Online social networking behaviors among Chinese younger and older adolescent: The influences of age, gender, personality, and attachment styles

• We conducted survey on social networking behaviors in 531 Chinese adolescents.
• We found many Chinese adolescents displayed personal information online.
• Participants’ privacy disclosure was negatively correlated with SNS behaviors.
• SNS behaviors were influenced by developmental factors.
• Attachment styles moderated association between disclosure and SNS behaviors.

Risks associated with adolescents’ uses of social networking sites (SNSs) propelled investigations concerning how online privacy and security behaviors are related to young people’s general activities online. To explore adolescents’ SNS behaviors, among a group of 531 volunteered adolescent participants during their junior or senior middle school years in Beijing, this study ran exploratory factor analysis based on statements from non-structured interview targeting their Renren SNS uses, and further investigated the levels of and the associations between SNS behaviors based on developmental factors of age, gender, personality, and attachment styles. Results suggest most Chinese younger and older adolescents were likely disclosing real names and photos on SNSs, and their latent utilization, socializing, and privacy disclosure SNS behaviors were influenced by age, gender, personality, or attachment styles. Moreover, the negative associations of privacy disclosure with utilization or socializing behaviors were likely affected by personality and attachment categories. Although Chinese adolescents showed some levels of concerns in their SNS privacy disclosure, education of SNS privacy and security along with adolescent care in general are perhaps helpful for providing a better online experience for young people.