Hide your past: the “time sensitivity” effect in self-disclosure

Purpose In social media, there is a growing trend of individuals increasingly opting to conceal personal information that they once openly shared. Previous research has examined factors influencing self-disclosure but has not addressed how the duration of disclosed information (DDI) influences continuous disclosure behavior. Design/methodology/approach We test our proposed hypotheses through six experiments. Descriptive statistics, mediation and moderation analyses were conducted on the data collected from the online platform to test the hypotheses of this research. Findings The results of this study demonstrate a “time sensitivity” effect in self-disclosure, indicating that as DDI increases, individuals perceive the information to be more sensitive, leading to a decreased intention to continue disclosure. This effect is driven by psychological responses in which longer DDI increases perceived cognitive conflict, and it is moderated by tie strength, being amplified under weaker ties and attenuated under stronger ties. Research limitations/implications The current study suggests that future research should be conducted in non-social and anonymous contexts, in unfamiliar social environments and on the bidirectional link between disclosure duration and perceived sensitivity. Originality/value First, this study advances the literature on information sensitivity by introducing a dynamic temporal perspective. Second, we identify cognitive conflict as a key mechanism underlying this effect, explaining how shifts in self-perception influence perceived sensitivity. Third, we establish tie strength as a boundary condition for the “time sensitivity” effect. Finally, we extend the self-disclosure literature by shifting the focus from momentary disclosures to continuous self-disclosure behaviors, highlighting how disclosure timing shapes ongoing information-sharing decisions.