Factors Influencing Emotional Attachment to Social Network Apps

Nowadays, the average time people spend on their mobile apps is increasing. However, the life cycle of a new mobile app could be very short. For developers, it is important to have a profound impact on users during the first experience. Previous work has been done to show antecedents of app usage and the role of privacy concern on self-disclosure. However, there is a gap in the literature about the emotional attachment to social networking apps (SNAs). We propose a research model to investigate privacy concern and engagement as two antecedents of emotional attachment to an SNA. In addition, we examine the importance of perceived anonymity and self-disclosure on privacy concerns and engagement with the SNA. We will test the research model with the survey method and actual usage data captured from users' log files. Finally, we will discuss expected contributions of this research and future directions.