Social Media in Shaping Public Opinion Roles and Impact: A Systematic Review

This study delves into the profound impact of social media on body image perceptions and overall dissatisfaction among young adults at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. In today's digital age, social media pervades the lives of young people, shaping their self-perceptions and influencing their social interactions. This research aims to understand how the constant exposure to curated and often idealized images on social media platforms contributes to the development of unrealistic body standards, fostering feelings of inadequacy and pressure to conform to societal beauty ideals. Employing a quantitative research approach, the study focused on a sample of 200 undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 to 30 years. Data collection utilized systematic sampling techniques and involved the administration of questionnaires via Google Forms. The study drew upon Social Comparison Theory to understand how individuals evaluate their own appearance by comparing themselves to the seemingly flawless images and physiques presented on social media platforms. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics. The findings revealed a significant correlation between social media usage and body image dissatisfaction among young adults. Frequent comparisons with idealized images of influencers and celebrities on social media platforms were found to be a major contributor to negative body image perceptions, leading to a range of negative emotional and psychological outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. These findings underscore the urgent need for interventions that address the detrimental effects of social media on young adults' mental health. This may include the development and implementation of comprehensive media literacy programs designed to equip young people with the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the digital world and resist the pressures to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. Furthermore, fostering a more inclusive and diverse representation of body images on social media platforms is crucial to promoting healthier body image perceptions and enhancing the overall well-being of young adults in the digital age. References Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. T., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health. Cmaj, 192(6), E136-E141. Aichner, T., Grünfelder, M., Maurer, O., & Jegeni, D. (2021). Twenty-five years of social media: a review of social media applications and definitions from 1994 to 2019. Cyberpsychology, behavior, and social networking, 24(4), 215-222. Ali, R. (2016). 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Aims: Social media has revolutionised our lives over the past two to three decades. With the advent of smartphones we see ourselves, family members, colleagues and general public whiling time away on social media platforms. In this context it would be prudent to explore the impact of social media and one’s thoughts on the future.Methods: An online survey was conducted looking into areas such as use of social media influence and opinions on adverse impact on individual use and future generation was looked into. The UK adult working population was studied and 100 individuals responded.Results: 94% respondents feel mental health can be adversely affected by social media; 94% respondents worry about future generation being affected negatively by social media; 50% felt adversely affected by social media; 64% felt social media influenced them. However more that 50% of respondents used social media daily up to 4 hours despite their concerns.Conclusion: Regular use of social media was very common despite one’s worries about adverse impacts on mental health. The population studied was of working adults and though they used social media regularly 94% felt worries about impact of social media on future generation. Overall the use and influence of social media on working adult population sample was high despite their own conviction that this may adversely impact mental health and future generation.An Afterthought; Should adults model less use of social media and phone to lead the way for future generation?

Background:Today, social media platforms are more popular than ever in Saudi Arabia. Despite the influence of social media on patients’ decisions to undergo cosmetic surgery, it is still unclear how social media platforms affect the private practice of plastic surgeons around Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess Saudi plastic surgeons’ use of social media and its impact on their practices.Methods:The study was based on a self-administered questionnaire that was built on previous literature and distributed to practicing Saudi plastic surgeons. A survey consisting of 12 items was conducted to assess patterns of social media use and its impact on plastic surgery practice.Results:This study included 61 participants. Thirty-four surgeons (55.7%) were using social media platforms in their practice. The use of social media was significantly different among surgeons with different levels of practice in cosmetic surgery (P = 0.004) and reconstructive surgery (P = 0.049). Social media presence was significantly more prevalent among surgeons in private practice (70.6%, P = 0.034). The use of social media in plastic surgery is overall positive for the field (60.7%).Conclusions:Despite plastic surgeons’ differing views on social media, its role within the field of plastic surgery is evidently on the rise. The use of social media is not equal across all practice types. Surgeons practicing in private hospitals and specializing in aesthetic surgery are more likely to view social media favorably and use it in their practice.

