The Impact of Using Social Media for Advertising Appliances on Consumer Behaviour

The small appliance industry in South Africa offers consumers a wide range of appliances, models and brands. Understanding the consumer and shopper trends is still in its infancy stage within this segment of the market. This study focuses on investigating the use of effective online engagement and the ability to understand how online interaction changes consumers’ behaviour among an appliance brand’s customers which constitute the sample of the study. How the group can understand the full route to market and best make use of segments for engagement was also investigated. A survey was conducted where questionnaire was administrated via the group’s page on Facebook and consisted of opinion-based questions on the perception of Facebook as a medium to influence consumer behaviour. The results of the survey revealed that potential consumers who use Facebook do engage with appliance brands and manufactures, and they admit that engaging with them on Facebook influences their behaviour around appliances

The Effects of Self-Presentational Goals While Using Social Networking Sites on Contingencies of Self-Worth

People’s social image is an important part of their feelings of self-worth (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). The rise in social networking sites allows for people to become even more social, yet allows them a great amount of control over their social image. The present research investigated whether the social and self-presentational nature of social networking sites can change its users’ contingencies of self-worth (Crocker & Wolfe, 2001). It was hypothesized that social networking use leads to an increased concern with others’ perception and a greater dependence on external contingencies of self-worth (appearance, approval of others, and competition). Forty-four participants used a social networking site designed to mimic Facebook for one week. Participants’ goals for the social networking site were manipulated and change in their external contingencies of self-worth and concern with perception on Facebook was measured. Although no significant changes in external contingencies of self-worth were found, participants with an impression goal became more concerned with their perception on Facebook compared to participants with an expression goal. This provides preliminary evidence that striving to impress others through social networks can lead to an increased concern with others’ perceptions and possibly an increased value placed on validation from others.No embarg

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Social Media: Understanding the Relationship Between Facebook, Twitter, and Political Understanding

Social media is ubiquitous and holds a significant place in modern society. Social media feeds are inundated with political content and are used by politicians and citizens alike to post political commentary. Neither mass media nor politics are new areas of study in sociology, but the entanglement of the two is proving to be of interest, as some scholarship argues that social media is driving changes in how politics works in the United States. We must consider how the citizenry consumes and processes political information in the modern era in view of the interplay between social media and current events. This study examines how membership and/or regular use of Facebook, and membership and/or regular use of Twitter affects perceived political understanding. I propose that, respectively, Facebook and Twitter use will increase perception of political understanding. Analysis of data from the 2016 General Social Survey reveals that Twitter membership and/or regular use is correlated with political understanding; meaning that those who use Twitter are more likely to believe they have an understanding of the political issues facing our country. The data confirms that the relationship between social media and political understanding must be taken seriously, and warrants deeper exploration. There is a need for future research that explores the kinds of content individuals consume on social media and the time they spend on these sites in order to develop a more robust understanding of exactly how social media use affects political understanding

The digital glass house - Social networking and privacy

Since the explosion of the Internet age, nearly 2 billion people are connected to the World Wide Web, creating seemingly limitless opportunities for communication and collaboration including social networking. Communication is virtually instantaneous and vast amounts of information are available at the touch of a key.In such an open digital environment, we take it for granted that almost any information can be sourced online by anyone with Internet access.The rapid growth of the social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook, which reaches 500 million users recently, has coincided with an increasing concern over personal privacy.This study examines how Facebook users' perceptions of privacy, frequency of use, and the disclosure of their personal information with other users. This study was guided by two research questions: What are the Facebook users' perceptions of privacy and what is the personal information they disclose to other users? Does the Facebook users' frequency of use affect their disclosure of personal information? 149 respondents from the researcher's own Facebook profile filled up a Web-based questionnaire in August 2010. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.The research hypothesized that higher levels of privacy perception will result in less disclosure of personal information and the more active a user is on Facebook, the greater will be the user's likelihood of maintaining a private profile. The results of chi-square tests and correlation analysis found significant positive relationships between privacy perception and the disclosure of personal information, and no significant relationships between frequency of use and disclosure of personal information. Recommendations for future researchers were also included

