Increase In Use Of Social Media Research Articles

Community Diversity and Social Media Use in Local Governments

Compared to its ubiquity, social media use remains a divisive topic in the public sector. While local governments have increasingly adopted social media to increase civic engagement, many are still hesitant. Among the many factors that may have influenced the adoption of social media in local governance, we argue that community diversity deserves more attention. This study theorizes the relationship between local governments’ use of social media and community diversity. We examine this relationship within the context of township governments, which is an understudied area of research in public administration. The results indicate that community diversity is related to an increase in social media use. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings and suggest fruitful avenues of inquiry in public administration social media research.

Cohabitation Attitudes and Behaviours of Undergraduate Students in Taraba State, Nigeria: The Mediating Role of Social Media and Peer Pressure

This study examines the impact of social-media and peer pressure on attitudes and behavior of undergraduate students towards cohabitation. The study sampled 1,970 undergraduate students from three universities in Taraba State, Nigeria. Data was collected with an online questionnaire. The study adopts social learning theory and Berger and Luckman’s social construction of reality. The data was analyzed using multiple regression and mediation analysis. The results reveal significant positive effects of attitudes towards cohabitation, social media use, and peer pressure on behaviours towards cohabitation. The finding revealed that a one-unit increase in attitudes towards cohabitation corresponds to a 0.41-unit increase in cohabitation behaviours. It also revealed that, a one-unit increase in social media use and peer pressure leads to a 0.21-unit and 0.25-unit increase, respectively, in cohabitation behaviours. Furthermore, the study shows that age negatively affects cohabitation behaviours, indicating a decrease in behaviours as age increases. The mediation analysis reveals that attitudes towards cohabitation significantly predict behaviors towards cohabitation (coefficient = 0.26 P <0.001). The study further revealed that social media use and peer pressure partially mediate the relationship between attitudes and behaviours towards cohabitation (0.19 (P< 0.001) with a 95% confidence interval of 0.14, 0.24). The study concludes that social media use and peer pressure play essential roles in shaping attitudes towards cohabitation and cohabiting behaviour among undergraduates in Taraba State.

The impact of social media use on psychiatric symptoms and well-being of children and adolescents in the Post-COVID-19 era: a four-year longitudinal study.

This longitudinal study examined the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media use and its impact on psychiatric symptoms and well-being of 3,697 Israeli children and adolescents aged 8 to 14. Data were collected from October 2019 to June 2023, covering four school years and five measurement points prior to, throughout and post- COVID-19. Social media usage, psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, somatization, and general distress), as well as subjective well-being (positive and negative emotions, and life satisfaction) were assessed. The analysis also probed the extent to which social support and extracurricular activities moderated the associations between social media use and mental health outcomes. The results of the growth mixed-effects models indicated a significant increase in social media use and psychiatric symptoms, and a significant decrease in subjective well-being over time. Greater social media use was related to more psychiatric symptoms and negative emotions, but also to more positive emotions and life satisfaction. Social support buffered the negative effects of excessive social media use on mental health, whereas extracurricular activities increased positive emotions, but also psychiatric symptoms related to social media use. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to regulate social media usage, given its lasting consequences on the mental health of children and adolescents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Museums, COVID‐19 and the pivot to social media

AbstractThis paper examines social media activity by UK museums during the COVID‐19 pandemic. There is a general perception that as museums closed their doors for extended periods, their digital presence increased to maintain connections with their audiences. However, much of the research conducted in this area is based on small‐scale studies and examples of best practice from large, well‐resourced museums. By contrast, this study utilizes a comprehensive database of over 3300 active UK museums to understand the use of Facebook and Twitter across the sector. Specifically, the paper examines the frequency with which museums posted to these digital platforms as they attempted to engage with their audiences. Our findings indicate that there was no substantial increase in social media use and activity across the UK museum sector during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This research has implications for museologists studying the impact of the pandemic on museums' digital activity, for museum social media professionals, and policymakers responsible for museum digital transformation strategies.

The psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the wellbeing, learning efficacy and sleeping behaviors of Romanian medical students.

The COVID-19 lockdowns are reported to have negatively influenced the wellbeing and learning efficacy of students. In this context, we analyzed the psychological impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on healthcare students, a subpopulation experiencing high stress levels. Our survey-based, cross-sectional study assessed wellbeing indicators, lifestyle and learning behaviors before and during the quarantine for 388 Romanian healthcare students. Our findings included the increase in phone and social media use, at the expense of formal and independent study time; deteriorations in mood, self-organization capacity and learning efficacy, and increased procrastination behaviors. Unexpectedly, our study identified an improvement in sleep quality and duration. The increase in social media use was less severe among rural students. We identified correlations between study time, online activities (including social media), wellbeing indicators and procrastination. Our study draws attention to quarantine-induced deteriorations of wellbeing and learning capacity in an important category of students.

