SOCIAL EXCHANGE THEORY IN THE CONTEXT OF X (TWITTER) AND FACEBOOK SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WITH A FOCUS ON PRIVCAY CONCERNS AMONG SAUDI STUDENTS

Abstract

Examining rewards, costs, and comparison levels, the Social Exchange Theory (SET) in sociology underpins our comprehension of self-interest-driven social relationships. Trust, authority, and reciprocity have a substantial impact on these interactions. The Social Exchange Theory (SET) is a valuable lens for understanding human relationships, including online interactions. Social media platforms, such as X (Twitter) and Facebook, have become indispensable communication tools in our daily lives. Nevertheless, due to their user base, they also attract cybercriminals. X (Twitter) offers a variety of security features, such as password protection, two-factor authentication, privacy settings, and app controls, but users must remain vigilant against fraud attempts. Facebook collects vast amounts of private information, which increases the importance of comprehending and implementing security settings. Security awareness is essential for data protection, risk reduction, and conformance with privacy laws. Awareness allows users to manage interactions with security in mind and results in a more secure digital environment, mitigating risks such as identity fraud. Various methodological approaches have allowed the investigation of these two digital phenomena, and the current research contributes to the literature by examining the use of social media and its security settings using a SET lens within a Saudi student environment. This research followed a traditional format for a dissertation, which includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, and conclusion with the results section presented the findings from the three essays. The first essay employs the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology of SET. PRISMA's systematic and exhaustive approach to literature evaluation increases the likelihood of obtaining high-quality, reproducible findings. In the second essay, which focuses on awareness of X’s (Twitter) security settings, a quantitative research approach was utilized. A sample of former and current Saudi students (graduate and undergraduate) at the University of North Texas participated in the investigation. This research provides an empirical examination of the use of X (Twitter) and its security features within this community by employing statistical analysis of the data from respondents. Likewise, the same sample of Saudi students from the University of North Texas was used for the third essay in which the use of Facebook's security settings was examined. Having a consistent sample across both studies enables a comparison and a greater understanding of the security awareness and practices of this group across various social media platforms. The findings across the different studies extend our understanding of the role of culture in privacy and security concerns related to social media.