TY - JOUR
T1 - See something, say something? The role of online self-disclosure on fear of terror among young social media users
AU - Kaskeleviciute, Ruta
AU - Knupfer, Helena
AU - Matthes, Jörg
PY - 2024/11
Y1 - 2024/11
N2 - Given that terrorism is omnipresent on social media, it is imperative to study how seeing terror content online is related to individuals’ attitudes, behaviors, and emotions. This study investigates how exposure to terrorism on social media associates with terror-related online self-disclosure and how self-disclosure, in turn, relates to fear of terrorism. A quota-based survey of young social media users (16- to 25-year-olds; N = 864) in Germany revealed that exposure to Islamist and far-right terrorism is related to higher online self-disclosure. Political ideology moderated the relationship between exposure to far-right terrorism and online self-disclosure, but not when exposed to Islamist terrorism. Attitudinal differentiation was negatively associated with self-disclosure. Additionally, we found an interaction effect of exposure to Islamist terrorism and attitudinal differentiation on self-disclosure. Finally, the results showed that online self-disclosure was positively related to fear of terrorism. By and large, our findings highlight the relevance of social media for the levels of fear.
AB - Given that terrorism is omnipresent on social media, it is imperative to study how seeing terror content online is related to individuals’ attitudes, behaviors, and emotions. This study investigates how exposure to terrorism on social media associates with terror-related online self-disclosure and how self-disclosure, in turn, relates to fear of terrorism. A quota-based survey of young social media users (16- to 25-year-olds; N = 864) in Germany revealed that exposure to Islamist and far-right terrorism is related to higher online self-disclosure. Political ideology moderated the relationship between exposure to far-right terrorism and online self-disclosure, but not when exposed to Islamist terrorism. Attitudinal differentiation was negatively associated with self-disclosure. Additionally, we found an interaction effect of exposure to Islamist terrorism and attitudinal differentiation on self-disclosure. Finally, the results showed that online self-disclosure was positively related to fear of terrorism. By and large, our findings highlight the relevance of social media for the levels of fear.
KW - Attitudinal differentiation
KW - political ideology
KW - self-disclosure
KW - social media
KW - terrorism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85147534305&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/14614448221148982
DO - 10.1177/14614448221148982
M3 - Article
SN - 1461-4448
VL - 26
SP - 6260
EP - 6288
JO - New Media & Society
JF - New Media & Society
IS - 11
ER -