Digital Platforms Research Articles

The Degree of Audience Understanding Reception: The Potential of Digital Piracy Audio and Visual in TikTok

Social media platforms are increasingly being used to digitally disseminate clips video, audio, or animation. Some account-generated profit or fame from remaking or editing content on the video-sharing social media platform TikTok. This article consequently situates remaking video for profit purposes as digital piracy a victimless crime and therefore still challenges entertainment industries. Little is known about the drivers of these cognitive processes, the current study investigated audience reception of content preferences (movies and series) to explain piracy attitudes and behaviour. This study addresses digital platforms and interactive audiences concerning Stuart Hall’s ‘Encoding/Decoding’ model. Thereby, this study provides a conceptual research design pathways for further analysis of audience’s attitudes toward digital piracy conditions. Results of in-depth interviews with 7 subjects showed that attitudes toward digital piracy mediate or negotiate reading. The audience is fostered by desire and preference to see content, above fear of copyright law effects or economic damage to the entertainment industry. In a call to rethink the notion of digital communication, this article offers a different perspective on the gaps and links between reception studies and current digital media. Suggests ways that social media could lead to a deeper and more complex understanding of audience reception perspective meaning.

Citizens’ conscious engagement in digital platforms: advancing public service delivery within the public service logic framework

ABSTRACT Public service logic (PSL) acknowledges the pivotal role of citizen participation in value creation, yet the effect of citizens’ conscious engagement on public service delivery and co-creation of value with public service organizations (PSOs) remains underexplored. This study addresses this issue through empirical research on the interactional text data between users and PSOs on an online responsive service platform in Beijing, China. The study contributes by unveiling evidence of users’ conscious engagement and input and examines its influence on PSOs’ responsiveness and service outcomes. Furthermore, it extends the research on value co-creation within digital platforms.

Negative rivalry in use: toward a knowledge-sharing perspective in the digital economy era

Purpose This study aims to introduce and prove the existence of negative rivalry in use, which should be an integral part of goods taxonomy, from the perspective of knowledge sharing and further present the critical role of knowledge sharing in the digital economy era by reviewing the literature, theoretical analysis and real-world cases. It also aims to open a new door for re-recognizing knowledge sharing through an interdisciplinary framework. Design/methodology/approach This study proves the existence of negative rivalry through both theoretical analysis (4-E model) and real-world cases, especially the cases of Tesla and ChatGPT, and puts up new reasons for knowledge sharing in the era of digital economy through interdisciplinary methods. Findings The authors find out that there are many new phenomena beyond the spectrum of current goods taxonomy, especially beyond the priori understanding of rivalry in use. Digital platforms such as ChatGPT should have been “used up” in no time, for they have attracted so massive users according to (positive) rivalry in use, or should have been unchanged at most according to non-rivalry in use. But what we see is their rapid upgrading with the help of billions of users. The reason is that negative rivalry in use has completely been neglected. The authors find out that the process of knowledge sharing unveils the unrecognized attribute of rivalry in use, i.e. negative rivalry in use, which serves as the fundamental driving force of the breathtaking growth of all kinds of digital platforms. Originality/value This study originally put up a 4-E model of goods’ rivalry in use, the brand new term, i.e. negative rivalry in use, and proves its existence and working mechanism from the perspective of knowledge sharing. With the introduction of negative rivalry in use, the traditional four-type goods classification model is extended into a six-type model, which may be a sound marginal contribution, to the best of the authors’ knowledge. The study may reshape people’s mindsets on goods usage, especially knowledge management, into a more open-sharing model because it shows that there is very likely a positive-sum game instead of a zero- or negative-sum game for shared knowledge per se and its platform in the process of knowledge sharing in the era of digital economy.

