An empirical evaluation of the predictors and consequences of social media health-misinformation seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

Navigating Social Media in #Ophthalmology

The importance and frequency of social media in marketing communication is undeniable today, especially when the target of such communication are young people (and the puropse is advertising and overall improvement of internal communication). Social media are the main source of information for youth as well as virtual space where they can express and present themselves in the best possible way. The significant role of using social media in everyday communication has been recognized by institutions of higher education and they have become an essential part of their marketing mix. Ultimately, the students are the ones who have the main role in acquiring new communication technologies and their communication networks have tendency to be dense and layered (Quan-Haase, 2007). That is the reason why new technologies like social media are mostly accepted and used by high school and university students. In this paper authors analyse the meaning, influence and usage of social media in the context of institutions of higher education and present the findings of an online survey conducted among teachers in such institutions in Croatia. By analysing the results, authors got 104 replies who helped them to get an insight into activities of institutions of higher education on social media as well as the usage of certain social media by private institutions compared with the public ones. This research confirmed that private institutions of higher education are on the overall more active in the usage of social media. However, Chi-squared test showed almost no difference in usage of the most popular social media Facebook and Instagram in private and public institutions of higher education, whereas there is a difference in usage of other social media. In this research, the intensity of certain social media usage in general in Croatia was also compared with the level of their usage in institutions of higher education.

Today's rapidly growing use of social media has both positive and negative impacts on people's social lives. Moreover, based on UNESCO data, Indonesian people are very active in using social media. This research aims to The use of social media as a learning medium aims to increase students' interest in learning, improve students' ability to use technology and increase students' awareness in using social media in the context of education. The method used in this research is a quantitative method using a survey model and in-depth interviews with one teacher and students. The results of this study show that social media can be used for learning tools or media. However, in reality, currently there is no maximum use of social networking media. The results of researchers' observations by looking at the growing phenomenon, that the use of social networking media is currently mostly only used by students to be limited to sending messages with friends, playing games (games), and buying goods online. The use of social networking media is currently still not utilized as a learning medium by students. The conclusion of this research is that media in the learning process is an inseparable part of the teaching and learning process in order to achieve an educational goal in general and learning objectives. Strategies to be able to find learning media. The right and appropriate in the learning process can be done by making considerations in the selection of social media. Therefore, the limitation of this study is that researchers only conducted research on the role of the Discovery Learning strategy in Islamic cultural history lessons, researchers hope that future researchers can conduct research on the Discovery Learning strategy by developing this strategy in other subjects.

BackgroundThis mixed methods study explored how social media use informed physical activity and diet-related behaviours, and self-perceived Quality of Life (QoL) during COVID-19, and assessed the contextual factors that drive social media use for health-related behaviour change in diverse groups. During the COVID-19 lockdown periods there were reported changes to social media use and health behaviours, and this gave an opportunity to investigate potential relationships.MethodsAn explanatory sequential research design of two parts was used: (1) An online survey that assessed social media use in relation to physical activity levels, diet quality and QoL (n = 786; Mage 45.1 ± 19.1 (range 16–88) years; Female =69%); (2) 20 purposive focus groups (n = 69; Mage = 52.88 ± 18.45 years, Female n = 68%) to understand the contextual factors that drive social media use for health-related behaviour change. Descriptive and thematic analysis were conducted.ResultsParticipants in this study reported that social media facilitated the self-management of behaviours related to physical activity, diet and QoL, through access to information to inform workouts and dietary quality, and the opportunities for interaction with peers, family members and within social groups. Contextual factors including work, home and lifestyle arrangements, pre-existing health-related knowledge and behaviours, and the perceived value of social media for health influenced the relationship between social media use and self-reported outcomes. Social media influencers, peers/family members, and official organisations influenced the application of health-related information accessed via social media.ConclusionsThe evidence shows that participants were critical users of social media and were able to use social media to derive benefit for their health and wellbeing. Detailed guidance for those who use social media, as well as those who recommend and endorse social media content is required to maximise the potential of social media to support health behaviours. Future public health strategies and social media interventions should acknowledge diversity in contextual factors driving social media use for health behaviour change.

