Exploring Digital Inclusion: Addressing Homelessness Through Equitable Design on TikTok

In contrast to all previous generations, life today is lived both in-person and online. This creates both opportunities and risks to mental health and well-being. Social interaction is no longer geographically constrained, yet the anonymity and impersonality of social media create new problems. To quote Mike Tyson (July 2020), "Social media have made y'all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it." This study set out to propose and test a hypothesized model to identify both direct and indirect predictors of life satisfaction. Independent or predictor variables included social media use, loneliness, and online and traditional social support. From March 2024 to October 2024, a total of 112 adults in the United States were recruited online and proceeded to complete study questionnaires. Participants were aged 42.62 (SD 12.74) years on average, had completed an average of 15.46 (SD 3.25) years of education, and reported an average household income of US $67,005 (SD US $41,560) per year. Using path analysis, we found that social media use and online social support emerged as significant, indirect predictors of life satisfaction via loneliness and traditional in-person social support (P<.01). In total, 39% of variance in life satisfaction was explained by this path model (R2=0.39; P<.01). Contrary to hypothesis, these findings support the rich get richer hypothesis regarding online social support, not the social compensation theory, that is, online social support appears to function as an adjunct to in-person support, not as a substitute. The results of this study need to be replicated with more diverse, larger samples, with responses collected over multiple time points.

This study examined mothers’ online community (OC) use and its structural relationship with parental stress, social support, and quality of life (QoL) under the social perspective of leisure and the theory of social support as a stress buffer. The population comprised employed mothers in two countries, Korea and Taiwan, which constitute appropriate settings for cross-cultural comparisons in the context of mothers’ OC use. The online questionnaire was distributed to 12 Korean mothers’ OCs and 14 Taiwanese mothers’ OCs, targeting employed mothers who have at least one child under seven-years-old and access mothers’ OCs on a regular basis. A total of 232 Korean and 303 Taiwanese responses were analyzed to examine the structural relationships among four key variables using structural equation modelling in AMOS 20. This study confirms that more parental stress leads to worse QoL. However, more parental stress results in less frequent participation in OCs, and OC use exerts a negative influence on QoL, which contradicts the hypothesized positive correlations. In comparison among Korean and Taiwanese mothers, Korean respondents showed a stronger influence of parental stress to mobilize more social support than did Taiwanese. This multidisciplinary study contributes to expanding the literature in noncommercial OCs, employed mothers in online leisure, and online social support in cross-cultural settings to promote the sustainability of families’ wellbeing.

IntroductionSocial media is playing a fundamental role in creating both disruption and opportunity in the music entertainment industry. For most artists, a growing emphasis is being made to fans and build fan communities through online engagement (Evans 2015). The question then arises: what are the foundational variables of online engagement? What elements are shown to be the most effective, or have the best possibilities to build communities of like-minded fans? This systemic review summarizes previous theoretical foundations and derives a broader application for online engagement based on prior research-rather than anecdotal online evidence. The traditional fan-artist relationship has undergone a drastic change though social media. The ability to engage from person-toperson has transformed the performer-audience relationship from a static unidirectional relationship to an iterative social online relationship. This transformational change challenges the strategies that previously fueled localized, regional, and national success of an artist through traditional promotion and marketing by record labels. These distinctive competen- cies of the record company, while still important, are now moving toward shorter life cycles based on online promotion and engagement through what is now called parasocial relationships (Christensen, Anthony, and Ross 2004; Hitt, Keats, and DeMarie 1998).Parasocial RelationshipsEarly parasocial behavior was defined as a one-way relationship that consumers of media develop with media personas over time (Horton and Wohl 1956). Parasocial interaction was further defined as imaginary social relationships (Perse 1989) that mirror face-to-face relationships (Rubin and Step 2000, Schramm and Wirth 2010). Essentially, this one-way communication between fans and media personalities replicate social interactions. The relationship is developed through message cues and content that becomes somewhat pseudo-intimate to audience members (Rubin and McHugh 1987, Rubin and Step 2000). This process involves identifying with social cues created by lyrics, onstage banter, or online messaging that cohesively connects the artist with the fan (Auter and Palmgreen 2000, Kassing and Sanderson 2009). Online users relate and identify to those with similar interests, values, and personality constructs as themselves- developing an affinity or identification with the celebrity persona and fan community where the fans believe they know the artist or each other in the community (Auter and Palmgreen 2000). Therefore, although communication might be perceived as passive (observational) or active (communicating/participating in the online community), the process is essentially two-sided and does resemble off-line social relationships.Types of UsersKozinets (1999) posited that online relationships were based on two non-independent factors: 1) the relationship a person has with a consumption activity (level of interest), and 2) the intensity of relationships with other members of the online community (friends or fans). Kozinets proposed a typology of four online community types: devotees, insiders, tourists, and minglers. Devotees are active members (fans) who have a strong interest in the online activity, but have few social ties to other members. Insiders have strong personal interest in an artist or activity and have strong social ties to the community members, and tourists lack strong ties with the activity, the artist, or online community. Finally, minglers have strong social ties with other members, but little interest in the activity/art- ist being discussed. This then defines devotees/insiders as artist-centered, minglers as group- or fan base-centered, and tourists as not engaged to the artist or group. While this classification serves as more of a labeling typology, it might be studied in the future for communication content that is idealized to serve each grouping.Social TheoryCole and Leets (1999) provided an early overview of Berger's (1986) three social development theories in order to provide a framework for online communities. …

