The Ubume Challenge: A Digital Environmental Humanities Project

In 2019, the “The Momo Challenge” frightened parents in the United States into believing “Momo” would appear online where she’d lure their children into harming themselves. While this challenge is one of many recent viral hoaxes, “Momo” is not simply a product of our digital age. Known as the ubume (“birthing-woman”), the figure who provides the face for “Momo” has lived for centuries in Japanese folklore where yokai (supernatural creatures) often caution listeners against entering unchartered parts of the land. And once Japan industrialized, so too did their “unchartered lands,” the ubume reborn to fit the cities and technologies that assumed these new breeding grounds for uncertainty. On my Scalar website, a platform designed to host media-rich content, I trace three such transmutations of the ubume—the setsuwa (spoken story), illustrated encyclopedia, and viral hoax. Literary critic Frederick Jameson provides the framework for these analyses as he describes the myth as an “imagined solution” to otherwise “unresolvable social contradictions.” I take an ecocritical approach and focus on the contradictions that arise under our dominant technology-as-progress narrative, presenting my research on hidden environmental costs through a combination of text and original comics. My choice to incorporate comics reflects my aim to not only expand access beyond an academic audience but to ensure an authorial transparency that allows users to decide whether they agree with my conclusions (as opposed to computer-generated visuals many people associate with objectivity). Increased user agency is crucial if we are to uncover why certain histories are privileged over others, particularly in our current climate where the hands shaping our digital environments remain so largely hidden

Factors Influencing Public Perception of Science

Our literature review identified factors influencing public perception of science within the context of science communication. We analyzed 40 studies using an integrative literature review method and found that most research about public perception of science was conducted in developed countries’ contexts. We identified five categories of factors that influence public perception: Type of science, audience beliefs, socio-demographics, source of communication, and environment. We observed the type of science is the fundamental factor that determines the influence of other factors. Audience belief factors are the most influential factor theme. We also noticed that factors act as confounding and/or mediating variables that cannot separate them as a single factor to identify individual influence. To show the factors and their degree of influence on public perception of science, we developed a conceptual framework called the “ring of public perception of science.” The framework highlights the need for a holistic approach to examining the influence of factors affecting public perception of science. The proposed framework is based on a qualitative approach; further research is needed to validate relationships among these factors. Specifically, we recommend further research on context-specific factors because context is important to science communication, emerging environmental factors because of the changing landscape of science communication, and the use of social media to disseminate scientific information

A Machine Learning Technique for Detection of Social Media Fake News

publishedVersio

Veracidad y consumo de las fake news entre estudiantes de una universidad pública de Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

This article aims to analyse the perception among Colombian university students about the veracity of the information they consume on social networks, according to the type of news, the frequency of consumption and the sources of access. To this end, a questionnaire was designed and applied, using the virtual survey technique, to a sample of 191 students in the area of Economic Sciences at a public university in the city of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), selected randomly, following a stratified sampling, establishing a confidence interval of 95% and a sampling error of 6.5%. The results show that it is common for university students to access Facebook or WhatsApp to consult news and, in their search process, they can identify between 2 and 3 fake news items, on average. Only a small group of students claim to have shared false information for the purpose of satire or jokes, although an important percentage of them do not know if, at any time, they shared information on their social networks or instant messaging applications, without knowing that it was false. Given the above results, it is suggested that university institutions, within their Student Welfare programmes, formulate strategies that contribute to strengthening students' skills in identifying and efficiently handling false content in digital media, thus reducing their vulnerability to it.Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la percepción entre estudiantes universitarios colombianos sobre la veracidad de la información que consumen en las redes sociales, en función de la tipología de noticias, la frecuencia de consumo y las fuentes de acceso. Para tal fin, se diseñó y aplicó un cuestionario, mediante la técnica de encuesta virtual, a una muestra de 191 estudiantes del área de las Ciencias Económicas de una universidad pública de la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), seleccionados de manera aleatoria, siguiendo un muestreo estratificado, con un nivel de confianza del 95% y un error muestral del 6,5%. Los resultados muestran que es común que los estudiantes universitarios acudan a Facebook o WhatsApp para consultar noticias y, en su proceso de búsqueda, puedan identificar entre 2 y 3 noticias falsas, en promedio. Sólo un grupo reducido afirma haber compartido información falsa con la finalidad de sátira o broma, aunque un porcentaje importe de ellos desconoce si, en algún momento, compartió información sin saber que era falsa. Ante los resultados anteriores, se sugiere que las instituciones universitarias, dentro de sus programas de Bienestar Universitario, formulen estrategias que contribuyan al fortalecimiento de las competencias de los estudiantes para la identificación y manejo eficiente de contenidos falsos en medios digitales, reduciendo así su vulnerabilidad frente a ellas

