individuals. He claims that in the context of social media, interactions and exchanges do not 
involve individual users. Therefore, the conceptualizations of privacy in this space should 
encompass social interactions between multiple users. As such, he says that a social network 
lens should be used. There should be a focus on the relationships between interacting 
individuals and the roles some individuals play in a social network. All these contribute to the 
privacy stands a user might take on social media when interacting with other users. Hammer 
introduces the term multiplexity, which he defines as a relationship formed over time 
between people that features multiple ties. He says that this type of a relationship takes time 
to form and it features an increased rate of interaction between people in the relationship. It 
also features interdependency and this leads to the reciprocation of concern between those in 
the relationship. To prove this viewpoint, Hammer does a survey where he selects users, 
bounds them into groups, and asks them which other users they would be willing to share 
some sensitive information with. This information is used to assess the multiplexity in their 
relationships.