What drives you to check in on Facebook? Motivations, privacy concerns, and mobile phone involvement for location-based information sharing

Given the popularity of checking in at a location via mobile phone, little research has examined the germane motivations tied to location check-in as a form of in-group electronic word-of-mouth and its relation to the concern of privacy. A survey with 255 college students found that the students' privacy concerns - both online and Facebook specific - did not show any relationship with the motivations of location check-in as a means of information sharing. However, the relationship varied among the non-users of location check-in on Facebook. Involvement with mobile phone showed mixed relationships with check-in motivations - commitment to Facebook, self-development and reputation, and promotional viral communication. Findings not only confirm that young Facebook users are relatively free from the concern of privacy during their location-based information sharing, but also suggest different motivational mechanisms to operate for Facebook users' viral communication depending on the habitualness of their mobile phone use. Implications are discussed for interpersonal marketing strategies on social networking sites.