Research on the Influence of Social Media on the Us Presidential Election in the Era of Big Data

Consumptive behavior is characterized by an individual's tendency to spend money on shopping, both offline and online, without considering the priority scale. In this case, financial literacy has a role to play in avoiding consumer behavior and encouraging wiser use of social media. The objectives of this research: 1) The influence of financial literacy on adolescent consumer behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency. 2) The Influence of Social Media on Teenage Consumer Behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency. 3) The Simultaneous Influence of Financial Literacy and Social Media on Teenage Consumptive Behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency. The research method is quantitative. The sample consisted of 200 teenagers. Data collection techniques used questionnaires. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The research results show: 1) The influence of financial literacy on adolescent consumer behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency with a sig value of 0.000 < 0.05. 2) The influence of social media on adolescent consumer behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency with a sig value of 0.000 < 0.05. 3) Simultaneous Influence of Financial Literacy and Social Media on Adolescent Consumptive Behavior in Kubu Village, Kubu Raya Regency with a sig value of 0.000 < 0.05.

Navigating Social Media in #Ophthalmology

From Café Culture to Tweets

The advent of information and communication technology is being celebrated today in the whole world. It has become part of everyday life. This modern technology in no doubt has turned the whole world into a Global village. The study aimed at examining the influence of social media on academic performance of students of tertiary institution in Edo State. In other to measure social media platforms a questionnaire was developed based on past literatures. A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 300 students assessing the impact of teachers influence, school environment and motivation on performance in Students of tertiary institution in Edo State. The data collected are presented in tables and analysed using mean and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions. The influence of social media on the student’s academic achievement in students of tertiary institution in Edo State was categorized using mean ratings; 0- 1.5 = low level of influence; 1.6-2.5 = moderate level of influence; and 2.6- 4.0 = high level of influence. Findings revealed that students of tertiary institution in Edo State school employ social media platforms for various purposes, including establishing new social connections, engaging in conversations with existing friends, conducting research for academic assignments and educational resources, staying informed about contemporary trends and news, collaborating with classmates on group projects, and exploring potential academic pathways for their future endeavours. The frequency of social media usage does not exert a statistically significant impact on the academic performance of students in the field of Students of tertiary institution in Edo State. The frequency of social media usage by students does not have a substantial impact on their average academic performance in the field of Students of tertiary institution in Edo State. Hence, there is no significant variation in the average academic performance in the field of Students of tertiary institution in Edo State among students, irrespective of the frequency with which they engage in social media usage. The study recommends that the monitoring and management of students’ social media usage by teachers and parents is necessary to mitigate the detrimental impact on their academic performance in the field of students of tertiary institution in Edo State, as the beneficial utilisation of social media platforms has been shown to boost teaching and learning.

BackgroundThere is growing awareness of the broader health-related harms of social media; yet, research on social media–related injury mortality and morbidity remains limited. Emerging evidence suggests links between excessive social media use and increased risks of self-harm, cyberbullying-related distress, and dangerous viral challenges, but there has been limited research on the link between time spent on social media and environmental risk-taking, such as risky selfies. However, comprehensive epidemiological studies and policy-driven interventions remain scarce, highlighting the need for further investigation into the public health implications of digital engagement.ObjectiveThis research aimed to examine the relationship among self-reported time spent on social media, influencer status, and risk-taking behaviors among Australians, considering implications for injury prevention.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of Australian social media users (N=509) was conducted using stratified quotas to approximate national distributions by age, sex, and geographical location. Participants reported their average daily time spent on social media, whether they identified as a social media influencer, and whether they had ever engaged in risk-taking behavior to create social media content. Associations between categorical variables (eg, influencer status and risk-taking) were examined using Pearson chi-square tests and supplemented with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Independent samples 2-tailed t tests were used to compare mean time spent on social media between risk-takers and non–risk-takers.ResultsAmong participants, 48 (9.4%) self-reported engaging in risk-taking behavior in the outdoors. Influencers were significantly more likely to report risk-taking (28/58, 48.3%) compared to noninfluencers (20/451, 4.4%; χ²1=110.57, P<.001). Risk-takers (n=48) also spent significantly more time on social media (mean=2.05, SD 1.04) compared to non-risk-takers (n=461; mean 1.37, SD 1.04; t57.22=4.31, P<.001). In multivariate analyses, influencers (OR 20.11), males (OR 2.00), and younger age groups (eg, OR 33.06 for 18‐24 vs 55‐64 years) had significantly higher odds of reporting risk-taking.ConclusionsOutdoor risk-taking for content creation is associated with influencer status and greater time spent on social media. These findings suggest that policy makers should prioritize regulations addressing risky social media behaviors and hold platforms accountable for promoting harmful content. Social media platforms should implement real-time alerts, pop-up warnings, and geolocated safety information to discourage risky behaviors. Public health practitioners should engage influencers to promote safer content norms and develop targeted injury prevention strategies.