Perspectives of student incivility in the online learning environment and social media platforms.

The purpose of this study was to examine student and faculty perspectives of student incivility in the online learning environment and social media platforms and to describe the participants' recommendations for promoting civility. Mixed-method design was used to collect data from a convenience sample of students and faculty in a nursing program in the Southeast United States. 53 faculty members and 203 nursing students participated, and the majority agreed that incivility is a problem to some degree. Several themes emerged for effectively promoting civility. Incivility is a problem, but students and faculty believe the use of proactive strategies may be effective in promoting civility. Implications for International Audience: As more nursing programs move to the OLE, even if temporarily as occurred during the pandemic, coupled with the increase in social media use, there is need to recognize and implement strategies to thwart the incidence of incivility.

Nurses' freedom of expression: Rights, obligations and responsibilities.

This commentary aims to spark debate on the ethical, legal, professional and institutional challenges faced by nurses' use and interactions when using traditional, mass and social media. Freedom of expression is a core value of democratic systems. However, it appears to be a complex right when exercised by nurses in traditional media and/or during online interactions. Active use of these types of media can help promote healthcare incentives and reach larger audiences, or even influence public policy. Nevertheless, with the increase in social media use, some nurses have been found to have engaged in unprofessional practices, which, in some serious cases, have led to their dismissal. We identified specific instances of conflicts-most commonly related to breach of privacy, inappropriate interactions on social media or a simple lack of knowledge or guidance regarding its use-and formal complaints concerning nurses' freedom of expression. While nursing codes do exist, professional guidelines concerning the use of mass and social media are still much needed. With the advent of social media, there may be ambiguity regarding how nurses engage with and make use of these platforms. In order to ensure that nurses interact professionally with any form of media, clear ethical, legal and professional frameworks of use are needed. Specific codes exist, such as the new ICN code of ethics or the NMC code, among other initiatives, but more comprehensive guidance is needed in order to support nurses in using better judgement regarding their media interactions. While the existence of such frameworks may not fix the problem of incorrect use, it can help those nurses looking for clear guidance when interacting with mass media or using social media. Also, it is important that more professionals are aware that such guidance exists, since understanding the limits and dangers of certain interactions would ultimately protect nurses' and patients' rights. The increasing use of media platforms by nurses calls for further professional guidance regarding its professional utilization. To date, limited guidance exists to support media interactions. In an interconnected world that favours media interaction in both professional and private spheres, the development and widespread dissemination of clear guidance for professionals must also detail two essential points: how professionals can better interact with media platforms and also how they can avoid having unethical media interactions in the first place. The existence of a solid, comprehensive framework for generalized media use should ensure that nurses can exercise their right to freedom of expression. Clearer limitations should support nurses' professional presence and interactions in the media.

Changes in Physical Activity Levels and Eating Behaviours during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sociodemographic Analysis in University Students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools and universities to shift their activities online, influencing the adoption of health-related behaviours such as physical activity and healthy dietary habits. The present study investigates the changes in adherence to a healthy diet and regular physical activity in university students in Italy before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and understands the role of sociodemographic variables in creating the changes above. We conducted a repeated cross-sectional survey performing the same sampling strategy at the first data collection (T0) and second data collection (T1) with a combination of convenience and snowball sampling approaches. The sample is composed of a total of 2001 students, 60.2% women and 39.8% men, with an average age of 22.7 (±5.5 SD). At T1, 39.9% of the students reported regular physical activity. During the pandemic, however, many, especially male students, abandoned or reduced physical activity practice (T1 40%), with an increase in social media use (T0 52.1%; T1 90%). A direct association between very low frequency of physical activity and increased sedentary time (r = 0.2, p = 0.001) and between change in dietary style and increased Body Mass Index (BMI) value (r = 0.3, p = 0.002) was found. The multivariate analysis for the total sample showed that some sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, parents’ level of education, area of study, household type, and perception of one’s body influence eating behaviours and physical activity. Our findings suggest that universities should invest in the protection and promotion of the health of their students with specific awareness programmes, and further research should repeat the survey in the post-lockdown period to investigate the long-term effects on health-related behaviours.