INNOVATION AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN HEALTHCARE. PROCESS OPTIMIZATION OF REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES IN IN REHABILITATION CARDIOLOGY IN SUPPORT OF PATIENT AND TEAM

Abstract Physical activity is a treatment for preventing and treating a wide range of diseases; its prescription must be precise and accurate in order to optimize the effects avoiding at the same time clinical risks due to frequent patients’ frailty.To deploy a “comprehensive digital rehabilitation” means to digitalize the whole process: from clinical and instrumental evaluations to the subsequent coherent prescriptions of the rehabilitation and care–related activities, from the case management planning – described in the individual rehabilitative project – to the individual rehabilitative program – that takes shape in semi–automated scheduling and in digitalized reporting. The deployed software must be easy to use and reliable, and must ensure safety, guaranteeing the exchange of clinical information among the team members. For all these reasons, we have pre–set pathways that, starting from the main and secondary clinical diagnosis (using the ICD classification) and based thereafter on the WHO ICF classification, the rehabilitation processes are governed in a standardized tailored granularity for each single patient by the aid of a computerized expert system. Even if it what just stated appears an oxymoron, thanks to the digital transformation and the adoption of the Internet of Things, it is possible to easily implement a personalized rehabilitation program through a shared and standardized ontology, providing benefits both to the patient and to the rehabilitation team. Based on this, the rehabilitation services that can be provided have been defined, providing not only those provided for by national and regional nomenclators but also those peculiar to the activities in our Institutes. The digital gym goes beyond the concept of equipment in a gym space; the gym space becomes both physical and virtual. The goal is the networking of "basic" and innovative rehabilitation equipment, even placed in different environments, through the philosophy of IoT, that path of technological development whereby, through the Internet network, potentially every object of daily experience acquires its own identity in the digital world. All this will allow for real–time feedback of data and measurements for the development of a personalized digital record. The digital platform, telemedicine and cloud computing, begin to enable an integration of people, equipment and data.

The impact of environmental, social and governance performance on brand value: The role of the digitalisation level

Purpose: Studying the role of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in enhancing brand value is strategically important for promoting sustainable development.Design/methodology/approach: Using panel data for 126 different brands over 10 years, we empirically analyse the impact of ESG performance on brand value, considering the moderating role of the digitalisation level.Findings/results: Firstly, the impact of ESG performance on brand value exhibits a U-shaped relationship. Secondly, the digitalisation level negatively moderates the U-shaped relationship. Thirdly, the effect of ESG performance on brand value is mainly on the sub-items of environment and social responsibility, while the effect of governance is not significant.Practical implications: Firstly, firms should recognise the complex relationship between ESG performance and brand value, and strive to find a balance between economic benefits and sustainable development. Secondly, firms can utilise digital technology and platforms to communicate and interact with consumers, integrating ESG principles into their daily brand activities. Thirdly, investments in environmental and social responsibility are more meaningful for improving brand value.Originality/value: Firstly, our study adds value to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ESG literature by investigating the non-linear impact of ESG performance on brand value. Secondly, we replenish the mechanistic study about how ESG performance affects brand value. Thirdly, we open the black box of the effect of single indicators (E/S/G) on brand value, including the specific direction and strength.

Beyond Bombs: The Growing Threat of Cyberterrorism

Cyberterrorism, which once was a virtual version of physical attacks, has now moved to a digital platform that targets the critical infrastructure. These activities pursue to introduce fear, make a disruption in essential services, and influence politics. On the other hand, a comprehensive strategy should be applied to deal with this dynamic danger. The importance of understanding cyber terrorism lies in the fact that it creates breach of trust, collapse of the system, and sufferings among the population mentally. The economic impacts comprise businesses losses, decline in productivity, and discouragement of foreign investments. Efficient tools such as network security monitoring, vulnerability scanning and threat intelligence can locate anomalous activity as well as loopholes in systems. Strong authentication, employee training, data encryption, and regular backups all lead to a digital environment that is less vulnerable to attack. International cooperation, public education, and constant development are the key aspects for having a preparedness against cyberterrorism. We can accomplish this through collaboration and thereby ensure the safety and security of the digital world. Keywords—Cyberterrorism, digital threats, international cooperation, public awareness, critical infrastructure.

