SENTIMENT LABELING AND TEXT CLASSIFICATION MACHINE LEARNING FOR WHATSAPP GROUP

The use of WhatsApp Group (WAG) for communication is increasing nowadays. WAG communication data can be analyzed from various perspectives. However, this data is imported in the form of unstructured text files. The aim of this research is to explore the potential use of the SentiwordNet lexicon for labeling the positive, negative, or neutral sentiment of WAG data from "Alumni94" and training and testing it with machine learning text classification models. The training and testing were conducted on six models, namely Random Forest, Decision Tree, Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Linear Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Artificial Neural Network. The labeling results indicate that neutral sentiment is the majority with 7588 samples, followed by 324 negative and 1617 positive samples. Among all the models, Random Forest showed better precision and recall, i.e., 83% and 64%. On the other hand, Decision Tree had slightly lower precision and recall, i.e., 80% and 66%, but exhibited a better f-measure of 71%. The accuracy evaluation results of the Random Forest and Decision Tree models showed significant performance compared to others, achieving an accuracy of 89% in classifying new messages. This research demonstrates the potential use of the SentiwordNet lexicon and machine learning in sentiment analysis of WAG data using the Random Forest and Decision Tree model

A First Look at CQVID-19 Messages on WhatsApp in Pakistan

The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has prompted extensive online discussions, creating an `infodemic' on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Twitter. However, the information shared on these platforms is prone to be unreliable and/or misleading. In this paper, we present the first analysis of COVID-19 discourse on public WhatsApp groups from Pakistan. Building on a large scale annotation of thousands of messages containing text and images, we identify the main categories of discussion. We focus on COVID-19 messages and understand the different types of images/text messages being propagated. By exploring user behavior related to COVID messages, we inspect how misinformation is spread. Finally, by quantifying the flow of information across WhatsApp and Twitter, we show how information spreads across platforms and how WhatsApp acts as a source for much of the information shared on Twitter

Citizen journalism and moral panics : a consideration of ethics in the 2015 South African xenophobic attacks

Abstract: This article hinges on empirical qualitative data gathered from an illustrative sample to determine perceptions on enforcing ethics on social media from people who acted as citizen journalists during South Africa’s 2015 xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals. The April 2015 attacks were mediated through user-driven social media platforms such as WhatsApp, where truthful and untruthful information on xenophobia was disseminated to warn targeted recipients of impending attacks to allow them to take precautionary measures. While these messages proliferated valid and verified information there were cases where false information was spread, causing undue panic in some sectors of the immigrant society especially. This study therefore uses moral panics and citizen journalism concepts to explore the understanding of ethical implications in mediating the attacks from the perspective of citizen journalism. In the end, the argument is made that professional journalism ethics, according to the respondents in this study, need not apply to social media. Instead, the study concludes, there is a possibility of peer-to-peer monitoring and reprisals that may work as control measures in social media and citizen journalism, especially in times of crisis

Mobile phones use by urban refugees in South Africa: Opportunities and challenges

The utilization of mobile phones is increasingly seen as a crucial means of reducing inequalities and ensuring people’s inclusion in society. Yet, an understanding of the factors affecting the use of mobile phones remains inadequate. Drawing from Sen’s capability approach and Bourdieu’s theory of practice, the findings suggest that mobile phone use affords valuable capabilities to the users. However, the generation of these capabilities is contingent on power relations in the social field - between social structures and individual’s agency. In South Africa, the capabilities of empowerment that urban refugees can generate through mobile phone use are either enhanced or hindered by interrelated factors, namely the affordances of mobile phones, socio-environmental factors, and personal factors. This paper contributes to the theory in the field of Information Systems by proposing a dynamic framework with precise constructs for theorizing and explaining the mechanisms and social practices that shape mobile phone use and the capabilities for empowerment

Youth in the face of disinformation: A qualitative exploration of Mexican college students’ attitudes, motivations, and abilities around false news

This paper aims to deepen our understanding of the relationship between young people in Mexico and disinformation, while shedding light on their practices and perceptions around this phenomenon. I have chosen a qualitative perspective to delve into the ways that Mexican college students interact and deal with the growing problem of false news in the current media landscape. Thus, I conducted semi-structured interviews (N = 28) using an elicitation technique, during which participants were exposed to real samples of disinformation content to encourage a conversation around the type of false news that they come across in their daily lives. Results reveal nuances in the ways that college students prefer social media over traditional media, even though they report finding more disinformation in the former. They also show the impact that students’ attitudes and habits have on their relationship with disinformation. Moreover, the study presents evidence that college students critically question disinformation, do not take it at face value, and are not prone to share it. However, findings also highlight differences related to the format in which the false content is presented. For example, TikTok videos were more likely to effectively deceive the viewer, more so than images shared on Facebook. Students also believe that older people are more likely to believe in disinformation, potentially indicating a third-person effect of this content. Lastly, this exploration emphasizes the need to further examine the broader consequences of disinformation and believing in false content, such as a reduced interest in political information

Digital Communication in Post Pandemic Times: Impact on Indian Youth

Communication has adapted to various drastic changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of pandemic has forced every form of communication to a complete halt. Connectivity, social-networking, internet advertisements, virtual reality, and video conferencing are no longer optional and have become must-haves. Though COVID-19 is obviously playing a major role as a trigger, the paradigm changes in communication have been emerging throughout. Listening is not easy as before since it has become virtual where some find to balance Indian youth has been greatly affected with the shift taken place during the pandemic and leads the way to the post-pandemic India. The basic question is on how the Indian youth have come across the pandemic times and started looking forward to the new wave in the emerging technological advancements in communication. This research study examines the communication technologies that have emerged mostly during pandemic times and their effect on Indian Youth. The research method used for the study is analytical survey among Indian youth from various Indian cities. The result of the study clearly explains the reception for the communication advancements.

“You’re trolling because…” – A Corpus-based Study of Perceived Trolling and Motive Attribution in the Comment Threads of Three British Political Blogs

This paper investigates the linguistically marked motives that participants attribute to those they call trolls in 991 comment threads of three British political blogs. The study is concerned with how these motives affect the discursive construction of trolling and trolls. Another goal of the paper is to examine whether the mainly emotional motives ascribed to trolls in the academic literature correspond with those that the participants attribute to the alleged trolls in the analysed threads. The paper identifies five broad motives ascribed to trolls: emotional/mental health-related/social reasons, financial gain, political beliefs, being employed by a political body, and unspecified political affiliation. It also points out that depending on these motives, trolling and trolls are constructed in various ways. Finally, the study argues that participants attribute motives to trolls not only to explain their behaviour but also to insult them