Search results for: social media effects
19873 Impact of Non-Parental Early Childhood Education on Digital Friendship Tendency
Authors: Sheel Chakraborty
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Modern society in developed countries has distanced itself from the earlier norm of joint family living, and with the increase of economic pressure, parents' availability for their children during their infant years has been consistently decreasing over the past three decades. During the same time, the pre-primary education system - built mainly on the developmental psychology theory framework of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, has been promoted in the US through the legislature and funding. Early care and education may have a positive impact on young minds, but a growing number of kids facing social challenges in making friendships in their teenage years raises serious concerns about its effectiveness. The survey-based primary research presented here shows a statistically significant number of millennials between the ages of 10 and 25 prefer to build friendships virtually than face-to-face interactions. Moreover, many teenagers depend more on their virtual friends whom they never met. Contrary to the belief that early social interactions in a non-home setup make the kids confident and more prepared for the real world, many shy-natured kids seem to develop a sense of shakiness in forming social relationships, resulting in loneliness by the time they are young adults. Reflecting on George Mead’s theory of self that is made up of “I” and “Me”, most functioning homes provide the required freedom and forgivable, congenial environment for building the "I" of a toddler; however, daycare or preschools can barely match that. It seems social images created from the expectations perceived by preschoolers “Me" in a non-home setting may interfere and greatly overpower the formation of a confident "I" thus creating a crisis around the inability to form friendships face to face when they grow older. Though the pervasive nature of social media can’t be ignored, the non-parental early care and education practices adopted largely by the urban population have created a favorable platform of teen psychology on which social media popularity thrived, especially providing refuge to shy Gen-Z teenagers. This can explain why young adults today perceive social media as their preferred outlet of expression and a place to form dependable friendships, despite the risk of being cyberbullied.Keywords: digital socialization, shyness, developmental psychology, friendship, early education
Procedia PDF Downloads 12719872 Impacts of Electronic Dance Music towards Social Harmony: The Malaysian Perspective
Authors: Kok Meng Ng, Sulung Veronica
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Electronic Dance Music (EDM), a musical event that so sought-after amongst the youth, is getting prevailed around the world. The emergence of this à la mode event has magnetized lots of attentions from the media as well as the public due to its high probabilities in creating social problems and menacing social harmony of one destination, for instance, two death cases occurred during the EDM events in Malaysia caused a feeling of consternation of the society. The arguments over the impacts of such events towards the society are endless. This paper focuses on the study of the impacts of EDM towards social harmony in Klang Valley area, Malaysia by scrutinizing the contradiction of statements from several experts and the local communities. This study sampled 15-20 people that represent different social background with face-to-face and online interview through snowball sampling method. This study helps to understand the social context as a whole based on the impacts of EDM events that take place in Malaysia. It also provides valuable information to EDMs’ organizer as well as local authorities for a proper event management to minimize EDM impacts towards society as part of the sustainable growth of the event industry.Keywords: electronic dance music, social harmony, impacts, Klang Valley
Procedia PDF Downloads 25619871 Evaluating the Satisfaction of Chinese Consumers toward Influencers at TikTok
Authors: Noriyuki Suyama
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The progress and spread of digitalization have led to the provision of a variety of new services. The recent progress in digitization can be attributed to rapid developments in science and technology. First, the research and diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) has made dramatic progress. Around 2000, the third wave of AI research, which had been underway for about 50 years, arrived. Specifically, machine learning and deep learning were made possible in AI, and the ability of AI to acquire knowledge, define the knowledge, and update its own knowledge in a quantitative manner made the use of big data practical even for commercial PCs. On the other hand, with the spread of social media, information exchange has become more common in our daily lives, and the lending and borrowing of goods and services, in other words, the sharing economy, has become widespread. The scope of this trend is not limited to any industry, and its momentum is growing as the SDGs take root. In addition, the Social Network Service (SNS), a part of social media, has brought about the evolution of the retail business. In the past few years, social network services (SNS) involving users or companies have especially flourished. The People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as "China") is a country that is stimulating enormous consumption through its own unique SNS, which is different from the SNS used in developed countries around the world. This paper focuses on the effectiveness and challenges of influencer marketing by focusing on the influence of influencers on users' behavior and satisfaction with Chinese SNSs. Specifically, Conducted was the quantitative survey of Tik Tok users living in China, with the aim of gaining new insights from the analysis and discussions. As a result, we found several important findings and knowledge.Keywords: customer satisfaction, social networking services, influencer marketing, Chinese consumers’ behavior
Procedia PDF Downloads 8919870 Media Regulation and Public Sphere in the Digital Age: An Analysis in the Light of Constructive Democracy
Authors: Carlos Marden Cabral Coutinho, Jose Luis Bolzan de Morais
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The article proposed intends to analyze the possibility (and conditions) of a media regulation law in a democratic rule of law in the twenty-first century. To do so, will be presented initially the idea of the public sphere (by Jürgen Habermas), showing how it is presented as an interface between the citizen and the state (or the private and public) and how important is it in a deliberative democracy. Based on this paradigm, the traditional perception of the role of public information (such as system functional element) and on the possibility of media regulation will be exposed, due to the public nature of their activity. A critical argument will then be displayed from two different perspectives: a) the formal function of the current media information, considering that the digital age has fragmented the information access; b) the concept of a constructive democracy, which reduces the need for representation, changing the strategic importance of the public sphere. The question to be addressed (based on the comparative law) is if the regulation is justified in a polycentric democracy, especially when it operates under the digital age (with immediate and virtual communication). The proposal is to be presented in the sense that even in a twenty-first century the media in a democratic rule of law still has an extremely important role and may be subject to regulation, but this should be on terms very different (and narrower) from those usually defended.Keywords: constructive democracy, media, digital age, public sphere
