The Journal of Social Media in Society
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Discussing Environmental Issues in Chinese Social Media: An Analysis of Greenpeace China’s Weibo Posts and Audience Responses
No full text Despite growing interest in citizens’ use of social media for environmental purposes, the way in which environmental non-Governmental organizations (ENGOs) employ social media has been largely neglected. Drawing on environmental communication and message framing scholarship, this content analysis of a year’s worth of Greenpeace China’s Weibo posts and user comments explores a) how a leading ENGO discusses environmental issues on social media, and b) how users react to various environmental topics and framing strategies in terms of liking, sharing, and commenting. Results suggested that Greenpeace China adopted the responsibility frame heavily in messages and focused largely on pollution-related topics. Users reacted the most to food and agriculture-related posts. The conflict frame was related to more emotional comments, and the presence of a responsibility frame was related to more likes and reposts. Implications for framing studies on social media and environmental communication are discussed
Real or Fake News: Who Knows?
Get PDFAfter it became one of the most discussed issues during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, this study analyses how often college students are able to tell real from fake news, by applying concepts of news credibility research, using real and fake news stories previously published online. The study looks into respondents’ research and news consumption behavior, as well as comparing results to respondents’ personal characteristics. Results show that the amount of information provided matters, while most personal traits do not, and although most are aware of fake news, they do not act as they should
Business and News Media Perspectives on the Power of Social Media Publics: Case Finland
Get PDFThe Internet, social media, and their varied online publics have affected the working processes of public relations (PR) practitioners and journalists. The digital era has enabled access for various online publics, both individuals and communities, to create, share and search information online and also potentially to increase their communicative power by using networks for influencing, challenging or holding businesses and news media accountable. This interview study investigated Finnish PR practitioners’ and journalists’ perceptions of the potential communicative power of individuals and communities operating on social media and the effects these publics’ online presence and activities have on the professionals’ working processes. The results reveal that despite increasing access to monitoring and joining online discussions, both professions show hesitancy in entering into dialogue with confrontational publics. The professionals have quite a positive stand towards easily classifiable individuals, such as bloggers, but fear more arbitrary individuals’ discussions online. Social media’s communities, such as boycott or lobby groups, present a cooperation potential but the professionals lack strategies to confront them. Overall, the communicative power of social media’s individuals and communities is clearly acknowledged and tied to their missions’ and/or issues’ topic, quantity of people involved, amplitude of discussion, media attention and good organization and professionalism of activities and communication. The study shows further need of research and definition of unclassified online publics and new strategies for both professions to confront them amidst the special communication culture of social media
Social Media For Good? A Survey On Millennials’ Inspirational Social Media Use
No full textThere is no doubt about the extensive use of social media by the millennial generation, but the study of the effects of such use is only in its infancy. Though most studies so far focus on the negative effects of overall time spent on social media, the current study investigated the relationship between exposure to a specific type of content on social media and well-being outcomes: namely, inspirational content. Results of an online survey with a total of 146 students revealed that inspiring social media and online video use, but not overall time spent on social media was related to everyday experiences of gratitude, awe, vitality, prosocial motivations and prosocial behaviors, but not connectedness. Self-transcendent emotions as elicited from inspiring social media mediated these relationships. Results are discussed in relation to the relevance of the content young people view on social media and their impact on well-being.
