The effect of social identity on the perception of privacy in social media

This study addresses the issue of privacy, which is of indisputable importance for individuals. With the emergence of digitalization, the prevalence of use of social media platforms/channels and the increase in their duration of use have brought about a significant change in the way individuals perceive privacy. In identity formation processes on social media platforms, protecting privacy is gaining more importance. Individuals share their private information with the attraction of being visible and participate in identity formation processes on social media. However, protecting privacy is increasingly gaining importance in today's world. The study investigated the effect of social identity perception on privacy perception on social media. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the social identity theory, which suggests that individuals' sense of belonging to social groups shapes their emotions and behaviors. Accordingly, it is thought that social identity perception may have an effect on how individuals perceive privacy boundaries in digital environments. In the study designed using a quantitative research method, a questionnaire was administered to 283 people. According to the findings obtained from the regression analysis, it was determined that social identity perception has a significant effect on privacy perception on social media. The contribution of the research is twofold: first, despite the existence of literature on social media and privacy, the number of studies directly examining the effect of social identity perception on privacy perception is limited. Second, this study is expected to raise awareness about privacy in digital communication and help social media users make more conscious choices. Keywords: Privacy, Privacy management in social media, Identity, Social identity, Quantitative Research