Procedia PDF Downloads 38019869 The Reach, Influence, and Acceptance of International Media Institutions in Local Language Broadcasting in Africa: A Case Study of VOA, DW, and BBC Amharic Services in Ethiopia
Authors: Aster Misganaw
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This study investigates the reach, influence, and credibility of international broadcasters—specifically Voice of America (VOA), Deutsche Welle (DW), and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)—among Ethiopian audiences, comparing these perceptions to local media sources. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach that included quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, the research reveals that the majority of respondents engage regularly with international broadcasters, with younger audiences showing a marked preference. Findings indicate that most of the participants perceive these international sources as more credible than local media, largely due to concerns over government influence on local reporting. Furthermore, the study finds that the majority of respondents believe international broadcasters significantly shape their understanding of both domestic and international issues, highlighting their critical role in public discourse. To enhance their relevance, it is recommended that international broadcasters incorporate more localized content while local media must work to improve their credibility and independence to better serve the Ethiopian public. This research contributes to the understanding of media consumption dynamics in Ethiopia, emphasizing the interplay between local and international narratives in shaping public opinion.Keywords: international media, BBC, Deutsche Welle, Ethiopian media, Voice of America, audience
Procedia PDF Downloads 1419868 The Columbine Shooting in German Media Coverage: A Point of No Return
Authors: Melanie Verhovnik
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School shootings are a well-known phenomenon in Germany, 14 of which have occurred to date. The first case happened half a year after the April 20th, 1999 Columbine shooting in the United States, which was at the time the most serious school shooting to have occurred anywhere in the world. The German media gave only scant attention to the subject of school shootings prior to Columbine, even though there were numerous instances of it throughout the world and several serious instances in the United States during the 1990s. A mixed method design of qualitative and quantitative content analysis was employed in order to demonstrate the main features and characteristics of core German media’s coverage of Columbine.Keywords: Columbine, media coverage, qualitative, quantitative content analysis, school shooting
Procedia PDF Downloads 31019867 The Development of Communication and Mobile Phones in Iran: The Role of Internet in Smart Mobile Phones in Social and Human Development and Social Mobility of Different Classes of Iranian Women
Authors: Zahra Tork
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Before the spread of the Internet and the use of mobile phones, women were generally far from society and many restrictions were applied to them, but after the spread of the Internet and the cultural and social changes brought about by it, women in society got a new one and many restrictions regarding them disappeared; As we can see today, many women, like men, have a high social base, they earn for themselves, they can travel alone, stay out late at night, take personal and family photos or videos on virtual pages. Publish themselves (while before this, showing or publishing photos of women was considered dishonorable or indecent). In this article, an attempt is made to examine the effect of the internet on mobile phones and virtual social networks in changing beliefs, norms and social values and their relationship with the social mobility of women and the effect of these factors on social and human development be paid. For this reason, social and human development is discussed first, and then the role of the media in development is explained, and finally, the social mobility of women is discussed. Since the purpose of this study is to better understand the social mobility of Iranian women through the development of the Internet in mobile phones, a qualitative study using focus groups has been adopted. The results of this research indicated that the Internet has caused changes in the value and cultural system of the Iranian people, and women have also redefined their roles and identity. In this new definition, many of the past restrictions have disappeared and women have gained the same freedoms as men. Finally, these factors (change in values and norms and redefinition of the role of women) joined hands and caused the social mobility of women in Iran.Keywords: development of communication in Iran, development of mobile phones, development of the Internet, women's social group, social mobility
Procedia PDF Downloads 7319866 The Impact of Recurring Events in Fake News Detection
Authors: Ali Raza, Shafiq Ur Rehman Khan, Raja Sher Afgun Usmani, Asif Raza, Basit Umair
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Detection of Fake news and missing information is gaining popularity, especially after the advancement in social media and online news platforms. Social media platforms are the main and speediest source of fake news propagation, whereas online news websites contribute to fake news dissipation. In this study, we propose a framework to detect fake news using the temporal features of text and consider user feedback to identify whether the news is fake or not. In recent studies, the temporal features in text documents gain valuable consideration from Natural Language Processing and user feedback and only try to classify the textual data as fake or true. This research article indicates the impact of recurring and non-recurring events on fake and true news. We use two models BERT and Bi-LSTM to investigate, and it is concluded from BERT we get better results and 70% of true news are recurring and rest of 30% are non-recurring.Keywords: natural language processing, fake news detection, machine learning, Bi-LSTM
Procedia PDF Downloads 2219865 Promoting Social Advocacy through Digital Storytelling: The Case of Ocean Acidification
Authors: Chun Chen Yea, Wen Huei Chou
