Social Networking Sites and Empathy Among Adolescents in Indonesia

Social networking sites (SNSs) have increased in number and popularity for more than a decade especially for adolescents. Previous studies conducted in western countries have stated that using SNSs could exert positive and negative effects on various aspects of psychosocial development, one of which is empathy. The relationship between SNSs use and empathy has remained unclear, especially in Indonesia. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the relationship between SNSs and empathy on adolescents in Indonesia. This study recruited 1,638 students from junior and senior high school with ages ranging from 12 to 19 years randomly across several provinces in Indonesia. Data collection was carried out by administering online questionnaires to participants consists of informed consent, demographic data, intensity of SNSs use during the past week with the Social Networking Time Use Scale (SONTUS) method, and questions about empathy with the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy (AMES) method. Our result showed that higher frequency of using SNSs significantly positive correlated with cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and sympathy among adolescents in Indonesia, which is similar to previous studies, so this may be a general pattern in adolescence. The connections made by SNSs is believed to increase feelings of humanity (sympathy) and also empathy to other humans

Social Media Literacy as an IEP Intervention for Social and Emotional Learning

Media literacy and special education communities have largely ignored the impact of digital media useonspecial education students with Autism spectrum disorder and Emotional and Behavioral Disorder. This paper investigates the possibility of using social media literacy education as part of an individualized education plan (IEP) intervention for improving the social and emotional learning outcomes of students with disabilities. Using the example of a “provocative selfie” as a form of media production and consumption, this paper provides a framework for using the NAMLE key questions to teach specific CASEL Social and Emotional (SEL) competencies and address IEP goals and objectives of students with social and emotional deficits. By using the key questions of media literacy to teach the CASEL competencies, educators can provide special education students with strategies for analyzing, evaluating, creating, and acting responsibly in the digital world whileremediatingpoor social and emotional skills commonly associated with many social, emotional, and behavioral disorders

Communication Technologies and Interpersonal Relationships: Some Considerations from Theology

While the unintended consequences and high pace of change associated with technology will change the nature and types of our interpersonal relationships, Christian theology provides a lens through which we can evaluate these changes. In this paper we outline some theological principles that undergird our understanding of what God intends for relationships, as well as ways that our relationships are either consistent or inconsistent with God\u27s intentions in terms of healthy and unhealthy relationships. We then discuss ways in which communication technology can amplify both positive and negative aspects of relationships, providing examples from the workplace. We classify the impact of technology on relationships through one of four categories: connectivity, closeness, engagement, and/or reciprocal understanding. Finally, we summarize our conclusions about ways that Christians could think about and engage with technology, and we discuss some areas where future research would be useful

A Literature Review on Dance Movement Therapy’s Effects on Masculinized Adolescents

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to better understand the embodied stressors that affect one’s ability to express emotion. Studies of empathy, adolescence, and dance/movement therapy are of the most use in researching the connection between body-based therapies like dance/movement therapy, kinesthetic empathy (the body’s way of reading cues of others’), and the systemic construct of masculinity in adolescent males. While separate studies exist, there is little research or data on whether DMT theoretical frameworks can impact the minds of adolescent males who have been conditioned according to westernized male gender roles and whose empathic development has been limited due to toxic masculinity. In the interest of encouraging further research, the following is a literature review of material relating to building kinesthetic empathy in adolescent males using DMT models and therapeutic approaches

Moving to Digital-Healthy Society: Empathy, Sympathy, and Wellbeing in Social Media

Background: This research aims to explore the impact of individuals’ demographics and their social media use on empathy, sympathy, and wellbeing in Saudi Arabia. This paper can fill an untapped gap in a developing country (i.e., the Arab context) by shedding light on sympathetic and empathetic behavior and its effect on wellbeing in social media. Method: We manage to obtain a sample of 431 responses across all Saudi regions. Data were analyzed to evaluate reliability and validity of the study’s constructs while the hypotheses were tested using a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. Results: SEM regression results suggest that there is a significant relationship between both age and income and social media use. In addition, social media use has an indirect relationship to individuals’ wellbeing. This indirect relationship is better manifested through sympathy rather than empathy. Conclusion: Theoretically, this study furthers our understanding of the role of empathy and sympathy on wellbeing in social media among Saudis, whereas practically provides insights to industry experts about what matters to social media users to increase their wellbeing

Black Lives Matter and the Effects of a Social Media User’s Connection to Differing Ethnic and Racial Backgrounds

Millions of citizens, including a large number of whites, joined the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the summer of 2020. One of the most important factors that mobilized them toward BLM was the rise of social media. Recognizing the critical importance of social media, the present research explores the link between social media use and citizens’ behavior on the BLM movement in the United States. The focus of the analysis is on the issue of diversity. Because diversity on social networks can expose individuals to more diverse views, one can hypothesize that a higher number of one’s “friends” and followers being from different racial and ethnic backgrounds can lead to higher levels of activism in the BLM movement. In order to test the hypotheses, we conducted a survey in the United States specifically tailored for this study. A statistical analysis on the survey data reveals that diversity in one’s social networks on social media significantly enhances his or her likelihood of participation in the BLM protest. Yet, the significant effect disappears when the samples are limited to white respondents; it is clearly non-white respondents who are driving the significant result of diversity of social networks. This study makes an important contribution to the literature of social movements by dissecting the mechanism through which social media shapes citizens’ relations with BLM. Findings from this study generate critical implications that are essential in understanding dynamics of social movements in modern society

Black Lives Matter and the Effects of a Social Media User\u27s Connection to Differing Ethnic and Racial Backgrounds

Millions of citizens, including a large number of whites, joined the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the summer of 2020. An important factor that mobilized them toward BLM was the rise of social media. Recognizing the critical importance of social media, the present research explores the link between social media use and citizens’ behavior on the BLM movement in the United States. The focus of the analysis is on the issue of diversity. Because diversity on social networks can expose individuals to more diverse views, one can hypothesize that a higher number of one’s friends and followers being from different racial and ethnic backgrounds can lead to higher levels of activism in the BLM movement. In order to test the hypotheses, we conducted a survey in the United States specifically tailored for this study. A statistical analysis on the survey data reveals that diversity in one\u27s social networks on social media significantly enhances his or her likelihood of participation in the BLM protest. Yet, the significant effect disappears when the samples are limited to white respondents; it is clearly non-white respondents who are driving the significant result of diversity of social networks. This study makes an important contribution to the literature of social movements by dissecting the mechanism through which social media shapes citizens’ relations with BLM. Findings from this study generate critical implications that are essential in understanding dynamics of social movements in modern society

Friendships in Gamers and Non-Gamers

Online social technologies, such as email, social networking applications, texting and others, are now used by a majority of individuals in the U.S. (Pew, 2018a). As a result, it is not uncommon to develop friendships with others that are conducted primarily in an online environment. However, we know little about the qualities of online friendships and how they may, or may not, differ from traditional face to face friendships. The present study focused on exploring friendship quality in online and offline domains using two groups: a gamer group and a non-gamer group that used non-gaming applications to connect with others online. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire to gather information about their online and face to face friendships, the McGill Friendship Questionnaire (Mendelsohn & Aboud, 2014) for their closest online and offline friends and measures of happiness, anxiety, and depression. In Study 1, within group comparison found that gamers’ online friendships were of significantly higher quality than their offline friendships. For non-gamers, the opposite results were found. A second study was done using a larger, non-college-based sample. Results of Study 2 found that for gamers and non-gamers offline friendships were of higher quality than online friendships, although both types of friendships existed in both groups. There were no differences between groups in general life happiness, anxiety or depression. Suggestions for follow-up research are presented