Exposure of valenced fake news frames to country brand equity and the role of news credibility in this process

The stronger capacity of falsehood to diffuse in comparison with the truth pushes researchersto identify fake news effects on the formation of country brand equity due to the distant and intangiblenature of this notion. To explore this exposure, valenced framing theory is applied as a suitableframework where credibility and cognitive image are checked to be mediators in this relationship. Thisstudy adopted a perceived and projected image approach for online survey design, and a quantitativemethod was applied. The results depict that fake news frames have an indirect effect on a country’s brandequity mediated by news credibility and cognitive image toward the country. We show that newscredibility and cognitive image function as sequential mediators, meaning that the level of believabilityand cognitive preconceptions about a certain country directly affect country brand equity. Moreover,this study demonstrates that negatively framed fake news can affect all dimensions of country brand equity negatively, whereas positive fake news frames do not change people’s perceptions significantly. According to the outcomes, we proved that the level of credibility is significantly influenced by the typeof valenced fake news frame as well. We discuss the implications of the findings and future researchdirections in the field of fake news and country brands

The Web of False Information: Rumors, Fake News, Hoaxes, Clickbait, and Various Other Shenanigans

A new era of Information Warfare has arrived. Various actors, including state-sponsored ones, are weaponizing information on Online Social Networks to run false information campaigns with targeted manipulation of public opinion on specific topics. These false information campaigns can have dire consequences to the public: mutating their opinions and actions, especially with respect to critical world events like major elections. Evidently, the problem of false information on the Web is a crucial one, and needs increased public awareness, as well as immediate attention from law enforcement agencies, public institutions, and in particular, the research community. In this paper, we make a step in this direction by providing a typology of the Web's false information ecosystem, comprising various types of false information, actors, and their motives. We report a comprehensive overview of existing research on the false information ecosystem by identifying several lines of work: 1) how the public perceives false information; 2) understanding the propagation of false information; 3) detecting and containing false information on the Web; and 4) false information on the political stage. In this work, we pay particular attention to political false information as: 1) it can have dire consequences to the community (e.g., when election results are mutated) and 2) previous work show that this type of false information propagates faster and further when compared to other types of false information. Finally, for each of these lines of work, we report several future research directions that can help us better understand and mitigate the emerging problem of false information dissemination on the Web

Collected Voices of Black Youths and Young Adults on Their Perceptions of Suicide

The decline in suicide rates among Caucasian youth contrasts with the increase in suicide rates among Black youth and young adults, prompting concern among communities of color, mental health practitioners, and researchers. There was a research gap concerning the perspectives of Black youth and young adults on suicide, prompting an exploration of their perceptions and efforts to reduce it using a sociocultural perspective. Data collection included semistructured virtual interviews with 14 Black individuals aged 12–25, applying a generic qualitative approach and inductive analysis to the collected data. The study identified two main themes, Black community views toward suicide and Black-specific traumatic experiences, along with seven subthemes: (a) age-dependent views, (b) stigma, (c) familial influence, (d) suicide risk and the Black experience, (e) sociocultural factors, (f) protective factors, and (g) the role of social media. Participants revealed that older adults often dismiss or stigmatize mental health and suicide concerns, emphasizing the need for more supportive spaces for open discussions and access to support and treatment, including social media platforms. Cultural-specific factors (i.e., historical trauma from slavery, discrimination, racism, and police brutality) were discussed by participants, underscoring the importance of targeting suicide prevention efforts toward Black youth on social media and addressing the unique stressors related to racism. Collaboration within the Black community is vital to combat stigma and provide mental health awareness services. These findings hold significant positive social change implications for society, emphasizing the necessity of addressing the mental health needs of Black youth and young adults with cultural sensitivity