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Many chemical changes in the atmosphere and the ocean are invisible to the naked eye, but they have profound impacts. These changes not only confirm the phenomenon of global carbon pollution, but also forewarn that more changes are coming. The carbon dioxide gases emitted from the burning of fossil fuels dissolve into the ocean and chemically react with seawater to form carbonic acid, which increases the acidity of the originally alkaline seawater. This gradual acidification is occurring at an unprecedented rate and will affect the effective formation of carapace of some marine organisms such as corals and crustaceans, which are almost entirely composed of calcium carbonate. The carapace of these organisms will become more dissoluble. Acidified seawater not only threatens the survival of marine life, but also negatively impacts the global ecosystem via the food chain. Faced with the threat of ocean acidification, all humans are duty-bound. The industrial sector outputs the highest level of carbon dioxide emissions in Taiwan, and the petrochemical industry is the major contributor. Ever since the construction of Formosa Plastics Group's No. 6 Naphtha Cracker Plant in Yunlin County, there have been many environmental concerns such as air pollution and carbon dioxide emission. The marine life along the coast of Yunlin is directly affected by ocean acidification arising from the carbon emissions. Societal change demands our willingness to act, which is what social advocacy promotes. This study uses digital storytelling for social advocacy and ocean acidification as the subject of a visual narrative in visualization to demonstrate the subsequent promotion of social advocacy. Storytelling can transform dull knowledge into an engaging narrative of the crisis faced by marine life. Digital dissemination is an effective social-work practice. The visualization promoting awareness on ocean acidification disseminated via social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. Social media enables users to compose their own messages and share information across different platforms, which helps disseminate the core message of social advocacy.Keywords: digital storytelling, visualization, ocean acidification, social advocacy
Procedia PDF Downloads 11719864 The Use of TV and the Internet in the Social Context
Authors: Khulood Miliany
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This study examines the media habits of young people in Saudi Arabia, in particular their use of the Internet and television in the domestic sphere, and how use of the Internet impacts upon other activities. In order to address the research questions, focus group interviews were conducted with Saudi university students. The study found that television has become a central part of social life within the household where television represents a main source for family time, particularly in Ramadan while the Internet is a solitary activity where it is used in more private spaces. Furthermore, Saudi females were also more likely to have their Internet access monitored and circumscribed by family members, with parents controlling the location and the amount of time spent using the Internet.Keywords: domestication of technology, internet, social context, television, young people
Procedia PDF Downloads 29719863 Sentiment Analysis: An Enhancement of Ontological-Based Features Extraction Techniques and Word Equations
Authors: Mohd Ridzwan Yaakub, Muhammad Iqbal Abu Latiffi
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Online business has become popular recently due to the massive amount of information and medium available on the Internet. This has resulted in the huge number of reviews where the consumers share their opinion, criticisms, and satisfaction on the products they have purchased on the websites or the social media such as Facebook and Twitter. However, to analyze customer’s behavior has become very important for organizations to find new market trends and insights. The reviews from the websites or the social media are in structured and unstructured data that need a sentiment analysis approach in analyzing customer’s review. In this article, techniques used in will be defined. Definition of the ontology and description of its possible usage in sentiment analysis will be defined. It will lead to empirical research that related to mobile phones used in research and the ontology used in the experiment. The researcher also will explore the role of preprocessing data and feature selection methodology. As the result, ontology-based approach in sentiment analysis can help in achieving high accuracy for the classification task.Keywords: feature selection, ontology, opinion, preprocessing data, sentiment analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 20019862 Building Social Capital for Social Inclusion: The Use of Social Networks in Government
Authors: Suha Alawadhi, Malak Alrasheed
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In the recent past, public participation in governments has been declined to a great extent, as citizens have been isolated from community life and their ability to articulate demands for good government has been noticeably decreased. However, the Internet has introduced new forms of interaction that could enhance different types of relationships, including government-public relationship. In fact, technology-enabled government has become a catalyst for enabling social inclusion. This exploratory study seeks to investigate public perceptions in Kuwait regarding the use of social media networks in government where social capital is built to achieve social inclusion. Social capital has been defined as social networks and connections amongst individuals, that are based on shared trust, ideas and norms, enable participants of a network to act effectively to pursue a shared objective. The quantitative method was used to generate empirical evidence. A questionnaire was designed to address the research objective and reflect the identified constructs: social capital dimensions (bridging, bonding and maintaining social capital), social inclusion, and social equality. In this pilot study, data was collected from a random sample of 61 subjects. The results indicate that all participants have a positive attitude towards the dimensions of social capital (bridging, bonding and maintaining), social inclusion and social equality constructs. Tests of identified constructs against demographic characteristics indicate that there are significant differences between male and female as they perceived bonding and maintaining social capital, social inclusion and social equality whereas no difference was identified in their perceptions of bridging social capital. Also, those who are aged 26-30 perceived bonding and maintaining social capital, social inclusion and social equality negatively compared to those aged 20-25, 31-35, and 40-above whose perceptions were positive. With regard to education, the results also show that those holding high school, university degree and diploma perceived maintaining social capital positively higher than with those who hold graduate degrees. Moreover, a regression model is proposed to study the effect of bridging, bonding, and maintaining social capital on social inclusion via social equality as a mediator. This exploratory study is necessary for testing the validity and reliability of the questionnaire which will be used in the main study that aims to investigate the perceptions of individuals towards building social capital to achieve social inclusion.Keywords: government, social capital, social inclusion, social networks