Evaluation of Spiral Pattern Watermarking Scheme for Common Attacks to Social Media Images

The 21st century might be considered the "boom" period for social networking due to the fast expansion of social media use. In terms of user privacy and security regulations, a plethora of new requirements, issues, and concerns have arisen due to the proliferation of social media. With the increase in social media use, images on social media are often modified or fabricated for certain purposes. Therefore, this work implements and evaluates the SPIRAL-LSB algorithm for common attacks for social media images. Image compression was also discussed as images published to social media platforms was often compressed. An analysis was performed to assess the algorithm's output on social media images. The experiments were carried out prior to and after uploading to the Instagram platform. The dataset was subjected to image splicing, copy-move, cut-and-paste, text insertion, and 3D-sticker insertion attacks. The outcome of SPIRAL-LSB was effective for text insertion attacks solely. Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) were selected as the experiment's metrics. The average PSNR value is 63.25, and the SSIM value is 0.99964, both of which are regarded high. This indicates that the watermark has not degraded the quality of the images. This work was designed for usage on social media for intellectual property reasons and may be used to validate the validity of social media images and prevent issues with image integrity, such as image manipulation.

Sociodemographic and mental health characteristics associated with changes in movement behaviours due to the COVID-19 pandemic in adolescents

ObjectivesControl measures enacted to control the spread of COVID-19 appear to have impacted adolescent movement behaviours. It remains unclear how these changes relate to sociodemographic characteristics and indicators of mental health. Understanding these relationships can contribute to informing health promotion efforts. The purpose of this study is to examine sociodemographic and mental health characteristics associated with changes in movement behaviours (physical activity, screen time, sleep duration) due to the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used May–June 2020 survey data and included 7349 students from Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia (Canada). ANOVA, χ2 tests, and estimation of effect sizes using Cohen’s d and h tests were performed between self-reported perceived changes (increase; decrease; no change) to physical activity, TV watching, social media use, and sleep duration as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and gender, age, race/ethnicity, income, depression and anxiety symptoms, flourishing-languishing, and self-rated mental health.ResultsOver half of students reported increases in TV viewing and social media use and approximately 40% reported decrease in physical activity and increase in sleep duration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More females (68.9%) than males (54.3%) reported increase in social media use (Cohen’s h ≥ 0.2–0.5). No change from pre-COVID-19 social media use and sleep duration were associated with fewer depression and anxiety symptoms and better self-rated mental health compared to reports of an increase or decrease. These effect sizes ranged from small-to-moderate to moderate-to-large (Cohen’s d/h ≥ 0.2–0.8). Decreased physical activity and sleep duration were associated with better psychological functioning with effects sizes of small-to-moderate. Compared to an increase or no change, decreased sleep had the largest effect size of less frequent depression symptoms (Cohen’s d ≥ 0.5–0.8).ConclusionMaintaining pre-COVID-19 screen time and sleep duration during early stages of the COVID-19 lockdown was generally beneficial to mental health, with sleep being particularly important in regards to symptoms of depression. Psychological functioning was more related to physical activity and sleep than screen time during the pandemic.

Pupils’ Use of Social Media and Its Relation to Mental Health from a School Personnel Perspective: A Preliminary Qualitative Study

The extent of mental health problems among adolescents seems to be on the rise, and this observed trend has often been linked to a coinciding increase in social media use. The goal of the current preliminary study was to investigate how senior high school personnel experience the role of social media in relation to the mental health of their pupils. Two focus group interviews (total n = 11) were completed and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, resulting in 4 themes and 11 subthemes. The results illustrate that school personnel experience social media as a tool for communication, but also as a potential cause of mental health issues and reduced academic performance among pupils. The participants called for schools to become better equipped to meet the opportunities and challenges of social media.

The Role of Mobile Applications in Building Customer Loyalty: A Qualitative Study

In an increasingly competitive environment, brands need to retain existing customers and attract potential customers. Brands that employ various promotional activities to develop brand loyalty use different strategies. Especially with the developments in technology and the increase in social media use, mobile applications have become tools for these promotional activities. From this point of view, this study aims to examine the importance of mobile applications in creating customer loyalty. For this purpose, the Starbucks brand, one of the leading coffee chains in the world, was selected. A qualitative research method, semi-structured interviews, was conducted with 20 participants. While selecting the participants, customers who fit the definition of “loyal customer” in the literature were chosen. The question form consisted of two parts. In the first part, information about the participants’ demographic characteristics was collected, and in the second part, questions related to the purpose of this research were asked. The findings of the research were examined under the following themes namely; loyalty drivers of the customers, usage of mobile applications and customer loyalty, and impact of the mobile application on customer loyalty. Loyalty drivers of the customers were examined under three main themes as service-related choices, location of the stores, quality and taste. Besides, under the “Servicerelated choices” theme, internal environment and store atmosphere, and self-service sub-themes were discussed. As a result, it was revealed that service related choices, quality-taste, and location of the stores are the drivers that effect customer loyalty. The mobile applications were not used frequently by the consumers yet, and it was not found as a strong indicator of customer loyalty.

