Spreading the virus : emotional tone of viral advertising and its effect on forwarding intentions and attitudes

iral advertising has attracted advertisers in recent years, yet little is known about how exactly it works from an information processing perspective. This study extends knowledge by exploring how the emotional tone (pleasant, unpleasant, coactive) of viral video ads affects attitude toward the ad, attitude toward the brand, and forwarding intentions. Results indicate that pleasant emotional tone elicits the strongest attitude toward the ad, attitude toward the brand, and intention to forward. The effects were weaker for coactive tone and weakest for negative emotional tone. These results challenge the common approach of shocking or scaring online users to motivate them to forward a viral video

Improving physician–patient communication

This chapter looks at improving physician–patient communicatio

Characteristics of community newspaper coverage of tobacco control and its relationship to the passage of tobacco ordinances

To answer the call for more systematic surveillance, analysis and evaluation of tobacco news coverage, a 6-year content analysis of newspaper stories from Missouri was conducted to evaluate the presence of public health facts and characteristics of stories framed for or against tobacco control. The method was a content analysis of all Missouri newspapers (N = 381) from September 2006 to November 2011 for a total sample of 4711. Results were connected to the larger, societal context within which newspaper stories reside, i.e., towns that passed or did not pass a smoke-free ordinance during the project intervention. Results showed the majority of news stories were about tobacco control, which were mostly written at the local level, were episodic, and carried a positive slant toward tobacco control. However, there were more negative than positive headlines, and more negative editorials than non-editorials. Tobacco control stories used fewer public health facts than non-tobacco control stories. Towns with existing smoke-free ordinances had more tobacco control stories, and towns without smoke-free ordinances had fewer tobacco control stories and more non-tobacco control stories, suggesting a connection between news media coverage and the passage of smoke-free policies. We conclude that the tobacco industry may have had success in impacting news stories in no-ordinance cities by diverting attention from tobacco control to secondary topics, such as youth smoking, which meant stories had fewer public health facts and fewer positive health benefits in towns that may have needed these details most

Facebook use and negative body image among U.S. college women

Young women increasingly spend time with social media, but the relationship of this exposure to body image is still in the initial stages of exploration. This study used social comparison theory to examine the relationship between time spent on Facebook and body image. A survey of 881 U.S. college women was conducted in April-May 2013. Findings showed that 10.1% had posted about weight, body image, exercise or dieting, and 27.4% had commented on friends’ posts or photos. More time on Facebook related to more frequent body and weight comparisons, more attention to the physical appearance of others, and more negative feelings about their bodies for all women. For women who wanted to lose weight, more time on Facebook also related to more disordered eating symptoms

Assembling tribes on Instagram : analysis of a mega-influencer follower-generated hashtag network

This study aims to understand how tribal assemblages formed around Instagram mega-influencers are reflected in follower-generated hashtag networks. Using the co-hashtag network analysis approach, this study reveals that history and nostalgia, the 'linking value' of the influencer, playfulness and fluid boundaries emerge as key facets of virtual mega-influencer tribal assemblages

"Too good to be true" : semi-naked bodies on social media

This chapter examines how body image deception is created and understood in social media. The au-thors focus specifically on the beach body, which is a narrower form of bodily representation online, but where deception is especially likely to occur. Focus group discussions with young adults revealed that editing and perfecting the beach body is commonplace and even normalized on social media. However, participants distinguished between celebrities and friends in expected use of manipulation and seemed to place a limit on the acceptable types of manipulation: body tan but not body shape, for example. The authors discuss the implications of these discussions and how applying deception theory in body image research can provide useful insights

Effects of social support about physical activity on social networking sites : applying the Theory of Planned Behavior