Procedia PDF Downloads 32619861 Linguistic Analysis of Borderline Personality Disorder: Using Language to Predict Maladaptive Thoughts and Behaviours
Authors: Charlotte Entwistle, Ryan Boyd
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Recent developments in information retrieval techniques and natural language processing have allowed for greater exploration of psychological and social processes. Linguistic analysis methods for understanding behaviour have provided useful insights within the field of mental health. One area within mental health that has received little attention though, is borderline personality disorder (BPD). BPD is a common mental health disorder characterised by instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image and affect. It also manifests through maladaptive behaviours, such as impulsivity and self-harm. Examination of language patterns associated with BPD could allow for a greater understanding of the disorder and its links to maladaptive thoughts and behaviours. Language analysis methods could also be used in a predictive way, such as by identifying indicators of BPD or predicting maladaptive thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Additionally, associations that are uncovered between language and maladaptive thoughts and behaviours could then be applied at a more general level. This study explores linguistic characteristics of BPD, and their links to maladaptive thoughts and behaviours, through the analysis of social media data. Data were collected from a large corpus of posts from the publicly available social media platform Reddit, namely, from the ‘r/BPD’ subreddit whereby people identify as having BPD. Data were collected using the Python Reddit API Wrapper and included all users which had posted within the BPD subreddit. All posts were manually inspected to ensure that they were not posted by someone who clearly did not have BPD, such as people posting about a loved one with BPD. These users were then tracked across all other subreddits of which they had posted in and data from these subreddits were also collected. Additionally, data were collected from a random control group of Reddit users. Disorder-relevant behaviours, such as self-harming or aggression-related behaviours, outlined within Reddit posts were coded to by expert raters. All posts and comments were aggregated by user and split by subreddit. Language data were then analysed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) 2015 software. LIWC is a text analysis program that identifies and categorises words based on linguistic and paralinguistic dimensions, psychological constructs and personal concern categories. Statistical analyses of linguistic features could then be conducted. Findings revealed distinct linguistic features associated with BPD, based on Reddit posts, which differentiated these users from a control group. Language patterns were also found to be associated with the occurrence of maladaptive thoughts and behaviours. Thus, this study demonstrates that there are indeed linguistic markers of BPD present on social media. It also implies that language could be predictive of maladaptive thoughts and behaviours associated with BPD. These findings are of importance as they suggest potential for clinical interventions to be provided based on the language of people with BPD to try to reduce the likelihood of maladaptive thoughts and behaviours occurring. For example, by social media tracking or engaging people with BPD in expressive writing therapy. Overall, this study has provided a greater understanding of the disorder and how it manifests through language and behaviour.Keywords: behaviour analysis, borderline personality disorder, natural language processing, social media data
Procedia PDF Downloads 34919860 Media Coverage of Cervical Cancer in Malawi: A National Sample of Newspapers and a Radio Station
Authors: Elida Tafupenji Kamanga
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Cancer of the cervix remains one of the high causes of death among Malawian women. Despite the government introduction of free screening services throughout the country, patronage still remains low and lack of knowledge high. Given the critical role mass media plays in relaying different information to the public including health and its influence on health behaviours, the study sought to analyse Malawi media coverage of the disease and its effectiveness. The findings of the study will help inform media advocacy directed at changing any coverage impeding the effective dissemination of cervical cancer message which consequently will help increase awareness and accessing of screening behaviours among women. A content analysis of 29 newspapers and promotional messages on cervical from a local radio station was conducted for the period from 2012 to 2015. Overall the results showed media coverage in terms of content and frequency increased for the four-year period. However, of concern was the quality of information both media presented to the public. The lapse in information provided means there is little education taking place through the media which could be contributing to the knowledge gap the women have thereby affecting their decision to screen. Also lack of adequate funding to media institutions and lack of collaboration between media institutions and stakeholders involved in the fight against the disease were noted as other contributing factors to low coverage of the disease. Designing messages that are not only informative and educative but also innovative may help increase awareness; improve the knowledge gap and potential adoption of preventive screening behaviour by Malawian women. Conversely, good communication between the media institutions and researchers involved in the fight against the disease through the channelling of new findings back to the public as well as increasing funding towards similar cause should be considered.Keywords: cervical cancer, effectiveness, media coverage, screening
Procedia PDF Downloads 19719859 Mediating Health in Rural Ghana: An Exploratory Study of AI-Driven Health Communications Channels and Media Reportage in Accra
Authors: Amos Ekow Coffie
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This exploratory study investigates the impact of AI-driven health communications and media reportage on health outcomes in rural Ghana, focusing on rural communities within Accra. Despite the potential of AI-driven health communications in improving health outcomes, its adoption in rural Ghana is hindered by infrastructure challenges, digital literacy, and cultural factors. Media reportage plays a crucial role in shaping health perceptions and behaviors, but its impact is limited by inadequate health reporting, lack of specialized health journalists, and limited access to health information. This study aims to explore the integration of AI-driven health communications into media practices in rural Ghana, addressing the following research questions: How do AI-driven health communications impact health outcomes in rural Ghana? What role does media reportage play in shaping health perceptions and behaviors in Accra? How can AI-driven health communications and media reportage be optimized to improve health outcomes in rural Ghana? Using a mixed-methods approach, this study will combine surveys, interviews, and content analysis to investigate the impact of AI-driven Health Communication and media reportage on health outcomes in rural areas in Ghana. AI-driven health communications is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to design, deliver, and evaluate health messages, interventions, and campaigns. The study's findings will contribute to the development of effective health communication strategies, addressing the significant health disparities in rural areas in Ghana.Keywords: AI Driven Health Communication, Media Reporting, Rural Areas, Communication Channels