Modern life today is inseparable from information technology, one of which is the use of social media, where everyone can access various things they want to know. Social media is used to facilitate daily life, especially in terms of accessing information such as socio-political and economic. Along with the rapid development of information technology, social media has become a powerful platform for sharing information, interacting, and seeking public support. This phenomenon raises important questions about how social media shapes public opinion and, ultimately, influences the political process and policymaking. With social media, anyone can increase or show one's popularity and can also create narratives that are less accurate and objective about someone. Despite the various positive impacts of social media, it also has negative impacts. If users are unable to properly filter news or information containing divisions, hoaxes or fake news, issues of ethnicity, religion, and others carried out by irresponsible people, such information can cause chaos and can certainly divide unity. Therefore, the problem of this research is the level of influence of social media on public formation and what role social media plays in the formation of public opinion in the state policy process, whether constructive or critical. With the normative method, namely the normative legal research method (normative juridical), namely studying the legal rules, theories and principles that regulate freedom of opinion, the right to information and public participation in the process of forming state policy.

This phenomenological study is about the lived experiences of senior high school students and teachers on the influence of social media on students' written discourse. The data were collected from fifteen (15) participants through personal interviews using open-ended questions. All responses were recorded for transcription using a cellular phone. Colaizzi's method was used for data analysis. After a thorough analysis of the transcripts, the following six (6) themes arose to capture the students and teachers' lived experiences: Facebook and Messenger as the Most Widely Used, Teachers' Permission of Social Media in the Classroom, Adapting Social Media Trends and Their Informality, Reduces the Formality of Written Communication, Social Media as a Distraction, Dual Impact of Social Media on Students' Performance. The study concluded that senior high school students and teachers have faced challenges with written communication due to the influences of social media on students. Despite all these challenges, the teachers remained hopeful that the students could learn and use their critical thinking skills without the reliance on social media, especially in terms of writing style and language use. Based on the findings, the researchers recommend that students use social media for academic reasons with greater awareness. In addition to encouraging reading and writing at home, parents must watch and assist their children. Teachers should also interact with parents to explain their children's performance and enforce highly regulated classroom social media use. Introduce targeted writing assignments, grammar lessons, and critical thinking challenges. Guidelines addressing the influence of social media on written discourse are to be implemented by the school administration. Future Researchers will conduct additional studies on the long-term impacts of social media use on students' academic writing, comparing studies across many geographic locations and educational levels to find more general trends and solutions.

Background:There is a paucity of information regarding the use of social media by both orthopaedic residents and applicants. Therefore, this investigation aimed to (1) characterize the use of social media by current orthopaedic surgery residents and applicants to an orthopaedic surgery residency and (2) evaluate the influence of social media on applicants to an orthopaedic surgery residency.Methods:An anonymous, nationwide survey was conducted among current orthopaedic surgery residents and fourth-year medical students applying to the authors' orthopaedic surgery. Survey data included demographics, social media usage preferences, social media engagement, and the influence of social media on applicants' perception of and decision to apply to residency programs.Results:Three hundred twelve surveys were completed, which included 170 resident surveys and 142 applicant surveys. Two hundred thirty-seven of the respondents (76%) use social media daily. Two hundred fourteen respondents (72%) have listened to orthopaedic surgery podcasts. Regarding educational social media posts, 81% of the residents and 57% of the applicants preferred case presentations with corresponding imaging; for noneducational posts, 89% of the applicants preferred content involving resident life outside the hospital. When asked how much an orthopaedic residency program's social media presence influenced application decision (on a scale of 0-10, 0 being no influence and 10 being the most influence), the mean response was 3.47 among all respondents.Conclusions:Most survey respondents use social media daily, have listened to orthopaedic podcasts, find case presentations with corresponding imaging the most useful format for educational posts, and prefer to see residency programs post about resident life outside of the hospital. A residency program's social media presence did not significantly influence applicants' decision to apply to a specific program; however, there was a trend toward increasing influence with more recent applicants. Future research should further investigate social media's impact on the residency application process and the influence of social media on orthopaedic applicants and residents.