Individuals experiencing homelessness and housed residents have increasingly been in conflict over the use of public spaces, which has led to efforts to regulate how individuals experiencing homelessness use public spaces. However, the discourses around the use of public parks seem to value housed residents over homeless individuals. How individuals experiencing homelessness construct meanings of public spaces has not been given adequate attention in the literature. Drawing on a symbolic interactionist theoretical framework and grounded theory methodology, the researcher conducted 10 semi-structured interviews on how individuals experiencing homelessness construct meanings of a public park. Participants ascribed instrumental and intangible meanings to the park by describing it as a homeless safety hub, a homeless resource hub, and a homeless network hub. This study suggested that homeless individuals’ constructed meanings of public parks may be motivated by their interactions with their peers and housed residents. This study recommends policy makers to make an effort to understand factors that force people experiencing homelessness to congregate in public parks and to discontinue regulations that criminalize how individuals experiencing homelessness use public parks.

Diagnostic and Other Correlates of HIV Risk Behaviors in a Probability Sample of Homeless Adults

Social support is essential to development, mental and emotional health, and reducing risk for psychological distress. Youth are exposed to various opportunities for socialization with peers, including through social media. Strong online social networks may be most critical for youth from isolated communities, including those from rural areas or LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etc.) youth. With this study, we investigated associations between social media use and online social support among adolescents. Additionally, we compared the online experiences of rural and urban youth. We also examined associations between online social support and psychological functioning and investigated whether the strength of these relationships was moderated by community type (rural versus urban). Finally, we evaluated the online experiences of LGBT+ youth. Two hundred seventy-five participants (ages 13-19) from seven high schools located in either rural or urban communities completed a paper and pencil survey on their mental health, social media use, and online social support. Social media use was positively associated with online social support. Rural youth were found to report greater social media use and online social support compared to urban youth. Online social support was not associated with depression or anxiety; community type (rural versus urban) did not moderate the strength of these relationships. LGBT+ youth in rural communities reported greater social media use and support online compared to LGBT+ youth in urban communities. These findings shed light on the potential positive benefits of social media use as it is related to perceptions of social support among online friends. They demonstrate that interactions online may contribute to stronger support networks within adolescents, particularly among vulnerable youth. Findings suggest social media may increase accessibility to social support for youth who may be at risk for social isolation.