Cultural institutions as knowledge-intensive public organisations (KIPOs) and their role: how digitalisation can change them providing sustainable and accessible public services

PurposeThis exploratory research seeks to clarify the role of cultural organisations as knowledge-intensive public organisations (KIPOs) and the trend of digital content creation in museum sectors and national strategies through a country case study. It aims to provide a deeper understanding and analysis of museums' roles as KIPOs, specifically focusing on their digitalisation and digital content development for service delivery. Digital technology utilisation in the museum sector has amplified the significance of digital content, not only because of the increasing use of digital technologies among the public but also because it provides attractive new content to appeal to customers, as well as more efficient knowledge management and knowledge reproduction tools for KIPOs. Thus, this paper analyses digital content creation in the museum sector and policy frameworks to provide insights into the role of museums as KIPOs by utilising digital technologies.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted literature review on six keywords, combination of “cultural institution”, “museum”, “digitalization”, “digital content”, and “ICT” to understand the digitalisation of museums amongst academic papers, then used a case study to figure out the common issues as well as case-specific features of these digital offerings through analysis of the digital platforms of museums. Specifically, we choose the case of South Korea, its national strategies and budget allocations and the museum sectors in the country. Thus, the secondary data analysis was provided by the official channels, such as documents from government agencies, media sources, such as articles from newspapers and magazines and academic works of literature, such as papers in scientific journals.FindingsThis paper reveals the research trend in museums' digitalisation, especially through the case study, how the South Korean government has argued digital content development in museum sectors through their national strategies and budget allocations, and the trend of museums' digital offerings since 2021. This paper thus presents a novel contribution to the field by delving into the research trend in digitalisation and digital content development in the museum sector and analysing the South Korean government's national strategies and budget allocation in this context. The literature review shows that the digitalisation of museums has increased research interest in the last few years in limited areas. South Korea has allocated budgets and policies to encourage digital content creation in museums, and this study identifies an increase in digital content creation in the museum sector.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper chose one-country case study, that of South Korea; thus, there are representative limitations and thus in terms of generalisation of the results. Further research with case studies from other countries and comparative studies are required.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the importance of digitalisation and digital content development in the museum sector through government policies, strategies and financial investment.Social implicationsIt highlights the importance of digitalisation and the introduction of digital contents amongst museums to gain new visitors and change the relationship between the institutions and the customers.Originality/valueIt deals with the digitalisation of museums as KIPOs and it is a new and relevant topic per se. This study enhances the understanding of the museum sector’s digital content development and national policies to support its activities. It provides insights into the utilisation of digital technologies in cultural institutions for digital service delivery in public organisations.

The platform fix: analyzing mechanisms and contradictions of how digital platforms tackle pending urban-economic challenges

Abstract Digital platforms, such as Google, Amazon, or Instagram, provide a promising spatial fix to urban-economic problems by leveraging technology and data while connecting stakeholders and overcoming spatial barriers to make urban life, consumption, sales, and production more efficient. This article contributes to the debate on digital platforms in economic geography by advancing the emerging lens of the platform fix, adopting a critical standpoint concerning the solutionist viewpoint that presents platforms as a fix for various challenges. The article develops its perspective against the background of 57 semi-structured interviews, 200 conducted standardized questionnaires, and long-term on/offline observations. We aim to provide a platform fix perspective revealing how digital platforms redefine spatial interactions, addressing economic challenges through spatial fixes while becoming established as indispensable infrastructures; however, platform fixes often fail to address underlying issues, leading to platform dependencies and the instrumentalization of actors. Therefore, we suggest a cautious application of urban platforms as solutions and critically evaluate the formation of public–private platform partnerships.

Digitalisation and rural tourism development in Europe

This work presents an analysis of the digitalisation of the tourism sector and evaluates the potential of this process for rural areas of the European Union (EU). To do this, we explore aspects of both the supply and demand of rural tourism, proposing a regression model that incorporates indicators that relate the advance of digitalisation with changes in the weight and characteristics of the sector in the regions with low population density included in the NUTS level 2. The research results indicate a positive relationship between the digitalisation of the sector and the supply of rural accommodation, as well as a positive impact on the demand for these facilities. In addition, the study has made it possible to address the potential competition between traditional accommodations and digital platforms, revealing that the greater use of digital platforms for reservations does not negatively affect hotel occupancy rates. The findings underline the importance of digitalisation in the development of rural tourism and suggest possible lines of political action for promoting digital platforms in rural areas.