Despite the physical and mental health benefits of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), only about half of college students participate in the recommended amount of LTPA. While college students are avid users of social network sites (SNSs), whether SNSs would be an effective channel for promoting LTPA through peer social support is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of social support from students’ contacts on SNSs on their intention to participate in LTPA, applying the Theory of Planned Behavior. Participants were recruited through a mass email sent to undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university in Fall 2011. A total of 439 surveys were analyzed. Descriptive analyses and analysis for mediating effects were conducted. Social support about LTPA from contacts on SNSs has indirect effect on intention through affective attitude, instrumental attitude and perceived behavioral control (PBC). The results indicate that social support about LTPA from contacts on SNSs might not be effective to change students’ intention unless attitudes and PBC are changed. Future interventions aiming to promote students’ intention to participate in LTPA by increasing support from contacts on SNSs should increase affective attitude, instrumental attitude and PBC at the same time

What Motivates Young Adults to Talk About Physical Activity on Social Network Sites?

Background: Electronic word-of-mouth on social network sites has been used successfully in marketing. In social marketing, electronic word-of-mouth about products as health behaviors has the potential to be more effective and reach more young adults than health education through traditional mass media. However, little is known about what motivates people to actively initiate electronic word-of-mouth about health behaviors on their personal pages or profiles on social network sites, thus potentially reaching all their contacts on those sites. Objective: This study filled the gap by applying a marketing theoretical model to explore the factors associated with electronic word-of-mouth on social network sites about leisure-time physical activity. Methods: A Web survey link was sent to undergraduate students at one of the Midwestern universities and 439 of them completed the survey. Results: The average age of the 439 participants was 19 years (SD=1 year, range: 18-24). Results suggested that emotional engagement with leisure-time physical activity (ie, affective involvement in leisure-time physical activity) predicted providing relevant opinions or information on social network sites. Social network site users who perceived stronger ties with all their contacts were more likely to provide and seek leisure-time physical activity opinions and information. People who provided leisure-time physical activity opinions and information were more likely to seek opinions and information, and people who forwarded information about leisure-time physical activity were more likely to chat about it. Conclusions: This study shed light on the application of the electronic word-of-mouth theoretical framework in promoting health behaviors. The findings can also guide the development of future social marketing interventions using social network sites to promote leisure-time physical activity

Knife seizure imagery project report

The urgency to reduce knife crime and knife carrying has remained a primary issue for policy makers and police authorities across Scotland. Young people, particularly those living in the most deprived areas, have been identified as those most at risk of being exposed to higher levels of knife crime and assault related sharp-force injuries. Sharing images of recovered/seized knives in police campaigns and across media outlets (e.g., newspapers, online articles and social media) has been one strategy used to help deter knife carrying. The intention behind the use of knife seizure images is to warn the public of the dangers of knives and to show the success of police efforts in seizing weapons off the streets. However, little empirical research has been conducted to explore whether the use of knife seizure images is an effective deterrent. The aim of this study was to explore the views of young people living in areas of high and low rates of knife crime areas across Glasgow, to gain their perspectives concerning the use of knife seizure images as a crime-deterrent. Between January 2021 and April 2021, a group of 20 young people were invited to take part in online interviews. They were spilt into two equal groups, those living in higher or in lower areas of knife crime around Glasgow (determined by the Scottish Indicator of Multiple Deprivation). A collection of knife images obtained from published articles by the UK news media and from stock images produced by No Knifes Better Lives were shown to the participants

Are images of seized knives an effective crime deterrent? A comparative thematic analysis of young people’s views within the Scottish context

The urgency to reduce knife carrying has been recognised by police services within Scotland and has been addressed by initiatives such as the sharing of knife seizure images on media outlets. This study sought to explore young peoples’ views on the use of knife seizure images as a deterrent to carrying knives by using comparative individual interviews (N = 20) with photo elicitation. Three themes were discovered: (1) negative reactions towards images of seized knives, (2) images of knives may encourage rather than deter knife carrying, and (3) reinforcement of existing beliefs, stereotypes and stigma. These findings highlight the limitations of using knife seizure images as a deterrent and the importance of involving young people in developing preventative and non-discriminatory approaches to tackling knife crime.</p