WHY DO WE LIKE COMMENTING AND SHARING IN SOCIAL MEDIA? AN ONLINE APPROCH OF LUXURY BRAND COMMUNICATION

Despite growing concerns about the impact of social media use on the developing brain and associated mental health impacts, whether susceptibility to the benefits and harms of social media use changes across adolescence and young adulthood has yet to be empirically tested. Using a cross-sectional sample of participants aged 14-22 years (N=254), we examined (a) linear and non-linear age-related changes in social media use and online social support and (b) age-related differences in the effects of social media use and online social support on depressive symptoms. We found age differences in social media use, but not online social support, such that social media use increased across adolescence and peaked around age 20, followed by stable use into young adulthood. Age moderated the effect of online social support, but not overall social media use, on depressive symptoms, such that online social support was negatively associated with depressive symptoms for adolescents (age < 16.98), but the opposite pattern emerged for young adults (age > 19.04). Results suggest overall developmental changes in social media use and that adolescents may be more susceptible than emerging adults to the beneficial effects of positive online interactions on mental health.

Social media and Web 2.0 empower individuals to generate content online. It is important to better understand the potential added value of social media for e-health service provision. Social support and credibility of health related information generated via social media is a big challenge for online health communities. In this qualitative research, content of discussions from an online health community is analysed. Two themes are examined: online social support and credibility of online forums. Findings show accuracy and credibility of online communities – user profiles, ratings of posts and improved monitoring of content by advisors improve perceived credibility and trust in online forums and communities. Accuracy and perceived credibility of online health communities is pivotal in facilitating social relationships. While consumers are concerned about the credibility of online information, they benefit from social support and are increasingly turning to social media as a source of information and support. Organizations can benefit from better understanding consumer's use of social media, their concerns about information credibility and need for social support.

This research analyzes the opportunities that sport organizations can generate by co-creation of value through social media. After examining two virtual sporting communities, a content analysis of posts in this community provides valuable information about sports brand communities. The results of content analysis show that virtual communities offer online social support and enriched relationship quality to their clubs. These findings create a picture of how virtual communities can support co-creation of value for sport organizations. The primary contribution of the present research lies in exploring the relationship perspective in sport clubs and the key role of online social support through social media and virtual communities. The research found that online social support attracts fans to the community and through social media encourages them to participate, which in turn produces value for the club and for the fans. This offers a new theoretical foundation for investigating co-creation of value in sport management.

BackgroundHomeless individuals are some of the most vulnerable in society and have a higher burden of illness compared to non-homeless groups. Barriers exist to obtaining optimal care from healthcare providers...

Solace in Social Media: Women Unite Under COVID-19

PurposeEmpowered by Web 2.0 and social media, consumers join online communities and produce social capital. They generate information for online communities by sharing their knowledge, information and experience, and thus support organisational learning. Co‐creation of value with consumers instead of co‐creation of value for consumers is a new strategy for organisational development. The purpose of this paper is to investigate social factors introduced through social media to sport organisations in the co‐creation of value with fans.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts social capital and social support theory and investigates the way sport organisations can apply social relationship with fans in online communities in order to co‐create value for organisational development. The study looks at the current literature and the potential theoretical development for organisational learning.FindingsSocial interaction of individuals through social media and online communities has introduced co‐creation of value with customers. This behaviour originates from the supportive climate that has emerged through Web 2.0, where individuals share their information, knowledge, and experience through online communities. This co‐creation offers online social support as a source of social capital for organisations. The results can be beneficial for the development of sport organisations in the co‐creation of value with fans.Research limitations/implicationsThe clear implication of the research would be whether sport organisations can develop virtual communities and offer rich means that facilitate individuals' interactions. The research highlights the theoretical foundation and opportunities for sport organisational development. However, the study does not provide an empirical test of the theory. Therefore, an empirical test of the research theory is a future research direction.Originality/valueThis research investigates social factors introduced through social media to sport organisations in the co‐creation of value with fans. The contribution of the research is to provide the theoretical bases for a new research area for sport organisational development through social media. Sport organisations can learn from the social interactions of their fans and develop their strategies. This research shows how sport organisations can use social capital theory and online social support to progress in the industry.

Social media and gamification: Engaging vulnerable parents in an online evidence-based parenting program

Resident Perspectives 56–3