Keuntungan dan Risiko Sosial Serta Kecemasan Privasi Pada Penggunaan Media Sosial Berdasarkan Tingkatan Generasi

Media sosial adalah konten yang paling banyak diakses oleh orang Indonesia. Sebanyak 97.4% atau setara dengan 129.2 juta jiwa dari keseluruhan pengguna, menggunakan internet untuk mengakses media sosial. 40.6% dari pengguna media sosial yang setara dengan 53.8 juta jiwa berpendapat bahwa media sosial tidak aman. Fakta ini menjadi hal yang sangat menarik karena walaupun 40.6% pengguna merasa tidak yakin dengan keamanan di media sosial, mereka tetap menggunakan konten tersebut. Pengaksesan data pribadi oleh pihak-pihak yang tidak berwenang, pemalsuan identitas, maupun pemanfaatan informasi pribadi untuk melancarkan kejahatan merupakan beberapa alasan timbulnya rasa tidak aman. Identitas dan data/informasi pribadi merupakan hal yang sangat berkaitan dengan privasi. Privasi adalah hak seseorang untuk menyendiri, mempunyai kontrol terhadap barang milik sendiri, maupun untuk tidak diamati oleh orang lain tanpa persetujuan. Privasi sangat berkaitan dengan confidentiality (kerahasiaan), yaitu suatu jaminan dimana pesan dan informasi yang tersedia memang hanya dapat diakses orang-orang yang memiliki wewenang. Rasa tidak aman terkait dengan informasi pribadi disebut sebagai kecemasan privasi. Adanya perbedaan penerimaan teknologi pada tiap generasi juga menjadi sorotan pada penelitian ini. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif berbasis fenomenologi. Metode pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara dan observasi terhadap informan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa niat menggunakan media sosial dipengaruhi oleh keuntungan dan risiko yang mungkin di terima. Niat (persepsi kemudahan dan dapat mengkontrol) mempengaruhi durasi serta frekuensi penggunaan media sosial. Keuntungan tersebut juga mendorong penggunaan media sosial itu sendiri. Sementara risiko dan kewaspadaan terhadap privasi mempengaruhi bagaimana realisasi dari perilaku tersebut seperti penggunaan fitur privasi dan manipulasi informasi. Tujuan tiap generasi dalam menggunakan media sosial mempunyai perbedaan. Generasi X menggunakan media sosial untuk menjaga hubungan. Generasi Y menggunakan media sosial untuk menjaga dan memperluas hubungan, membangun citra diri, serta mendukung bisnis. Sementara generasi Z menggunakan media sosial untuk menjaga dan memperluas hubungan, membangun citra, mengekspresikan diri, dan memperoleh hiburan. ================================================================================================= Social media is one of the most widely accessed internet content in Indonesia. 97.4% internet users, which equal to 129.2 million people, are using internet for accessing social media. Despite the popularity of social media, 40.6% of Indonesian users, which equal to 53.8 million people, still argue that social media use is not safe. This became an interesting fact. Although 40.6% of users feel unconfident with social security media, they continue to use the content. Accessing personal data by unauthorized persons, fraudulent identities, or the use of personal information to do crime are some of reasons for insecurity emergence. Identity and personal data/information are very relevant to privacy. Privacy is the right of a person to be alone, to have control over his own goods, or to be not observed by others without consent. Privacy is closely related to confidentiality (confidentiality), which is a guarantee that the messages and information available are only accessible to those with authority. Insecurity associated with personal information is called anxiety of privacy. Differences in technology acceptance in each generation are also highlighted in this study. This research uses qualitative approach based on phenomenology. Methods of data collection is done by interview and observation to informants. The results show that the intention to social media is influenced by perceived benefits and risks. Intention (self-efficacy and controllability) affects the duration and frequency in using social media. The use of social media itself is driven by the benefits that can be obtained. While the risks and awareness of privacy affect how the realization of such behavior as the use of privacy features and information manipulation. There are several different goals of each generation in using social media. Generation X uses social media to maintain relationships. Generation Y uses social media to maintain and expand relationships, build self-image, and support business. While the Z generation uses social media to maintain and expand relationships, build images, express themselves, and entertainment