Technical and professional communication instruction is well suited to helping students develop digital literacy but must be informed by research regarding how students are using specific social media platforms, particularly the propensity to post content that could damage their career capital. This study examined this question for students in Austria, Australia, and the United States. In Austria and Australia, this behavior was found to be no greater for Twitter than it was for Facebook. Conversely, for the United States, the behavior was found to be more pronounced. These and additional results regarding attitudes toward information privacy are reported.

Building on the authors' prior studies that investigate uses and perceptions of online social networks, this study critically explores the emerging social networking culture. In doing so, the research seeks to identify possible constructs that can be used to predict social networking behavior that may then be tested in a future study. The study relies on multiple user perspectives, drawing its participants from international students at two universities, one in Australia and one in the United States. Throughout this process, the utility of using the lens of national culture versus using other lenses is also examined. While the qualitative data suggests somewhat divergent approaches to social networking in different countries, a number of common themes were also identified. Two themes which appeared across national boundaries were changes in use over time and privacy and trust.