Exploring the German-Language Twittersphere: Network Analysis of Discussions on the Syrian and Ukrainian Refugee Crises

This study conducts a comparative analysis of Twitter communication networks relating to the Syrian and Ukrainian refugee crises. Employing a network analysis approach, the study uses approximately 660,000 tweets to gain insights into the online discussion communities surrounding these crises. Tweets specifically discussing Syrian refugees were collected between 2015 and 2023, while those about Ukrainians were harvested from 2022 to 2023, utilizing the full-archive search endpoint of the Twitter API. By transforming retweets into communication networks between users, the study investigates the community structure within these networks. The findings reveal that the online anti-refugee community is smaller in size, more active, highly interconnected, and transcends national boundaries, in contrast to the opposing communities. These results underscore the need for increased social media engagement of pro-refugee voices and improved moderation practices to foster a more inclusive virtual public sphere

CARIN' about migrants through news? Linking migrant deservingness to traditional and digital media consumption

In recent years, public discourse and political actors have increasingly used a deservingness rhetoric to refer to the arrival and permanent settlement of migrant groups. However, scholars have drawn on the concept of deservingness without developing a clear theoretical framework for it. Following our recent work on the migrant deservingness framework, in the present study we use the CARIN criteria (Control, Attitude, Reciprocity, Identity, Need) to establish the extent to which host nationals in eight nations impose conditions towards accepting permanent settlement among migrants. Specifically, we examine the links of these deservingness perceptions with news media consumption in seven European countries and Colombia using online survey panel data (N = 12,142). Our findings indicate that consuming news via commercial television and in popular newspapers, in particular, is linked to greater conditionality regarding migrant settlement. Consuming public television or quality news sources is only weakly linked to (reduced) conditionality. We discuss these findings using the migrant deservingness framework

Unpacking Attitudes on Immigrants and Refugees: A Focus on Household Composition and News Media Consumption

This study examines how household composition and news media consumption and trust are related to attitudes towards two minority groups—immigrants and refugees—in a representative sample of the adult population (n = 6000) in Belgium, Sweden, France, and the Netherlands. We find that Swedes hold the most positive attitudes towards both groups, while the French are found to be most negative. The Belgians and Dutch hold moderate attitudes. There is also evidence that attitudes on refugees are more negative than attitudes on immigrants in Sweden and France, but not in Belgium and the Netherlands. Using structural equation modeling, we find that household composition is not directly related to attitudes, but indirect effects through socio-economic status and media consumption indicate that singles hold more negative attitudes than couples. Public television consumption, popular online news consumption, and trust in media are positively related to attitudes, whereas commercial television consumption is negatively associated with them

Gendered perspectives on digital skills and digital activities: Comparing non-binary and binary youth

Investigaciones previas sobre las diferencias de género en el desarrollo digital de los jóvenes han demostrado que los chicos y las chicas difieren en la frecuencia y el tipo de uso de Internet, donde todavía existen lagunas vitales en materia literaria. En los últimos años, el género se considera cada vez más un concepto multidimensional, con un número creciente de jóvenes que se identifican como no binarios (es decir, «genderfluid», un término que engloba las identidades de género que no se ajustan a la dicotomía hombre/mujer). Los jóvenes no binarios se enfrentan con más frecuencia que los binarios a diversos riesgos digitales como la desinformación, el ciberacoso y la co-rumiación. A pesar de esto, hasta ahora ninguna investigación ha estudiado cómo el desarrollo digital difiere entre los jóvenes no binarios y binarios. En este estudio de encuesta en línea entre adolescentes de seis países europeos (N=6.221), nos centramos en las diferencias en las habilidades y actividades digitales. Los jóvenes no binarios tienden a hacer un mayor uso de Internet para la creación de contenidos y la información sobre salud mental y física que los chicos y las chicas. También declaran tener más habilidades de creación de contenidos que los chicos y las chicas. También se encuentran disparidades en cuanto al uso del entretenimiento y las relaciones sociales. Además, los resultados sobre las habilidades digitales indican que los jóvenes no binarios se asemejan mucho a los chicos en este aspecto. Concluimos con recomendaciones para futuras investigaciones que deberían ayudar a reforzar nuestra comprensión de cómo los contextos digitales pueden predecir el desarrollo y el bienestar de los jóvenes no binarios.Previous research on gender differences in young people’s digital development has shown that boys and girls differ in frequency and type of internet use, but vital gaps in the literature remain. In recent years, gender is increasingly considered to be a multidimensional concept with a growing number of young people identifying as non-binary (i.e. genderfluid, an umbrella term for gender identities that are not conforming to the male/female dichotomy). Non-binary youth more frequently engage with a variety of digital risks such as misinformation, cyberbullying, and co-rumination than binary youth. Despite this, no research so far has investigated how digital development differs between non-binary and binary youth. In this online survey study among adolescents in six European countries (N=6,221), we focus on differences in digital skills and digital activities. Non-binary youth tend to make greater use of the internet for content creation and mental and physical health information than boys and girls. They also report greater content creation skills than boys and girls. Disparities in terms of entertainment and social relationship use are also found. Furthermore, findings on digital skills indicate that non-binary youth closely mirror boys in this regard. We conclude with recommendations for future research that should help bolster our understanding of how digital contexts may predict the development and well-being of non-binary youth

Forgotten key players : News media as agents of information and persuasion during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Can ‘the other’ ever become ‘one of us’? Comparing Turkish and European attitudes towards refugees: A five-country study

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Perceived vulnerability to disease and attitudes towards public health measures: COVID-19 in Flanders, Belgium

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments installed measures to contain the disease. Information about these measures was disseminated through news media. Nonetheless, many individuals did not abide by these guidelines. We investigated how perceived vulnerability to disease and personality characteristics related to support for public health measures. We analyzed survey data of 1000 Flemish (Belgium) adults, collected between March 17, 2020 and March 22, 2020. Older age, low educational attainment, gender (female) and work situation (no telecommuting) were associated with greater perceived vulnerability. Greater expectations of loneliness and more solidarity with our fellow men were associated with gender (female), younger age and work situation (telecommuting). Greater perceived vulnerability to disease was related to a greater belief that public health measures protect the population, but also to a critical stance towards the Belgian government's handling of the crisis. High agreeableness and high emotional stability were associated with respectively greater belief that health measures protect the population, and greater support for the government's crisis management. Watching television news was related to a greater belief that public health measures are necessary, and specifically consuming public television news increased support for public health measures. We discuss the implications for handling the COVID-19 pandemic.status: publishe