Polarization of Deliberative and Participatory Activists on Social Media

The article demonstrates how social media activism polarizes and clusters into distinct deliberative and participatory arenas, using the case study of online activism for justice for Roman Zadorov in Israel. Zadorov was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Still, an overwhelming majority of Israelis think he is innocent, with the social media obstruction-of-justice campaign in his support having raised overwhelming exposure and engagement. Theorists distinguish between participatory and deliberative public processes. Supporters of participatory processes advocate for the participation of multiple stakeholders in addressing public concerns. Supporters of deliberative processes advocate for a thorough evaluation of arguments for and against any course of action before decision-making. This study demonstrates how people congregate online and polarize into deliberative and participatory clusters. The “deliberative” cluster is characteristic of groups led by admins who advocate reaching the truth through exposing relevant information and conducting fact-based deliberation. The “participatory” cluster is characteristic of groups led by admins who believe that their activities should aim exclusively at generating more attention and engagement with the general public

To browse, or not to browse? Third person effect among Ultra-Orthodox Jewish women, in regards to the perceived danger of the internet

Abstract The study looks at Jewish ultra-Orthodox women who use modern technologies, for purposes that are illegitimate in their community. Subjects’ perceived impacts of the Internet on self and others are analyzed, demonstrating a "third-person effect" in regards to the perceived dangers originating from the Internet. The correlations and possible implications of the "third-person effect" are discussed

DIGITAL DIVIDE, ISRAEL 2008

The paper presents recent findings about the magnitude and determinants of the digital divide in Israel, focusing on gaps in Internet usage in general, and in the usage of collaborative Internet applications (web2.0) in particular

Gender, religion and new media: Attitudes and behaviours related to the internet among Ultra-Orthodox women employed in computerized environments.

We analyze patterns of rejection and adoption of new technology in a closed and conservative community through the study of ultra-Orthodox Jewish women working in computerized environments, and their perceptions and uses of the Internet. These women stand in the intersection between orthodoxy and modernity. Their workplaces are populated by ultra-Orthodox women and adjusted for their needs, but the companies that employ them are (mostly) owned by seculars, they work with computers, and (occasionally) the workplaces even have Internet access. We study if and how the conceptions of new technologies among women in a conservative community serve to demarcate, construct and reassure the borders of the community. The research questions are: How do these ultra-Orthodox women perceive the place of the Internet within their community and personal lives? With whom do they create online ties? And are there correlations between socioeconomic and sociodemographic variables and women's perceptions of the place and functioning of the Internet in the ultra-Orthodox community and their lives

The Medium or the Message? Communication Relevance and Richness in Trust Games

Subjects communicated prior to playing trust games; the richness of the communication media and the topics of conversation were manipulated. Communication richness failed to produce significant differences in first-mover investments. However, the topics of conversation made a significant difference: the amounts sent were considerably higher in the unrestricted communication conditions than in the restricted communication and no-communication conditions. Most importantly, we find that first-movers’ expectations of second-movers’ reciprocation are influenced by communication and strongly predict their levels of investment

Joining and Gaining Knowledge From Digital Literacy Courses: How Perceptions of Internet and Technology Outweigh Socio-Demographic Factors

Many government-sponsored policies and programs have been implemented in recent years to reduce digital inequality, but research on the effectiveness of such programs is severely lacking. We examine the short-term effects of participation in Lehava, the largest such program in Israel. Participants in our study completed a survey before and after taking introductory computer and internet classes. The findings demonstrate that motivations for participating in the program (measured before taking the course), as well as knowledge gains (i.e., differences between levels of familiarity with concepts before and after taking the course), were predicted almost exclusively by participants' perceptions of technology and the internet, and not by socio-demographic or other variables. We conclude by discussing the significance of perceptions over and above socio-demographic considerations for bridging digital inequality gaps

Communities, Crowds and Focal Sites: Fine-Tuning the Theoretical Grounding of Collaboration Online

The paper gives a bird's eye view of theories that address collaboration in communities on the Internet. Theories of collaboration in offline communities focus on local dynamics and institutions that produce social control. Some pre-conditions for social control that are highlighted in the literature, such as limited exit options, the multiplexity of the community experience as well as clear group boundaries, are identified. It is argued that such theories are of limited value for explaining collaboration in online communities. Two alternative routes that are more appropriate for explaining why communities ground collaboration online, are presented

The Anti-Social Network? Framing Social Media in Wartime

Numerous studies address the uses and perceived effects of social media, but a scholarly void exists about how it is framed in the mainstream media. This study fills this void using a content analysis of news items that included references to social media in Israel’s six daily Hebrew-language printed newspapers during the Israel–Gaza war (2014). The papers framed social media primarily as spaces of hate speech and distribution of rumors. Additional salient themes referred to social media as alternative media channels by politicians and celebrities and as arenas of public diplomacy. Social media was rarely portrayed as platforms to orchestrate collective action or to meet the enemy

Administrating social media: The significance of managers

As social media and online communities of practice are becoming significant organizational arenas in the public service, it is important to study content uploaded to these communities, the dynamics of conversations that they host, and their perceived effect. Much literature about such communities describes them as environments based on user-generated content, while the role of their management is frequently overlooked. This study shifts the focus from community members to managers, and demonstrates the centrality of managers in terms of content production, initiation of and contribution to discussions, requesting and providing information and assistance. The discussion justifies a novel and more nuanced view of communities of practice not as arenas of user-generated content, but rather as environments based on interplay and interactions between members and managers