Lockdown impact on lifestyle and its association with oral parafunctional habits and bruxism in a Spanish adolescent population.

AimTo analyse the possible association between decreased physical and social activity and an increase in the use of mobile devices, internet, and social networks with increased anxiety and the appearance of oral parafunctions and bruxism for adolescents before and during COVID‐19.DesignA total of 213 adolescents attended private clinics at two different times: before lockdown (T0) and after completion of total lockdown (T1). In T0 and T1, a clinical examination was carried out to assess dental wear (IA) and only in T1 were they given the self‐report questionnaire which focuses on the periods before and during lockdown (self‐reported bruxism, state anxiety, mobile phone and internet, social network use, physical and social activity, and questions on parafunctions).ResultsThere were a decrease in physical activity at T0‐T1 and an increase in social media use, internet, state anxiety, and clinical and self‐reported bruxism at T0‐T1. There was a positive correlation between increased self‐reported bruxism, increased social media use, mobile device use, and state anxiety.ConclusionsThere has been a change in adolescent lifestyle during lockdown with an increase in the prevalence of oral parafunctions and bruxism. In particular, the increase in the use of social networks at night and also in anxiety levels during lockdown were associated with of the increase in self‐reported bruxism.

Social media use in China before and during COVID-19: Preliminary results from an online retrospective survey

BackgroundMore people reported symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression during the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). They might have increased their social media use during the outbreak of COVID-19 compared to before COVID-19. MethodsAn online retrospective survey was conducted on a total sample of 10,963 participants. Social media use patterns before and during COVID-19, Social media addiction (SMA), and mental health problems (stress, anxiety, and depression) were assessed. ResultsThis study found that, compared with before COVID-19, weekly social media use was significantly increased during COVID-19 (from 17.2 to 21.4 h). Nearly 40% of SMA respondents increased their weekly social media use ≥3.5 h. The prevalence rate of was 6.8%, and the prevalence rates of moderate or severe stress, anxiety, and depression were 10.8%, 26.4%, and 18.2%, respectively, during COVID-19. Female gender, experiencing moderate or severe stress, and SMA were associated with increased weekly social media use ≥3.5 h. Male gender, experiencing moderate or severe stress, anxiety, depression, and increased weekly social media use ≥3.5 h were associated with SMA. ConclusionsThis study suggests a significant increase in social media use and a relatively high prevalence rate of SMA in China during COVID-19. Our findings identify factors associated with increased social media use and SMA that could be used to develop psychological interventions to prevent SMA during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Assess of Forensic Tools on Android Based Facebook Lite with the NIST Method

The increase in social media use of Facebook lite by using Android-based smartphones is quite high. Activities when communicating through the social media network Facebook Lite Facebook lite can send a text message, image, or Video. Not a few users of Facebook lite social media abusing this app to commit fraud crimes, pornographic acts, or defamation actions from social media users Facebook lite. In such cases, it can be a digital forensic benchmark to get results from digital evidence from the Facebook lite application. In this investigation, National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST research methods with various stages, namely Collection, Examination, Analysis, and Reporting. While the forensic tools to be used are Magnet Axiom Forensic and MOBILedit Forensic Express Pro. Comparison and results of data conducted with forensic tools Magnet Axiom Forensic and MOBILedit Forensic Express Pro in the form of parameter data specified. Axiom Forensic Magnet data is 57.14% while MOBILedit Forensic Express Pro data is 85.71%. This data is the data of the performance results of both forensic tool applications in obtaining digital evidence on Facebook lite application.

Review on the Effects of Increased Social Media Use on Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents

Social media (SM) allow individuals to connect with one another through online networking. SM has its benefits in regard to knowledge accumulation and effective communication with all persons at the global scale. However, increased use of SM can have detrimental effects among the adolescent population, specifically in terms of their mental health status. The purpose of the present review is to examine the literature in terms of the influence of increased SM use on the rates of depressive symptoms found in adolescents. During this review, approximately 40 articles were initially reviewed to examine whether or not they meet the primary evidence base criteria for the present literature review. The primary evidence base has been defined as follows: primary research articles published after 2015 in which DS in adolescents who use SM are examined. Based on these criteria, seven articles were located and reviewed. Overall, it has been generally found that an increase in SM use is associated with an increase in rates of depressive symptoms (DS) in adolescents. This finding is crucial as it brings forth the notion that SM may have a strong correlation with DS in a large percentage of adolescents globally. Hence, psychological experts (e.g. therapists, psychologists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists) should consider investigating SM use levels from their clients prior to applying therapeutic interventions.

