Why Do Young People Avoid Photo Tagging? A New Service Avoidance Scale

Despite the growing attention to the study of various issues concerning online self-presentation, little research has investigated the different reasons underlying the avoidance of online identity and presentation building features. Using a multistage investigation, this study has developed and validated a 25-item instrument for investigating the various reasons why young people avoid Facebook photo tagging. The instrument items were developed based on open-ended qualitative essays written by 141 Indian and Pakistani adolescents who use the Facebook photo-tagging service. From their qualitative responses, 38 items were first extracted and evaluated with 780 Indian adolescent photo taggers. This resulted in the development of a 25-item instrument which was reexamined a year later with 314 Indian adolescent and 106 young adult photo taggers. The study participants were recruited from India and Pakistan in order to address the criticism of previous Facebook research which is chiefly based on U.S.-only study samples. The developed instrument indicated six reasons: destruction of capital, dislike, worry, parental control, embarrassment, and personal appearance. The study results indicate that the developed instrument has a stable factorial structure, validity, and reliability over time. This new instrument offers various theoretical and practical implications for scholars engaged in research involving computer-mediated communication, online self-presentation, and young people.