Visual Provocation and Digital Identity Online

Among the billions of photos that have been contributed to online photo-sharing sites, there are many that are provocative, controversial, and deeply personal. Previous research has examined motivations for sharing images online and has identified several key motivations for doing so: expression, curation of identity, maintaining social connections, and recording experiences. However, few studies have focused on the perceived risks of posting photos online and even fewer have examined the risks associated with provocative, controversial, or deeply personal images. In this project we explore the motivations for posting these types of images and the perceived risks of doing so to (1) guide the design and development of improved photo sharing sites for the development of enhanced digital identities, (2) provide users with tools to make informed decisions about what to share online, and (3) develop systems that are sensitive to users’ concerns.