Neves, Joana Paisana Pires Costa dasSantos, Matilde Galego Pimentel Gomes dos2025-11-102025-10-28http://hdl.handle.net/10362/190430Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics, specialization in Business AnalyticsSocial media is used by millions of people worldwide and generates vast amounts of data daily. Its extensive adoption can mostly be attributed to the benefits it offers to its users. However, providing these benefits requires extensive data collection, which in turn gives rise to emerging privacy concerns. Therefore, it becomes essential to understand how users’ realization of these data practices, and the potential implications they carry, can influence their perception of social media benefits. To explore this relationship, an experimental study was conducted with a sample of 245 participants, randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 139) or a treatment group (n = 106). The results indicate that awareness of data collection practices significantly influences users’ perceived benefits of social media. Furthermore, the findings reveal that privacy concerns mediate this relationship, while socio-demographic factors, particularly age, play a moderating role.engSocial mediaPerceived benefitsPrivacy ConcernsData collection realizationSDG 3 - Good health and well-beingSDG 4 - Quality educationSDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructureSDG 10 - Reduced inequalitiesSDG 12 - Responsible production and consumptionmaster thesis204071780