New Media Use in Context: Environmental Cues and Online Self-Disclosure via Weblogs

As Internet access moves away from desktop platforms to increasingly mobile, handheld, ubiquitous computing tools, questions arise regarding the impact physical surroundings have on online self-disclosure. Considering that popular Web2.0 applications like Weblogs are characterized by broad and often intimate disclosures of personal information, we test the relationship between a range of environmental characteristics and online self-disclosure via blogs. Results suggest that both the familiarity and perceived warmth of locations predict online disclosure. Interestingly, results also suggest that people with low general life satisfaction who also like to talk about themselves tend to engage in online self-disclosure.