Despite the usefulness of social media in formal education, there are concerns regarding how students can well manage their learning and use social media properly. The concerns are especially salient in the voluntary context, in which social media use is not intended by the instructor for course-related activities and students have the autonomy to select and use social media for course-related learning. Self-regulated learning (SRL) is regarded as a critical component of effective learning with social media, yet research in the voluntary context is lacking. 
\nThe goal of this research is to shed light on the extent to which students engage in SRL strategies to manage their learning when voluntarily using social media for formal learning, as well as the influential factors and effects of such behaviors. To achieve this research goal, this research draws on the perspective of social cognitive theory, supplemented by the literature on technology affordances, and proposes four research questions: 1) What are the SRL strategies that students use when voluntarily using social media to support formal learning? 2) What are the personal factors that influence the extent to which students use SRL strategies when voluntarily using social media to support formal learning? 3) What are the environmental factors that influence the extent to which students use SRL strategies when voluntarily using social media to support formal learning? 4) What are the effects of using SRL strategies on learning satisfaction when students voluntarily using social media to support formal learning?
\nTo address the research questions, three interrelated studies were carried out in sequence. Firstly, Study 1 examined the relationships between two categories of personal factors, the use of specific SRL strategies, and learning satisfaction in the context of voluntary use of social media for formal learning. The hypotheses in Study 1 were empirically tested by analyzing survey data gathered from 192 university students. The results of Study 1 identified four types of SRL strategies: goal setting, environment structuring, performance control, and self-evaluation. In particular, the use of goal setting strategy was found to be influenced by intrinsic goal orientation, social media self-efficacy, and attitude towards using social media for learning. In addition, the use of environment structuring strategies was found to be influenced by self-efficacy for learning, learning outcome expectations for social media, and attitude towards using social media for learning. Next, the extent of using performance control strategies was found to be influenced by intrinsic goal orientation, social media self-efficacy, learning outcome expectations, and attitude towards using social media for learning. Moreover, the use of self-evaluation strategies was influenced by social media self-efficacy, learning outcome expectations, and attitude. Last but not least, the four SRL strategies were also found to be positively associated with students’ learning satisfaction in the context of voluntary use of social media for formal learning in school. 
\nSubsequently, Study 2 was conducted to gain a more comprehensive understanding of SRL strategies students use in the context of voluntary use of social media for formal learning, and to explore the social media affordances as potential environmental factors that may influence the extent to which students engage in SRL strategies. Data from 41 university students formed into six focus groups were utilized to explore and identify the SRL strategies and social media affordances. The findings uncovered that the SRL strategies that students used could be grouped into two categories, i.e., regulation of learning and regulation of social media environment. In addition, there were two categories of social media affordances perceived by students in the social media learning environment, i.e., individualized social media affordances and shared social media affordances. 
\nFinally, Study 3 was conducted. The aim of Study 3 was to propose and test an integrated model depicting how the personal factors (derived from Study 1) and the environmental factors (derived from Study 2) influence students’ use of SRL strategies (as identified in Study 1 and Study 2), as well as the effects of using these strategies on learning satisfaction with social media. A survey study was conducted, with a total of 385 valid responses from university students. The results of structural equation modeling empirically validated that the model fits well with the data. Regarding the regulation of learning, two personal factors, i.e., self-efficacy and intrinsic goal orientation, and an environmental factor in social media, i.e., interactivity affordance, were significantly associated with the extent to which students engage in regulation of learning. Regarding the regulation of social media environment, it is found that three personal factors, i.e., task value, social media self-efficacy, and attitude toward using social media for learning, and two environmental factors in social media, i.e., affordances of manageability and group association, could significantly influence the extent to which students engage in regulation of social media environment. Further, both regulation of learning and regulation of social media environment were identified to be significantly associated with learning satisfaction in the context of voluntarily using social media for formal learning.
\nFor researchers, the present research provides a conceptual model grounded in the social cognitive theory, supplemented by the affordances approach, to advance the understanding of people’ use of SRL strategies in the context of voluntary use of social media for formal learning, as well as the influential factors and effects of such behaviors. For practitioners, the findings from this doctoral thesis provide implications for individual learners, educational policymakers, online education industry, and government on the role of SRL in promoting lifelong learning.

BackgroundPrior literature has well established the relationship between social media use and social anxiety, but little attention has been paid to the underlying mechanisms. Additionally, the causal evidence concerning the effect of social media use on social anxiety is scarce.ObjectiveGiven that, two studies were conducted to examine the effect of social media use on social anxiety and the underlying mechanisms.Methods and resultsIn Study 1, with 470 undergraduates as participants, we applied the questionnaire survey to investigate the relationship between social media use and social anxiety. The results showed that higher social media use intensity was significantly related to higher social anxiety, and social media use was related to social anxiety via two possible mediation paths: (1) social media use → upward social comparison → social anxiety, (2) and social media use → upward social comparison → self-esteem → social anxiety. In Study 2, with 180 undergraduates as participants, we conducted a lab experiment, in which participants were assigned to the experimental (exposed to the content that undergraduates frequently access on social media) or control (exposed to landscape documentaries) condition, and then measured their upward social comparison, self-esteem and social anxiety. The results showed that participants in the experimental condition reported higher social anxiety than those in the control condition, demonstrating the causality between social media exposure and social anxiety. The subsequent mediation analysis basically replicated the findings of Study 1. That is, upward social comparison played the mediating role between social media exposure and social anxiety, and upward social comparison and self-esteem played the chain-mediating role between them.ConclusionThe current research firstly demonstrated the causality between social media use and social anxiety in Chinese society, and also revealed the mediating mechanisms between them, which would deepen our understanding of how social media use will increase social anxiety.