Explaining primary school teachers’ intention to use digital learning platforms for students’ individualized practice: comparison of the standard UTAUT and an extended model

IntroductionThough technologies for individualization appear to benefit primary school students’ learning, studies suggest that their integration remains sparse. Technology acceptance research has largely focused on exploring teachers’ general acceptance of educational technologies, although factors might predict usage intentions differently depending on the specific usage purpose of an educational technology. Digital learning platforms for individualized practice are comparably challenging and complex to use and so far, predictors of primary school teachers’ intention to integrate such technologies into lessons are largely unknown. Meanwhile, research on teachers’ technology acceptance generally lacks comparability due to the absence of a shared theoretical model and usage purpose specification.MethodsIn a sample of 272 German primary school teachers, this study aims to identify predictors of teachers’ acceptance of digital learning platforms for students’ individualized practice in consideration of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). To ensure a shared understanding, teachers were provided with a video which specified the addressed usage purpose. Regarding teachers’ usage intention, the explanatory power of the standard UTAUT predictors was investigated and compared with an extended UTAUT model accounting for seven additional context-specific predictors.ResultsThe standard UTAUT significantly explained teachers’ usage intention, with performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and the availability of the necessary technical infrastructure showing significant associations with intention. However, neither a significant nor meaningful increase in explained variance was observed for the extended UTAUT model.DiscussionResults suggest that the standard UTAUT model is sufficient in explaining teachers’ usage intention and that its extension by context-specific predictors provides no added value. Acceptance facilitating interventions should therefore target performance and effort expectancy as well as the availability of technical infrastructure. Thus, underlining that successful implementation of complex educational technologies should consider both, individual and structural factors.

Leveraging Digital Advertising Platforms for Consumer Research

Abstract Digital advertising platforms have emerged as a widely utilized data source in consumer research; yet, the interpretation of such data remains a source of confusion for many researchers. This article aims to address this issue by offering a comprehensive and accessible review of four prominent data collection methods proposed in the marketing literature: “informal studies,” “multiple-ad studies without holdout,” “single-ad studies with holdout,” and “multiple-ad studies with holdout.” By outlining the strengths and limitations of each method, we aim to enhance understanding regarding the inferences that can and cannot be drawn from the collected data. Furthermore, we present seven recommendations to effectively leverage these tools for programmatic consumer research. These recommendations provide guidance on how to use these tools to obtain causal and non-causal evidence for the effects of marketing interventions, and the associated psychological processes, in a digital environment regulated by targeting algorithms. We also give recommendations for how to describe the testing tools and the data they generate and urge platforms to be more transparent on how these tools work.

Cultural netizenship as platformization of popular culture in Nigeria

The Instagram content of Nigerian digital creator Olalekan Olaleye illustrates how cultural netizenship stresses the centrality of platformization to the articulation of new genres of African popular representations. This article develops the argument by examining how platform aesthetics shape the trajectories and performative acts of cultural producers, something Olaleye's Nigerian context also modulates. By lingering on the digital and aesthetic labors of the cultural netizen, the article pinpoints the interactions between creative adaptations and social media texts. Olaleye's Instagram content demonstrates the way digital platforms have become integral to the production and circulation of popular forms and genres and the artistic responses everyday digital subjects make to institutions of the state.

The Multi-discourse Fight of COVID-19 Vaccine in the World of Digital Platforms: Rethinking Popularity of Anti-intellectualism

Abstract This study explored how government institutions used digital platforms to enhance knowledge and share scientific information regarding the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines by drawing samples from official Twitter accounts in five different countries that were front-runners in vaccine manufacturing. Through content analysis, we selected a total of 243 tweets with 4,678 comments from the five Twitter accounts, and data were categorized into two sets for analysis, the first stage being to assign sentiment scores to all the collected comments from tweets to determine their positivity, negativity, and neutrality. Secondly, we analyzed themes derived from comments and established through the themes that geopolitics has exacerbated the anti-intellectualist logic of viewing science as impractical for the control and prevention of the pandemic leading to the domination of irrational thinking towards vaccine efficacy, the origin of COVID-19, and the undermining of the global health governance on COVID-19 control and management.

