Rethinking Social Interaction: Empirical Model Development

Background: Social media is an integral part of human social life. More than 90% of young people use social media daily. Current theories, models, and measures are primarily based on face-to-face conceptions, leaving research out of sync with current social trends. This may lead to imprecise diagnoses and predictions. Objective: To develop a theoretically based empirical model of current social interfaces to inform relevant measures. Methods: A three-stage, qualitative, data-collection approach included anonymous individual Post-it notes, three full-class discussions, and 10 focus groups to explore 82 adolescents’ relational practices. Data analysis followed a meaning-condensation procedure and a field-correspondence technique. Results: We developed an empirical model that categorizes adolescents’ social interactions into five experiential positions. Four positions result from trajectories relating to social media and face-to-face social interaction. Positions are described by match or mismatch dynamics between preferred and actual social platforms used. In matched positions, individuals prefer and use both face-to-face and social media platforms (position 1), prefer and use face-to-face platforms (position 2), or prefer and use social media platforms (position 3). In mismatched positions, individuals prefer face-to-face interactions but use social media platforms (position 4) or prefer social media but use face-to-face platforms (position 5). We propose that matched positions indicate good social functioning while mismatched positions indicate serious social challenges. Conclusions: We propose a model that will expand previous unidimensional social interaction constructs, and we hypothesize that the described match and mismatch analyses provide conceptual clarity for research and practical application. We discuss prediction value, implications, and model validation procedures.publishedVersio

Online Networks of Support in Distressed Environments: Solidarity and Mobilization during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Despite their drawbacks and unintended consequences, social media networks have recently emerged as a crucial resource for individuals in distress, particularly during times of crisis. These platforms serve as a means to seek assistance and support, share reliable information, and appeal for action and solidarity. In this paper, we examine the online networks of support during the Russia-Ukraine conflict by analyzing four major social media networks- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Using a large dataset of 68 million posts, we explore the temporal patterns and interconnectedness between these platforms and online support websites. Our analysis highlights the prevalence of crowdsourcing and crowdfunding websites as the two main support platforms to mobilize resources and solicit donations, revealing their purpose and contents, and investigating different support-seeking and -receiving practices. Overall, our study underscores the potential of social media in facilitating online support in distressed environments through grassroots mobilization, contributing to the growing body of research on the positive impact of online platforms in promoting social good and protecting vulnerable populations during times of crisis and conflict

Educational Uses of Social Media in Learning by University Students

This phenomenological, qualitative research investigated the perceptions of university students in a College of Education about the educational use of social media by examining the experiences of seven graduate students via an analysis of interview transcripts, informal observations, and applicable artifacts. This study was guided by three research questions: Q1 How do university students describe their experiences of using social media for their own learning? Q2 What do university students perceive as advantages or disadvantages in the use of social media for their own learning? Q3 What suggestions do university students make for increasing the use of social media for their own learning? Results of this study could inform educators about how students use social media in formal and informal learning situations. Participants were seven graduate students at a midsize university in the Midwestern United States. A thematic analysis indicated three main response categories and seven main themes that related directly to the research questions. The three main categories that emerged included Experience, Advantages /Disadvantages, and Suggestions. Seven major themes and 13 subthemes emerged from participants\u27 interpretations of their experiences with the use of social media for learning: Source of Learning, Motivation and Engagement, Convenience, Collaboration and Connection, Overwhelming, Educators’ Social Media Integration, and Student Management of Social Media. The results of this study indicated social media platforms were both educationally meaningful and popular among students in higher education contexts. The findings showed the use of social media platforms could be highly appropriate for teaching and learning but it was very important that educators were trained and skilled in their use by setting specific boundaries around the use of social media for a given class. Furthermore, the findings aligned with many ideas presented in the research literature. The results also supported the new idea that although students believed social media could enhance learning and they perceived it as a powerful tool, the lack of perception of social media as a learning tool could hinder learning as well. Additionally, using and learning the rules of digital citizenship (both educators and students) was important to using social media effectively for learning. Thus, the overall findings of the study strongly indicated educators must teach students the rules of good digital citizenship and students must follow good digital citizenship practices to use social media for learning successfully. For students, social media could sometimes be overwhelming so self-management skills were critical to maintaining focus and quality while using social media platforms in an educational setting