Cooperative Mentorship: Negotiating Social Media Use within the Family

Objective: Alcohol marketers have increasingly moved their advertising efforts into digital and social media venues. As a result, the purpose of this study is to investigate associations between students’ use of social media, their exposure to alcohol marketing messages through social media, and their alcohol-related beliefs and behaviors. Participants: Public and private university students (N = 637) participated November and December 2011 and April 2012. Methods: College students completed online surveys to measure their exposure to social and online media generally, as well as their alcohol-related digital media use and alcohol use. Results: Use of social media related to alcohol marketing predicted alcohol consumption and engaging in risky behaviors, whereas the use of social media more generally did not. Conclusions: Students’ use of alcohol-related social media–marketing content associates with their problem drinking. Results have implications for alcohol abuse reduction efforts targeted at college students and suggest the importance of considering social, cultural, and cognitive factors in campaign planning and design.

The research aimed to contribute to investigate the impact of social networking media on academic performance, health and social interactions in Oman. It is a causal study as it studied the impact of social media usage on academics, social interactions and health. The study area was University of Technology and Applied sciences, Nizwa. The period of study was from February 2023 to May 2023. The total population of students studying in University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Nizwa is 5692 A sample of 242 students were selected for the study from four departments. Samples were designed from students in each department by using proportionate stratified sampling. Primary data was collected online using Google form, with the help of a structured questionnaire in English and Arabic. The findings of the study revealed that the correlation between social media usage and health issues is 0.174. There is a significant relationship between social media usage and its impact on health. Social media usage contributes only 3% to health issues on the students. The correlation between social media usage and social interactions and behaviour is 0.264. 7% of the variation in social behaviour can be predicted due to usage of social media. It is proved that there is a significant relationship between social media usage and its impact on social interactions and behavior of students. The correlation between social media usage and academic performance is 0.271. Social media usage contributes only 7% to academic performance of the students. It is proved that there is a significant relationship between social media usage and its impact on academic performance of students, their health and behaviour. There is no significant relationship between gender, department, level of study and grade with the usage of social media.

BackgroundeHealth and social media could be of particular benefit to adults with hearing impairment, but it is unknown whether their use of smart devices, apps, and social media is similar to that of the general population.ObjectiveOur aim is to study whether adults with normal hearing and those with impaired hearing differ in their weekly use of smart devices, apps, and social media; reasons for using social media; and benefits from using social media.MethodsWe used data from a Dutch cohort, the National Longitudinal Study on Hearing. Data were collected from September 2016 to April 2020 using a web-based questionnaire and speech-in-noise test. The results from this test were used to categorize normal hearing and hearing impairment. Outcomes were compared using (multiple) logistic regression models.ResultsAdults with impaired hearing (n=384) did not differ from normal hearing adults (n=341) in their use of a smartphone or tablet. They were less likely to make use of social media apps on a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch (age-adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.67, 95% CI 0.48-0.92; P=.02). Use of social media on all devices and use of other apps did not differ. Adults with hearing impairment were more likely to agree with using social media to stay in touch with family members (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.16-2.07; P=.003) and friends (age-adjusted OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.01-1.81; P=.046). Furthermore, they were more likely to agree with using social media to perform their work (age-adjusted OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.04-2.18; P=.03). There were no differences in the experienced benefits from social media.ConclusionsThe potential for eHealth is confirmed because adults with hearing impairment are not less likely to use smart devices than their normal hearing peers. Adults with hearing impairment are less likely to use social media apps on a smart device but not less likely to use social media on all types of internet-connected devices. This warrants further research on the types of social media platforms that adults with hearing impairment use and on the type of device on which they prefer to use social media. Given that participants with hearing impairment are more likely than their normal hearing peers to use social media to perform their work, use of social media may be seen as an opportunity to enhance vocational rehabilitation services for persons with hearing impairment.

Spatial Patterns of Purposeful Social Networking and Socioeconomic Influences: Towards a Mature, Inclusive Networked Society in the U.S.