“I don’t want to look sick skinny”: Perceptions of body image and weight loss in Hispanics living with HIV in South Texas

Objective: Obesity is rising in people with HIV (PLWH) and Hispanics. Both HIV and obesity are associated with cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Our goal is to understand perceptions of body image and lifestyle in Hispanics with HIV to adapt interventions appropriately. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 Hispanic PLWH and 6 providers. Purposive sampling selected patient participants across weights and genders. Interviews were coded and analyzed using grounded theory, comparing perspectives between patients with and without obesity, and patients and providers. Results: Participants felt obesity and diabetes were “normal” in the community. Patients exhibited understanding of healthy diet and lifestyle but felt incapable of maintaining either. Traditionally Hispanic foods were blamed for local obesity prevalence. Five patients equated weight with health and weight loss with illness, and four expressed concerns that weight loss could lead to unintentional disclosure of HIV status. Participants with overweight or obesity expressed awareness of their weight and felt shamed by providers. Providers found weight loss interventions to be ineffective. Conclusion: Interventions in this population must address identified barriers: overweight/obesity as a normative value, lack of self-efficacy, cultural beliefs surrounding food, fear of HIV-associated weight loss and stigma, and provider perspectives on intervention futility

Romantic Relationship Stages and Social Networking Sites: Uncertainty Reduction Strategies and Perceived Relational Norms on Facebook

Due to their pervasiveness and unique affordances, social media play a distinct role in the development of modern romantic relationships. This study examines how a social networking site is used for information seeking about a potential or current romantic partner. In a survey, Facebook users (N= 517) were presented with Facebook behaviors categorized as passive (e.g., reading a partner’s profile), active (e.g., ‘‘friending’’ a common third party), or interactive (e.g., commenting on the partner’s wall) uncertainty reduction strategies. Participants reported how normative they perceived these behaviors to be during four possible stages of relationship development (before meeting face-to-face, after meeting face-to-face, casual dating, and exclusive dating). Results indicated that as relationships progress, perceived norms for these behaviors change. Sex differences were also observed, as women perceived passive and interactive strategies as more normative than men during certain relationship stages

Impact of Social Networking Sites on Post-Partum Depression in Women: An Analysis in the Context of Bangladesh

Postpartum Depression (PPD) refers to moderate or severe depression in a woman after childbirth. It is strikingly common in new mothers from all regions of the world with a prevalence of around 10-15%. PPD can have severe adverse effects on maternal and child health, such as suicidal tendency of the mother, infanticide as well as poor cognitive and developmental growth of the child. Despite this, few women seek medical attention due to ignorance, negligence and financial limitations; the latter is especially true for those who live in developing countries. Nowadays, social networking sites (SNS) e.g., Facebook can act as accessible and effective tools for the prevention and treatment of PPD. In this paper, we analyze the opinions and awareness level of Bangladeshi people about PPD and impact of using SNS during postpartum period on reducing PPD based on our survey (N = 93). We also discuss possible SNS-based interventions and design implications that can effectively and feasibly reduce PPD in women in developing countries

Slacktivists or Activists?: Identity Work in the Virtual Disability March

Protests are important social forms of activism, but can be inaccessible to people with disabilities. Online activism, like the 2017 Disability March, has provided alternative venues for involvement in accessible protesting and social movements. In this study, we use identity theory as a lens to understand why and how disabled activists engaged in an online movement, and its impact on their self-concepts. We interviewed 18 disabled activists about their experiences with online protesting during the Disability March. Respondents' identities (as both disabled individuals and as activists) led them to organize or join the March, evolved alongside the group's actions, and were reprioritized or strained as a result of their involvement. Our findings describe the values and limitations of this activism to our respondents, highlight the tensions they perceived about their activist identities, and present opportunities to support further accessibility and identity changes by integrating technology into their activist experiences