Procedia PDF Downloads 2519858 Start Talking in an E-Learning Environment: Building and Sustaining Communities of Practice
Authors: Melissa C. LaDuke
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The purpose of this literature review was to identify the use of online communities of practice (CoPs) within e-learning environments as a method to build social interaction and student-centered educational experiences. A literature review was conducted to survey and collect scholarly thoughts concerning CoPs from a variety of sources. Data collected included best practices, ties to educational theories, and examples of online CoPs. Social interaction has been identified as a critical piece of the learning infrastructure, specifically for adult learners. CoPs are an effective way to help students connect to each other and the material of interest. The use of CoPs falls in line with many educational theories, including situated learning theory, social constructivism, connectivism, adult learning theory, and motivation. New literacies such as social media and gamification can help increase social interaction in online environments and provide methods to host CoPs. Steps to build and sustain a CoP were discussed in addition to CoP considerations and best practices.Keywords: community of practice, knowledge sharing, social interaction, online course design, new literacies
Procedia PDF Downloads 9219857 Fast Fourier Transform-Based Steganalysis of Covert Communications over Streaming Media
Authors: Jinghui Peng, Shanyu Tang, Jia Li
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Steganalysis seeks to detect the presence of secret data embedded in cover objects, and there is an imminent demand to detect hidden messages in streaming media. This paper shows how a steganalysis algorithm based on Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) can be used to detect the existence of secret data embedded in streaming media. The proposed algorithm uses machine parameter characteristics and a network sniffer to determine whether the Internet traffic contains streaming channels. The detected streaming data is then transferred from the time domain to the frequency domain through FFT. The distributions of power spectra in the frequency domain between original VoIP streams and stego VoIP streams are compared in turn using t-test, achieving the p-value of 7.5686E-176 which is below the threshold. The results indicate that the proposed FFT-based steganalysis algorithm is effective in detecting the secret data embedded in VoIP streaming media.Keywords: steganalysis, security, Fast Fourier Transform, streaming media
Procedia PDF Downloads 14719856 Perception of Value Affecting Engagement Through Online Audio Communication
Authors: Apipol Penkitti
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The new normal or a new way of life stemmed from the COVID-19 outbreak, gave rise to a new form of social media: audio-based social platforms (ABSPs), known as Clubhouse, Twitter space, and Facebook live audio room. These platforms, on which audio-based communication is featured, became popular in a short span of time. The objective of the research study is to understand ABSPs users’ behaviors in Thailand. The study, in which functional attitude theory, uses and gratifications theory, and social influence theory are referred to, is conducted through consumer perceived utilitarian, hedonic, and social value that affect engagement. This research study is mixed method paradigm, utilizing Model of Triangulation as its framework. The data acquisition is proceeded through questionnaires from a sample of 384 male, female and LGBTQA+ individuals aged 25 - 34 who, from various occupations, have used audio-based social platform applications. This research study employs the structural equation modeling to analyze the relationships between variables, and it uses the semi - structured interviewing to comprehend the rationality of the variables in the study. The study found that hedonic value directly affects engagement.Keywords: audio based social platform, engagement, hedonic, perceived value, social, utilitarian
Procedia PDF Downloads 12619855 Network and Sentiment Analysis of U.S. Congressional Tweets
Authors: Chaitanya Kanakamedala, Hansa Pradhan, Carter Gilbert
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Social media platforms, such as Twitter, are excellent datasets for understanding human interactions and sentiments. This report explores social dynamics among US Congressional members through a network analysis applied to a dataset of tweets spanning 2008 to 2017 from the ’US Congressional Tweets Dataset’. In this report, we preform network analysis where connections between users (edges) are established based on a similarity threshold: two tweets are connected if the tweets they post are similar. By utilizing the Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK) and NetworkX, we quantified tweet similarity and constructed a graph comprising various interconnected components. Each component represents a cluster of users with closely aligned content. We then preform sentiment analysis on each cluster to explore the prevalent emotions and opinions within these groups. Our findings reveal that despite the initial expectation of distinct ideological divisions typically aligning with party lines, the analysis exposed a high degree of topical convergence across tweets from different political affiliations. The analysis preformed in this report not only highlights the potential of social media as a tool for political communication but also suggests a complex layer of interaction that transcends traditional partisan boundaries, reflecting a complicated landscape of politics in the digital age.Keywords: natural language processing, sentiment analysis, centrality analysis, topic modeling
Procedia PDF Downloads 3319854 Breathing New Life into Old Media
Authors: Dennis Schmickle