Mental Distress and Its Contributing Factors Among Young People During the First Wave of COVID-19: A Belgian Survey Study.

Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and its associated measures led to high levels of mental distress in the general population. Previous research indicated that young people are especially vulnerable for a wide range of mental health problems during the pandemic, but little is known about the mechanisms. This study examined mental distress and its contributing factors among young Belgian people.Methods: An online survey was widely distributed in Belgium during the first wave of COVID-19 in March, and 16–25-year-olds were selected as a subsample. Mental distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and a threshold of ≥4 was used to discriminate mental distress cases from non-cases. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate possible predictors of mental distress, including demographics, chronic condition, history of mental health problems, social support, exposure to COVID-19, and several changes in everyday activities.Results: A total of 2,008 respondents were included, of which the majority was female (78.09%) and student (66.82%). The results indicate that about two thirds (65.49%) experienced mental distress. In the multivariable regression model, significant (p < 0.01) predictors of mental distress were female gender (OR = 1.78), low social support (OR = 2.17), loneliness (OR = 5.17), a small (OR = 1.63), or large (OR = 3.08) increase in social media use, a small (OR = 1.63) or large (OR = 2.17) decrease in going out for drinks or food, and a decrease in doing home activities (OR = 2.72).Conclusion: Young people experience high levels of mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings indicate that mental distress was highest among women, those experiencing loneliness or low social support and those whose usual everyday life is most affected. The psychological needs of young people, such as the need for peer interaction, should be more recognized and supported.

Session-Based Cyberbullying Detection: Problems and Challenges

Cyberbullying has become one of the most pressing online risks for young people, due in part to the rapid increase in social media use, and has raised serious concerns in society. Existing studies have examined various approaches to cyberbullying detection focusing on a single piece of text, whereas relatively little is known about cyberbullying detection within a social media session . A social media session typically consists of an initial post, images/videos, a sequence of comments that involves user interactions, user information, spatial location, and other social content. By investigating cyberbullying at the level of social media sessions, researchers can draw on data that are more complex, diverse, and crucial for understanding two defining characteristics of cyberbullying, in particular: repetitive acts and power imbalance . This article thus highlights the importance of studying session-based cyberbullying detection, identifies core challenges, and serves as a resource to help direct future research efforts.

UGT-Based Study of SM Use Among Undergraduates in UAE and Kuwait

The technology is getting advanced and likewise the social media is gaining maximum attraction of individuals. The trends of the world are changing day by day so that the impacts are also changing as per needs and demands of the world. Social media has made the changes in the process of interaction between the public and government officials. Middle East communities have great access to new technologies and internet, especially, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) that are recognized by advanced infrastructures. Therefore, a sharp increase in social media use is noticed in the area particularly the youth who are more attracted to these platforms. This paper focus on Uses and gratifications of social media use among college students in United Arab Emirates and Kuwait for three social media sites: Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Mixed methodologies are applied (quantitative and qualitative) to explore various use and gratifications factors as well as other social factors among youth that contributes in the adoption of these social network sits (SNSs). Moreover, several statistical tests were performed to analyze the collected data. Few research articles have been published about new and social media platforms use in the region; however, comparative studies were rarely noticed regarding this subject. The survey includes (N=190) samples between Kuwaiti and Emirati students. The study reveals that entertainment is the major use and gratification reason for using the three platforms, while the main social factor is identification. Social media is vital when it comes to the issue of the national, political, and business life.

LONELINESS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE MEDIATIONAL ROLES OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SEEKING

Introduction: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and shelter-at-home have become necessary for public health and safety in the United States. This period of social isolation may be a risk factor for mental health problems, particularly among young adults for whom rates of loneliness are already high. Young adults also engage in more social media use than other age groups, a form of socialization associated with adverse effects on mental health, including loneliness and depression. Methods: The current study examined potential mediating roles of social media use and social support seeking on the relationship between age and loneliness symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 1,674 adults who completed an online survey regarding depressive symptoms, loneliness, coping strategies, and changes to their daily lives as a result of the pandemic. Results: Results indicated that young adults were lonelier than older adults during the pandemic, showed a greater increase in social media use, and lower social support seeking. Higher increases in social media use and lower social support seeking mediated the relationship between age group and loneliness. Discussion: Findings are discussed in context of prior research and potential effects of stress and isolation during the pandemic. Clinical implications and suggestions for intervention are elaborated.