University Facebook Pages: Engaging the Alumni Community in the Digital Era
No full textThis study examines how colleges and universities use social media in order to inspire higher levels of identification with the institution and build a sense of community within their alumni networks. Qualitative analysis of interviews with university social media managers is coupled with systematic content analysis of 66 university Facebook pages to propose a new model using four content themes to generate higher levels of engagement on social media: pride points, relevance, unifying imagery and nostalgia
Impact of Internet Use on Social Capital: Testing Putnam’s Theory of Time Displacement in Urban Pakistan
Get PDFThere is a rapid growth of information technology in Pakistan and the use of social media in urban Pakistan. This study analyzes the impact of Internet use by the young individuals and its relationship with the social capital and interpersonal behavior. The study reveals that Internet uses affect the youth and displaces them physically from the social capital but on the other hand the users are socially getting closer virtually with the society. Other impacts of the use of Internet are withdrawal of interest in the national development, family affairs and community matters. The study confirms the Putnam theory of time displacement and its effects social capital
Facebook as a Social Support Access Point: Exploring the Solicitation of Social Support Subtypes
Get PDFIn this study, we assessed distinct types of social support afforded from Facebook use. We aimed to compare social support subtypes for their salience on Facebook – while holding constant salient interpersonal mechanisms (e.g., interpersonal mattering). Survey data was collected from students enrolled at a large Midwestern university (n = 247). Our findings showed that Facebook intensity was positively associated with perceived social support afforded from Facebook use, with Facebook esteem support standing out as the most salient social support subtype on Facebook (b = 0.32, SE = 0.05, p < .001, R^2 = .16, n = 246). However, we did not expect Facebook intensity to be positively associated with Facebook esteem-support. The counter finding could suggest that we underestimated the potential esteem boosting functions afforded by Facebook use and perhaps overestimated the effect of negative social comparisons. In addition, we found that interpersonal mattering was inversely associated with Facebook belonging support (b = -1.10, SE = 0.33, p < .01). Interpersonal mattering was positively associated with each of the other three Facebook social support sub-scales – net of the positive effect of Facebook intensity. Our study therefore provides evidence that belonging support is potentially one of the most prevalent forms of social support derived from Facebook use, among college students that have a low sense of interpersonal mattering. Implications, data limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed
Comparing Smartphone Addiction: The Prevalence, Predictors, and Negative Consequences in Hong Kong and Mainland China
Get PDFThis study aimed to identify common and specific factors related to smartphone addiction by systematically comparing the prevalence, predictors, and improper behavioral outcomes of smartphone addiction among university students in two cities. Data were randomly gathered from 661 university students, of which 351 were in Hong Kong and 310 were in Guangzhou in mainland China. The findings indicated that there was no significant difference in the prevalence of smartphone addiction between the two samples. In addition, the comparison of the predictors of smartphone addiction showed similar significant psychological traits (procrastination and urgency) in both regions. The findings also indicated that smartphone addiction might be associated with distinct habits of media use. Entertainment and information seeking behaviors were the unique significant predictors among the Hong Kong students, whereas social interaction was an extremely robust factor among the Guangzhou students. At last, in comparing the predictors of improper use of smartphone, addiction symptoms (craving and complaints) and utility assisting use of smartphone were significant factors for students in both regions
An Empirical Study of Social Media Exchanges about a Controversial Topic: Confirmation Bias and Participant Characteristics
Get PDFThere has been a significant amount of research into social media commentary influences on human behaviors, ranging from its role in affecting political elections to predicting corporate revenues; however, to this point, the factors and influences of social media have not been completely explained and it is not entirely clear whether social media influences or simply confirms preconceptions. Moreover, with sentiment analysis, much of the research has relied on human expert interpretation of the sentiments and semantics written in various social media. It has also tended to be interpretive rather than predictive in nature. In our study, we wanted to know if social media conversations were reflective or influencers of human behavior. Using a social media mining technology we were able to determine sentiments, sentiment intensity, and the characteristics of participants. We found strong evidence of confirmation bias, but that bias was influenced by personal characteristics, and in some cases, whether the sentiments were strongly positive or strongly negative
The Significance of Written Responses as a Nonverbal Cue that Contributes to Online Young Adult Relationship Initiation
Get PDFThis research study investigates the influence typed statements has on the decision-making process for adolescents when choosing to initiate communicating with an online dating match. Undergraduate students (n=247) were administered a 42-item survey, where participants replied to questions that asked if typed responses to prewritten questions influences their decision to initiate communicating with an online dating match. Results indicate typed responses did not adversely impact whether a person will initiate communicating with a match, but additional data does suggest other nonverbal cues are significant.