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Introductory statement: Augmented reality (AR) can be used to breathe life into traditional graphic design media, such as posters, book covers, and album art. AR superimposes a unique image/video on a user’s view of the real world, which makes it more immersive and realistic than traditional 2D media. This study developed a series of projects that utilize both traditional and AR media to teach the fundamental principles of graphic design. The results of this study suggest that AR can be an effective tool for teaching graphic design. Abstract: Traditional graphic design media, such as posters, book covers, and album art, could be considered to be “old media.” However, augmented reality (AR) can breathe life into these formats by making them more interactive and engaging for students and audiences alike. AR is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world. This allows users to interact with digital content in a way that is more immersive and interactive than traditional 2D media. AR is becoming increasingly popular, as more and more people have access to smartphones and other devices that can support AR experiences. This study is comprised of a series of projects that utilize both traditional and AR media to teach the fundamental principles of graphic design. In these projects, students learn to create traditional design objects, such as posters, book covers, and album art. However, they are also required to create an animated version of their design and to use AR software to create an AR experience with which viewers can interact. The results of this study suggest that AR can be an effective and exciting tool for teaching graphic design. The students who participated in the study were able to learn the fundamental principles of graphic design, and they also developed the skills they need to create effective AR content. This study has implications for the future of graphic design education. As AR becomes more popular, it is likely that it will become an increasingly important tool for teaching graphic design.Keywords: graphic design, augmented reality, print media, new media, AR, old media
Procedia PDF Downloads 6719853 Challenges to Press Freedom in Pakistan
Authors: Awais Ahmad
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People of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) remains underrepresented in Pakistan’s mainstream media and their miseries and concerns are unheard and unnoticed. Rising the incidents of human rights violation in KP province of Pakistan, and its absence in the mainstream media has raised many questions on the clause of press freedom known as 19/A in the constitution of Pakistan, that has claimed freedom of speech to all Pakistani citizens. Using a ‘think a loud’ research technique, senior most journalists of KP have been interviewed to get to know reasons of why and how Pashtun’s voices have been silenced in a democratic country where individual’s opinion is considered more powerful, and they can exercise freedom to protest and speak-up for their rights. The information collected from the journalists has been used to evaluate press freedom in KP and FATA by applying the institutional theory. The paper evaluates different recent cases where Pashtun journalists, media outlets and social activists were being punished for criticizing authorities and military establishment. This study also explores that the perception of local journalists regarding press freedom and what are the factors they consider it restrictions while they perform their duties.Keywords: press freedom, federally administered tribal areas (fata), khyber pakhtunkhwa (kp), military establishment
Procedia PDF Downloads 6719852 (Mis) Communication across the Borders: Politics, Media, and Public Opinion in Turkey
Authors: Banu Baybars Hawks
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To date, academic attention in social sciences remains inadequate with regard to research and analysis of public opinion in Turkey. Most of the existing research has assessed the public opinion during political election periods. Therefore, it is of great interest to find out what the public thinks about current issues in Turkey, and how to interpret the results to be able to reveal whether they may have any reflections on social, political, and cultural structure of the country. Accordingly, the current study seeks to fill the gap in the social sciences literature in English regarding Turkey’s social and political stand which may be perceived to be very different by other nations. Without timely feedback from public surveys, various programs for improving different services and institutions functioning in the country might not achieve their expected goal, nor can decisions about which programs to implement be made rationally. Additionally, the information gathered may not only yield important insights into public’s opinion regarding current agenda in Turkey, but also into the correlates shaping public policies. Agenda-setting studies including agenda-building, agenda melding, reversed agenda-setting and information diffusion studies will be used to explain the roles of factors and actors in the formation of public opinion in Turkey. Knowing the importance of public agenda in the agenda setting and building process, this paper aims to reveal the social and political tendencies of the Turkish public. For that purpose, a survey will be carried out in December of 2014 to determine the social and political trends in Turkey for that same year. The subjects for the study, which utilize a questionairre in one-on-one interviews, will include 1,000 individuals aged 18 years and older from 26 cities representing general population. A stratified random sampling frame will be used. The topics covered by the survey include: The most important current problem in Turkey; the Economy; Terror; Approaches to the Kurdish Issue; Evaluations of the Government and Opposition Parties; Evaluations of Institutional Efficiency; Foreign Policy; the Judicial System/Constitution; Democracy and the Media; and, Social Relations/Life in Turkey. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Turkey has been undergoing a rapid transformation. The reflections of the changes can be seen in all areas from economics to politics. It is my hope that findings of this study may shed light on the important aspects of institutions, variables setting the agenda, and formation process of public opinion in Turkey.Keywords: public opinion, media, agenda setting, information diffusion, government, freedom, Turkey
Procedia PDF Downloads 46719851 Support for and Participation in 'Spontaneous' Mass Protest in Iceland: The Moderating Effects of Biographical Availability, Critical Mass, and Social Embeddedness
Authors: Jon Gunnar Bernburg
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The present study addresses a topic that is fundamental to social movement theory, namely, the contingent link between movement support and movement participation. Usually, only a small fraction of those who agree with the cause of a social movement is mobilized into participating in it (a pattern sometimes referred to as 'the collective action problem'). However, historical moments sometimes emerge when many supporters become mobilized to participate in the movement, greatly enhancing the chance of movement success. By studying a case in point, this paper addresses the limited work on how support and participation are related at such critical moments. Specifically, the paper examines the association between supporting and participating in a huge 'pro-democracy' protest in Iceland in April 2016, in the wake of the global Panama Papers scandal. Organized via social media by only a handful of activists, but supported by a majority of Icelanders, the protest attracted about a fourth of the urban population, leading to a snap election and government change. Surveying Iceland’s urban population, this paper tests hypotheses about the processes mobilizing supporters to participate in the protest. The findings reveal how variables derived from the theories of biographical availability (males vs. females, working class vs. professionals), critical mass (expectations, prior protest success), and social embeddedness (close ties with protesters) moderate the association between protest support and participation. The study helps to account for one of the largest protests in Iceland’s history while contributing to the theory about how historical contexts shape the behavior of movement supporters.Keywords: Iceland, crisis, protest support vs. participation, theories of mass mobilization