Music Genre Classification Based on VMD-IWOA-XGBOOST

Music genre classification is significant to users and digital platforms. To enhance the classification accuracy, this study proposes a hybrid model based on VMD-IWOA-XGBOOST for music genre classification. First, the audio signals are transformed into numerical or symbolic data, and the crucial features are selected using the maximal information coefficient (MIC) method. Second, an improved whale optimization algorithm (IWOA) is proposed for parameter optimization. Third, the inner patterns of these selected features are extracted by IWOA-optimized variational mode decomposition (VMD). Lastly, all features are put into the IWOA-optimized extreme gradient boosting (XGBOOST) classifier. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, two open music datasets are used, i.e., GTZAN and Bangla. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed hybrid model achieves better performance than the other models in terms of five evaluation criteria.

Predictability and transparency of working conditions for food delivery platform workers across selected EU countries

AbstractWhile prior research has demonstrated the poor and unpredictable working conditions and ambiguous working arrangements characteristic of platform‐based food delivery, we lack research on the question of how well these workers are informed about essential aspects of their work, including protection of their rights, working time and schedules, and earnings. Comprehensive and transparent information on working conditions at an early stage is indispensable if workers are to be able to make informed decisions on taking up work and, where relevant, investing in equipment and exercising rights linked to a specific job. Drawing on the multi‐dimensional job quality literature, this article focuses on digital labour platforms in the food delivery sector across four countries: Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. We exploit firm‐level variations, including with regard to the types of work arrangements used and the application—or not—of collective agreements. We draw on information provided to riders during the application process prior to the start of employment, including via websites and FAQs, as well as scrutiny of contracts, service agreements and collective bargaining agreements, where relevant. This information is complemented with interviews with trade union representatives. Our findings point to the relationship between a firm's choice of employment status and form of contract, on one hand, and the predictability and transparency of information provided to workers, on the other. Differences and similarities in such information seem to be more strongly bound to firm‐level decisions than to the welfare and industrial relations regimes in which the platform companies operate.

Examining the Effectiveness of Interactive Webtoons for Premature Birth Prevention: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Premature birth poses significant health challenges globally, impacting infants, families, and society. Despite recognition of its contributing factors, efforts to reduce its incidence have seen limited success. A notable gap exists in the awareness among women of childbearing age (WCA) regarding both the risks of premature birth and the preventative measures they can take. Research suggests that enhancing health beliefs and self-management efficacy in WCA could foster preventive health behaviors. Interactive webtoons offer an innovative, cost-effective avenue for delivering engaging, accessible health education aimed at preventing premature birth. This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of a novel, self-guided, web-based intervention-Pregnancy Story I Didn't Know in Interactive Webtoon Series (PSIDK-iWebtoons)-designed to enhance self-management efficacy and promote behaviors preventing premature birth in WCA. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study first conducts a quantitative analysis followed by a qualitative inquiry to evaluate outcomes and feasibility. Participants are randomly assigned to 2 groups: one accessing the PSIDK-iWebtoons and the other receiving Pregnancy Story I Didn't Know in Text-Based Information (PSIDK-Texts) over 3 weeks. We measure primary efficacy through the self-management self-efficacy scale for premature birth prevention (PBP), alongside secondary outcomes including perceptions of susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers based on the health belief model for PBP and PBP intention. Additional participant-reported outcomes are assessed at baseline, the postintervention time point, and the 4-week follow-up. The feasibility of the intervention is assessed after the end of the 3-week intervention period. Outcome analysis uses repeated measures ANOVA for quantitative data, while qualitative data are explored through content analysis of interviews with 30 participants. The study received funding in June 2021 and institutional review board approval in October 2023. Both the PSIDK-iWebtoons and PSIDK-Texts interventions have been developed and pilot-tested from July to November 2023, with the main phase of quantitative data collection running from November 2023 to March 2024. Qualitative data collection commenced in February 2024 and will conclude in May 2024. Ongoing analyses include process evaluation and data interpretation. This trial will lay foundational insights into the nexus of interactive web-based interventions and the improvement of knowledge and practices related to PBP among WCA. By demonstrating the efficacy and feasibility of a web-based, interactive educational tool, this study will contribute essential evidence to the discourse on accessible and scientifically robust digital platforms. Positive findings will underscore the importance of such interventions in fostering preventive health behaviors, thereby supporting community-wide efforts to mitigate the risk of premature births through informed self-management practices. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) KCT0008931; https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do?seq=25857. DERR1-10.2196/58326.