#trial: clinical research in the age of social media

Introduction: This study investigates the influence of gender and social networking sites (SNSs) such as Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter on consuming, creating, and sharing content within the educational social media usage behaviors of higher education students. The survey method is applied to measure students’ social media usage for educational purposes. So that a more effective use of social media in education can be provided, it is important to understand how university students vary in their educational use of social media. The aim of this study is to examine how higher education students use social media for their educational purposes based on the content and activities with which the students engage. The aim of the research is to determine the correlations, if any, between gender, preferred SNS type, and educational social media in regard to consuming, creating and sharing content. Methods: The derived scale is administered in Turkey with the participation of a total of 365 university students. Psychometric, validation and reliability analysis of the scale which is used in the study to collect the data were done first. Principal component analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive, correlations and multivariate analysis of variance are applied to analyze the social media usage for educational purposes. Gender and the SNS type were set as the additional predictors of the consuming, creating and sharing content on social media. Results: The validation and linguistic adaptation of the Inside School Social Media Behavior (ISSMB) scale from English to Turkish is performed first. Results showed that the three factors of the original scale were confirmed. Secondly, the derived scale is administered with the participation of a total of 365 university students. Results indicated that gender difference was a significant factor in explaining the content creation on social media. Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube are the most preferred SNSs for educational use among students at the higher education level. No significant effect was reported for the type of the SNS used in consuming, creating, and sharing educational content on social media. The type of the SNS used by the students was not found to influence educational social media usage; accordingly, students consume, create and share content, regardless of the type of the SNS they use. Discussion: Higher education level students prefer watching videos more than any other social media activity for their educational purposes. The second most frequently preferred social media usage activity was reported as searching for the learning resources or information pertaining to schoolwork. Creating content was the least favorable social media usage. When the social media usage purposes focus on schoolwork and are furthermore educational, males’ social media usage outperforms the females. Thus, males were more likely to create content by using social media for inside schoolwork purposes than the females. Males were also more likely to have sharing habits than the females in sharing learning resources e.g., class notes with their classmates by using social media for their inside schoolwork purposes. Limitations: The total number of participants used in the research sample is a limitation of this study. The study data were only collected in Turkey, and so the study results are only regionally generalizable. Conclusion: Higher education students are consumers of the social media when they use it for educational purposes. Accordingly, students prefer being “passive consumer social media users who avoid active content creating”. Students prefer watching the uploaded ready-to-watch videos who avoid instead of creating and uploading their own video content. When sharing items are compared with creating content items, students responded more to the latter. Students do share their information with classmates e.g. exam schedules and lecture notes. Compared to other sharing content usages, students less frequently preferred sharing extracurricular learning resources. The gender difference found herein is a predictor of social networking site usage among young people, and social networking usage changes according to gender. Males are reported as being more “giving” within a school setting when it comes to sharing the educational content with their colleagues and friends. Social media is a reality of our modern lives, one that is growing exponentially; it is highly crucial that researchers facilitate a better understanding of the ongoing changes and developments that are emerging and transforming learning. Both outside and inside school, the social media usage behaviors of young people can be examined according to different age groups do determine any age-related differences. The subject can be improved with new findings and results from different sample groups.

Background: The use of social media as a means for health communication has greatly increased among health promotion specialists. Community Health Workers (CHWs), who serve as liaisons between health services and community members, are one group of health professionals who could benefit from integrating social media into occupational practice. The purpose of this study was to explore CHWs' intention to use social media to fulfill their occupational roles, their current use of social media, and other factors that influence their intention to use and current use of social media. Methods: The research instrument was distributed as an email survey. The instrument contained three sections of questions: (1) use of social media tools as a CHW, (2) questions related to the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, and (3) demographic questions. A total of 196 CHWs completed the survey. Results: The most common social media tools used as a CHW in both their personal life and professional role were social networking websites (89.3% and 76.9%, respectively), SMS texting (81% and 70.3%), and content sharing sites (71.1% and 56.2%). Social influence (P < 0.05), performance expectancy (P < 0.05), and voluntariness of use (P <0.05) were associated with behavioral intention. Building individual and community capacity (P < 0.05) and the workplace providing social media tools (P < 0.0001) were associated with current social media use in occupational roles. Conclusion: Using social media as a CHW may open additional communication channels with the communities they serve. As reported in this study, some CHWs are already using social media tools both to fulfill job responsibilities and in their personal lives; however, CHWs may need support from their workplaces and proper training in order to more fully adopt social media into their work settings.

Social media and online health services: A health empowerment perspective to online health information