Procedia PDF Downloads 23519850 The Portrayal of Violence Against Women in Bangladesh News Media: Seeing It Through Rumana Manzur’s Case
Authors: Zerrin Akter Anni
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The media's role in shaping perceptions of violence against women (VAW) and their portrayal in news reporting significantly influences our understanding of this critical issue. My research delves into the portrayal of violence against women in mainstream media, using the prominent case of Dr. Rumana Manzur, a former UBC Fulbright Scholar from Bangladesh who suffered a brutal assault by her ex-husband in June 2011. Employing a qualitative research approach, this study uses an ethnographic media analysis method to scrutinize news reports of the aforementioned case from selected newspapers in Bangladesh. The primary objectives are to investigate how the popular news media in Bangladesh addresses the issue of violence against women and frames the victims of such violence. The findings of this research highlight that news media can perpetuate gender stereotypes and subtly shift blame onto the victim through various techniques, creating intricate interactions between the reader and the text. These techniques include sensationalized headlines, textual content, and graphic images. This victim-blaming process not only retraumatizes the survivor but also distorts the actual facts when presenting the case to a larger audience. Consequently, the representation of violence against women cases in media, particularly the portrayal of women as victims during reporting, significantly impacts our collective comprehension of this issue. In conclusion, this paper asserts that the Bangladeshi media, particularly news outlets, in conjunction with society, continue to follow a pattern of depicting gender-based violence in ways that devalue the image of women. This research underscores the need for critical analysis of media representations of violence against women cases, as they can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and hinder efforts to combat this pervasive problem. Therefore, the outcome of this research is to comprehend the complex dynamics between media and violence against women, which is essential for fostering a more empathetic and informed society that actively works towards eradicating this problem from our society.Keywords: media representation, violence against women (vaw), ethnographic media analysis, victim-blaming, sensationalized headline
Procedia PDF Downloads 7419849 Teaching in the Post Truth Era: A Narrative Analysis of Modern Anti-Scientific Discourses in the Classroom
Authors: Jason T. Hilton
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The ‘post-truth era’ is marked by a shift toward a period in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief. Applying narrative analysis techniques to current public discourses in education that run counter to scientific findings, it becomes possible to identify weakness in modern pedagogy and suggest ways to counter false narratives in the classroom. Results of this study indicate that a failure to engage with popular narratives lessens teachers’ ability to be convincing in the classroom, even when presenting information supported by scientific evidence. This study seeks to empower teachers by illustrating the influence of story within the post-truth era and the ways in which narrative and rhetorical elements take hold in social media contexts. Equipped with this knowledge, teachers can create a shift in pedagogy, away from transmission of knowledge toward the crafting of powerful narratives, built upon evidence, and connected to the lives of modern learners.Keywords: 21st century learner, critical pedagogy, culture, narrative, post-truth era, social media
Procedia PDF Downloads 26619848 The Digital Video and Online Media Development for Integrated Marketing Communication and Tourism Promote in Taling Chan District, Bangkok
Authors: Somsak Klaysung
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This study purpose to develop video to promote cultural tourism in Taling Chan District. For qualitative research, the sample size was 40 people from 5 group of the tourism entrepreneur in Taling Chan district, conducted the key informants’ content analysis by using focus group and structures in-depth interview from all stakeholders. Quota sampling was used for this kind of research. The findings indicated that get media video marketing and tourism contribute a set length 11.35 9 minutes there is plenty of social capital in Taling Chan District including detail like local wisdom, knowledge, and way of thinking related to nature, history, historic document, occupation, administration and attribute of local people. Additional research found the new path of travel through the water route according to Khlong Bang Ramat called Route 9 temples that travelers can travel by boat are available in the market in four areas Taling Chan also as well.Keywords: digital video, integrated marketing communication, online media development, Taling Chan district
Procedia PDF Downloads 35919847 The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility and Knowledge Management Factors on Students’ Job Performance: A Case Study of Silpakorn University’s Internship Program
Authors: Naritphol Boonjyakiat
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This research attempts to investigate the effects of corporate social responsibility and knowledge management factors on students’ job performance of the Silpakorn University’s internship program within various organizations. The goal of this study is to fill the literature gap by gaining an understanding of corporate social responsibility and the knowledge management factors that fundamentally relate to students’ job performance within the organizations. Thus, this study will focus on the outcomes that were derived from a set of secondary data that were obtained using a Silpakorn university’s data base of 200 students and selected employer assessment and evaluation forms from the companies. The results represent the perceptions of students towards the corporate social responsibility aspects and knowledge management factors within the university and their job performance evaluation from the employers in various organizations. The findings indicate that corporate social responsibility and knowledge management have significant effects on students’ job performance. This study may assist us in gaining a better understanding of the integrated aspects of university and workplace environments to discover how to optimally allocate university’s resources and management approaches to gain benefits from corporate social responsibility and knowledge management practices toward students’ job performance within an organizational experience settings. Therefore, there is a sufficient reason to believe that the findings can contribute to research in the area of CSR, KM, and job performance as essential aspect of involved stakeholder.Keywords: corporate social responsibility, knowledge management, job performance, internship program