Attitudes Toward the Ethics of Research Using Social Media: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Although primarily used for social networking and often used for social support and dissemination, data on social media platforms are increasingly being used to facilitate research. However, the ethical challenges in conducting social media research remain of great concern. Although much debated in the literature, it is the views of the public that are most pertinent to inform future practice. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to ascertain attitudes on the ethical considerations of using social media as a data source for research as expressed by social media users and researchers. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted, wherein 16 databases and 2 Internet search engines were searched in addition to handsearching, reference checking, citation searching, and contacting authors and experts. Studies that conducted any qualitative methods to collect data on attitudes on the ethical implications of research using social media were included. Quality assessment was conducted using the quality of reporting tool (QuaRT) and findings analyzed using inductive thematic synthesis. RESULTS: In total, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. Attitudes varied from overly positive with people expressing the views about the essential nature of such research for the public good, to very concerned with views that social media research should not happen. Underlying reasons for this variation related to issues such as the purpose and quality of the research, the researcher affiliation, and the potential harms. The methods used to conduct the research were also important. Many respondents were positive about social media research while adding caveats such as the need for informed consent or use restricted to public platforms only. CONCLUSIONS: Many conflicting issues contribute to the complexity of good ethical practice in social media research. However, this should not deter researchers from conducting social media research. Each Internet research project requires an individual assessment of its own ethical issues. Guidelines on ethical conduct should be based on current evidence and standardized to avoid discrepancies between, and duplication across, different institutions, taking into consideration different jurisdictions

Has the Cyber-Marketplace of Ideas Gone Rogue?

To this day, First Amendment jurisprudence protects the rights of speakers whose views the overwhelming majority of people may find distasteful or discomforting—at least offline, that is. The internet and social media, however, present a complex case for whether or not to regulate hate speech online.Social media has done a tremendous deal of good in the world—including serving as the foundation for promoting awareness of police brutality and the #MeTooMovement. Nevertheless, social media has seen a tsunami of hate since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the situation is only escalating. And worst of all, the social media platforms regulating speech online are often making arbitrary, uninformed decisions of when to moderate content—which has resulted in anti-racism activists being censored for speaking out against white supremacy.In light of this issue, however, we need to reject the calls to prohibit private platforms’ moderation of content. In the event social media platforms are subject to First Amendment principles, hate speech victims will not receive adequate protection from threatening comments.And although we should not give in to the calls to permit uninhibited speech on social media, that does not mean we do not have a solution. This article seeks to show the legal community that we can, in fact, censor the “speech we hate” on social media, and it provides a framework through which to do so—promoting transparency, procedural rights, oversight, and limiting institutional bias in making content moderation decisions. Now with this insight, it is time for Americans to take action and demand respect and responsibility on social media

Social Media and the Common Law

The framers of the United States Constitution and those who developed the early common law were no strangers to printed media. They could not, however, have anticipated the widespread ability of average people to communicate instantaneously with large audiences via platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Despite this new technology, courts have primarily relied on pre-social media precedent, rules of law, and the Constitution for guidance when confronted with civil and criminal social media misconduct. On the one hand, relying on existing law is a good thing; it reaffirms the judiciary\u27s commitment to precedent and stare decisis. On the other hand, relying on precedent-adopted pre-social media prevents courts from furthering social media norms

Social Media and Its Impact on Travelers to Montana

News, real or not, travels faster than ever with the rise of social media platforms. Nearly everyone, everywhere, is capable of generating and disseminating information to large volumes of potential consumers. This information is often out of the direct control of the destination, business, or other entity for whom the news relates; it is unowned media. When a destination receives a flurry of attention from these various sources, either good or bad, several important questions arise in attempting to understand their impacts: (1) how long do these impressions last in potential visitor’s minds? And, (2) do these events/images influence travel planning? The overall purpose of this study is to build a better understanding of the degree to which unowned media, particularly social media, influences traveler behavior and perceptions of Montana, whether positive or negative. A secondary purpose is to provide specificity to the level and type of social media use that some visitors to Montana engage in (i.e., what platforms are they on, how does this vary by age, how often do they use specific platforms, etc.)