Dating apps as health allies? Examining the opportunities and challenges of dating apps as partners in public health

In recent years, dating apps have become important allies in public health. In this paper, we explore the implications of partnering with dating apps for health promotion. We consider the...

Fabric perceptions in digital contexts: exploring the correlation between certainty and accuracy

As the fashion industry increasingly adopts digital platforms, fashion designers face challenges in digitally exploring and selecting fabrics. This transition underscores the complexities in digitally capturing fabrics. Extending our previous research, this study specifically examined the relationship between designers' certainty and their perceptual accuracy in digital fabric evaluations because uncertainty can diminish confidence in digital assessments, leading to an over-reliance on physical samples and slowing digital progress. The research employed a comparative analysis, engaging designers in both digital and physical fabric evaluations. The objectives of this study were: to evaluate the precision of digital fabric representations against physical assessments; to assess designers' psychological certainty and its correlation with assessment accuracy; and to identify fabric attributes that are most prone to misrepresentation digitally. The findings indicated that there is no direct correlation between evaluation accuracy and psychological certainty. Notably, for drapability, digital evaluations exhibited both high levels of certainty and accuracy, implying potential enhancements in digital representations of other textile attributes. The results of this study will contribute to the development of advanced digital fabric evaluation systems that can accurately replicate the physical fabric experience, thus ensuring a high level of certainty. This, in turn, will enhance the reliability and effectiveness of fabric selection on digital platforms.

Dreaming of seamless interfaces: media and friction from the feuilleton to personal computing

ABSTRACT In human–computer interaction, the notion of ‘seamless interface’ describes a smooth interactive system that eliminates any possibility of friction between users and digital devices or platforms. Although interface designers have developed sophisticated technologies and strategies to pursue this aspiration, a frictionless user experience remains an ideal but ultimately impossible goal. Relying on the critical exploration of a series of historical case studies – the emergence of the feuilleton or serialised novel in the nineteenth century, the development of TV scheduling in the second half of the twentieth century, and the rise of the personal computer industry in the 1980s –, this article contextualises this ideal within a wider historical trajectory. Through an in-depth exploration of these three cases, we show how the dream of building a seamless relationship between media and readers, viewers or users remained ultimately unattainable due to the inherent frictions that persist between these two sides. The gap between the aspiration and the actual experiences of interacting with media foregrounded the emergence of feelings of ambivalence, conceived as an intrinsic component of people’s engagement with media. The longer history of media frictions provides a useful entry point to the contemporary digital landscapes, where the ubiquity of digital platforms goes hand in hand with a feeling of deep ambivalence from users, as the growing public concerns about the social costs of digital connection demonstrate.

Shifts in digital media usage before and after the pandemic by Rusyns in Ukraine

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic touched every corner of the globe, even impacting the sphere of linguistics in terms of communication, lexis, and how linguists conduct their research. However, Rusyn, a minority language in Ukraine’s Transcarpathian region, took advantage of this period in a new attempt at revitalization. Rusyn is spoken in several European countries and has the privilege of being recognized and protected in most of them. Ukraine does not, however, consider Rusyn to be a language, and, therefore, does not protect it. There have been several movements for recognition and autonomy in the past, but all have been unsuccessful. The pandemic gave this small community of speakers a new chance to elevate their work towards boosting the language’s vitality and status through digital platforms such as YouTube and collective writing projects. This paper looks at the before-and-after of the pandemic in relation to Rusyn in Transcarpathia, focusing on the shift in digital approaches to protecting and promoting the language. It concludes that, in fact, a shift has occurred in terms of utilizing digital media in order to promote the language.