Procedia PDF Downloads 33219846 A Failure to Strike a Balance: The Use of Parental Mediation Strategies by Foster Carers and Social Workers
Authors: Jennifer E Simpson
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Background and purpose: The ubiquitous use of the Internet and social media by children and young people has had a dual effect. The first is to open a world of possibilities and promise that is characterized by the ability to consume and create content, connect with friends, explore and experiment. The second relates to risks such as unsolicited requests, sexual exploitation, cyberbullying and commercial exploitation. This duality poses significant difficulties for a generation of foster carers and social workers who have no childhood experience to draw on in terms of growing up using the Internet, social media and digital devices. This presentation is concerned with the findings of a small qualitative study about the use of digital devices and the Internet by care-experienced young people to stay in touch with their families and the way this was managed by foster carers and social workers using specific parental mediation strategies. The findings highlight that restrictive strategies were used by foster carers and endorsed by social workers. An argument is made for an approach that develops a series of balanced solutions that move foster carers from such restrictive approaches to those that are grounded in co-use and are interpretive in nature. Methods: Using a purposive sampling strategy, 12 triads consisting of care-experienced young people (aged 13-18 years), their foster carers and allocated social workers were recruited. All respondents undertook a semi-structured interview, with the young people detailing what social media apps and other devices they used to contact their families via an Ecomap. The foster carers and social workers shared details of the methods and approaches they used to manage digital devices and the Internet in general. Data analysis was performed using a Framework analytic method to explore the various attitudes, as well as complementary and contradictory perspectives of the young people, their foster carers and allocated social workers. Findings: The majority of foster carers made use of parental mediation strategies that erred on the side of typologies that included setting rules and regulations (restrictive), ad-hoc checking of a young person’s behavior and device (monitoring), and software used to limit or block access to inappropriate websites (technical). It was noted that minimal use was made by foster carers of parental mediation strategies that included talking about content (active/interpretive) or sharing Internet activities (co-use). Amongst the majority of the social workers, they also had a strong preference for restrictive approaches. Conclusions and implications: Trepidations on the part of both foster carers and social workers about the use of digital devices and the Internet meant that the parental strategies used were weighted more towards restriction, with little use made of approaches such as co-use and interpretative. This lack of balance calls for solutions that are grounded in co-use and an interpretive approach, both of which can be achieved through training and support, as well as wider policy change.Keywords: parental mediation strategies, risk, children in state care, online safety
Procedia PDF Downloads 7319845 Crowdsourced Economic Valuation of the Recreational Benefits of Constructed Wetlands
Authors: Andrea Ghermandi
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Constructed wetlands have long been recognized as sources of ancillary benefits such as support for recreational activities. To date, there is a lack of quantitative understanding of the extent and welfare impact of such benefits. Here, it is shown how geotagged, passively crowdsourced data from online social networks (e.g., Flickr and Panoramio) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques can: (1) be used to infer annual recreational visits to 273 engineered wetlands worldwide; and (2) be integrated with non-market economic valuation techniques (e.g., travel cost method) to infer the monetary value of recreation in these systems. Counts of social media photo-user-days are highly correlated with the number of observed visits in 62 engineered wetlands worldwide (Pearson’s r = 0.811; p-value < 0.001). The estimated, mean willingness to pay for access to 115 wetlands ranges between $5.3 and $374. In 50% of the investigated wetlands providing polishing treatment to advanced municipal wastewater, the present value of such benefits exceeds that of the capital, operation and maintenance costs (lifetime = 45 years; discount rate = 6%), indicating that such systems are sources of net societal benefits even before factoring in benefits derived from water quality improvement and storage. Based on the above results, it is argued that recreational benefits should be taken into account in the design and management of constructed wetlands, as well as when such green infrastructure systems are compared with conventional wastewater treatment solutions.Keywords: constructed wetlands, cultural ecosystem services, ecological engineering, social media
Procedia PDF Downloads 12919844 The Effects of Cultural Self-Efficacy and Perceived Social Support on Acculturative Stress of International Postgraduate Students in the United Kingdom
Authors: Rhea Mathews
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The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of perceived social support and cultural self-efficacy on the acculturative stress of international postgraduate students in the United Kingdom. The study adopted Berry, Kim, Minde & Mok’s (1987) acculturative framework on acculturative stress and examined the relationship between the variables. The study hypothesized that perceived social support and cultural self-efficacy would predict lower levels of acculturative stress among students. Postgraduate students in the United Kingdom (N = 76) completed three surveys measuring the variables; Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Cultural Self-efficacy for Adolescents. To evaluate the role of the perceived social support and cultural self-efficacy in determining the acculturative stress level of international students, multiple linear regression was employed. Both independent variables exhibited a significant, negative relationship with acculturative stress (p < 0.001; p < 0.01). Results described that cultural self-efficacy and perceived social support significantly predicted acculturative stress (p < 0.01). Together, the variables accounted for 22% of the variance in acculturative stress scores (adjusted R² = 0.22), with cultural self-efficacy playing a larger role in predicting the dependent variable. Limitations and implications of the study are noted. The findings of the study are discussed in relation to enhancing international students’ acculturative experience when relocating to a new environment.Keywords: acculturative stress, coping, cultural adjustment, cultural self-efficacy, international education, international students, migration, perceived social support
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