Background: The growing influence of social media platforms on consumer behavior, particularly in developing countries like Nepal, has been a subject of increasing interest. As social media usage rises, the impact of advertisements on purchasing decisions becomes a critical area of exploration, especially among the youth. This study seeks to understand how demographic factors, including age and gender, affect social media usage patterns and the influence of advertisements on purchasing behaviors. Objective: The primary objective of this research is to examine the relationship between social media usage and consumer purchasing decisions, with a focus on the demographic characteristics of age and gender among Nepalese youth. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 123 respondents from different age groups, ranging from 16 to above 35 years. Descriptive data analysis was employed to assess demographic distributions and social media usage patterns, while a Chi-Square test was used to analyze the influence of gender on purchasing behavior due to social media advertisements. Respondents were asked about their preferred social media platforms, purchasing behaviors, and their views on the influence of social media advertisements. Findings: The results revealed that Instagram is the most popular social media platform across all age groups, with a notable gender difference in platform preferences. Social media advertisements were found to influence purchasing behavior, with a majority of respondents either agreeing or being uncertain about their impact. The Chi-Square test showed no significant relationship between gender and the influence of social media advertisements on purchasing decisions. The majority of participants, particularly those aged 16-25, indicated that they were influenced by social media ads in their purchasing choices. Conclusion: This study highlights the substantial impact of social media advertisements on the purchasing decisions of Nepalese youth, particularly among those aged 16-25. Gender did not appear to significantly influence the effectiveness of these advertisements. The findings suggest that social media platforms, especially Instagram and Facebook, play a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior, and advertisers should focus on these platforms to target younger audiences. Novelty: This study provides valuable insights into the specific impact of social media advertisements on consumer behavior in Nepal, a developing market, and explores the role of demographic factors in shaping these behaviors.

In the contemporary digital age, social media has become an integral part of daily life, profoundly influencing various aspects of society, including education. This research paper delves into the multifaceted impact of social media on students, encompassing both the positive and negative ramifications. The positive effects of social media on students include enhanced communication and collaboration, access to vast educational resources, and opportunities for self-expression and creativity. Additionally, social media platforms can facilitate peer support networks, fostering a sense of belonging and community among students. Moreover, social media can serve as a platform for academic and career networking, enabling students to connect with mentors, professionals, and potential employers. However, the pervasive use of social media also poses significant challenges and risks for students. Excessive screen time and engagement with social media have been linked to decreased academic performance, attention deficits, and sleep disturbances. Furthermore, social media platforms often expose students to cyberbullying, online harassment, and negative social comparison, leading to psychological distress and decreased self-esteem. Moreover, the dissemination of misinformation and fake news on social media can hinder students' critical thinking skills and undermine their ability to discern credible sources of information. This research paper synthesizes existing literature to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of social media on students, highlighting the complexities and nuances of this phenomenon. By elucidating the various dimensions of social media's influence on students, this paper aims to inform educators, parents, policymakers, and students themselves about the opportunities and challenges inherent in navigating the digital landscape. Additionally, the paper proposes recommendations for promoting responsible social media usage and mitigating its adverse effects on students' well-being and academic success.

This study, the “Influence of Social Media among youth in Abuja Municipal Area and Bwari Area Councils of FCT, Abuja” was carried out to investigate the way social media influences the youth in AMAC and Bwari Area Councils of FCT, Abuja. The study adopted quantitative survey design with the questionnaire used as the research instrument for data collection. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive method while univariate frequency distribution tables, percentages and SPSS were used as statistical tools for data collection. Finding of the study revealed that social media platforms are used among the youth to a great extent as majority of them make use of the platforms at least more than twice a day. In the use of the platforms, Facebook endears the youth more for use compared to other social media platforms. The use of social media, therefore, influences the behaviour of youth to a great extent by making them cultivate the habit of living a flamboyant lifestyle. Finding however, revealed that the use of social media is challenged majorly by high data charges from the network providers followed by poor network, while unstable power and activities of Internet scammers are other challenges in the use of the social media among the youth. The recommended that policy makers should benefit from the youth’s interest in the social media in general and the Facebook in particular by using the platforms in reaching out to them (youth) on relevant policies/programmes that can impact positively on their lives in particular and the society in general. It further charged the youth to dedicate more time on the social media for the activities beneficial to them rather than merely posting personal photos and videos which have minimal impacts on their lives. The study concluded that social media is used among the youth and its utilization by this group of the people has tremendous impact on their behavior