Online Personas Research Articles

Exploring the Landscape: The Societal Impact of Social Media Marketing

In the digital age, social media marketing has drastically altered social connections and customer behavior. With an emphasis on how social media marketing influences consumer attitudes, cultural norms, and mental health, this study explores the numerous ways that social media marketing impacts society. As businesses utilize Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter more and more to communicate with big audiences, understanding these consequences is critical. The study aims to determine how social media marketing affects, among other aspects of society, social interactions, cultural perspectives, consumer behavior, and mental health. The study makes use of secondary data collection methods, including a comprehensive survey of the literature. Thematic analysis is used to find patterns and gather data. Significant research demonstrates that social media marketing significantly increases consumer involvement through customized campaigns and user-generated content, which fortifies brand loyalty and influences consumer behavior. It does, however, also reinforce cultural norms and prejudices while offering the possibility of societal transformation. Virtual communities are known to be altering social interactions, but using them excessively might lead to social isolation. Negative pressure to maintain idealized online personas and constructive criticism are both hazardous to mental health. The growing importance of influencer marketing is emphasized, but so are privacy and ethical issues around data collection and targeted advertising. With cutting-edge technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, social media marketing is set to undergo yet another revolution. The study offers several recommendations, such as enhancing the personalization of marketing campaigns, utilizing user-generated content, balancing cultural representation, lessening the detrimental effects of social interactions, prioritizing mental health, addressing ethical and privacy issues, ensuring that influencer marketing is genuine, and embracing emerging technologies. Future research on these processes is warranted, focusing on the moral implications and challenges of developing technologies. This in-depth investigation highlights how important it is to act ethically and continuously adapt to the ever-changing world of social media marketing.

Navigating Unrealistic Expectations of Relationships on Instagram

This study looks at how Instagram users' relationships are affected and whether they thinktheir relationships are improving or deteriorating. In today's globalized society, social networking services (SNS) greatly influence how people interact and form connections. Instagram is a tool that couples use to strengthen their romantic relationships and reduce uncertainty when they are first dating. On the other hand, overusing the app can result in problems like jealousy, profile monitoring, poor communication, and time wastage. Feelings of outside influence can give rise to jealousy in relationships, which can cause bad emotions and a decrease in the enjoyment of the partnership. Knapp's relational stage model sheds light on how relationships develop and end. Sustaining healthy connections requires concentrating on good interactions in virtual spaces. The majority of young peopleusing Instagram are between the ages of 18 and 29, reflecting a shift in the demographic. Users are in total control of the online personas they create, and this might affect their romantic relationships. In October 2023, research was carried out to investigate the use of Instagram in different relationship stages. The results indicated that jealousy was asignificant predictor of daily Instagram usage, the importance of promoting one's relationship on the platform, and the daily duration of Instagram usage. Keywords: Social Media, Online and Offline, Communication, Emotion, Insecurity.

Addressing a Social Media Addiction and Solution from Simplified Kundalini Yoga Practices

ABSTRACT Social media's impact on the mental health of youngsters is complex and multifaceted. While it provides connectivity and opportunities, it also presents challenges. Excessive usage can lead to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, as users compare their lives to curated online personas. Cyberbullying and online harassment further exacerbate emotional distress. The constant need for validation through likes and comments can negatively affect self-esteem. Moreover, the fast-paced, curated nature of social media can foster unrealistic beauty standards and induce body image issues. However, social media can also offer support networks and resources for mental health awareness. Finding a balance between online and offline interactions, promoting Yoga is a best solution. Simplified Kundalini Yoga is a practice that helps to connect with our innermost selves and tap into our spiritual nature. By cultivating a sense of mindfulness and awareness, we can develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.

The Role of Digital Identity in the Age of Social Media: Literature Analysis on Self-Identity Construction and Online Social Interaction

This study investigates the role of digital identity in the age of social media, focusing on how self-identity is constructed and how it influences online social interactions. The primary objective is to qualitatively analyze the literature on digital identity to understand the mechanisms by which individuals construct their online personas and the implications for social interactions in digital spaces. The research employs a qualitative literature review methodology, synthesizing findings from academic articles, theoretical papers, and empirical studies on digital identity and social media interactions. The literature review methodology involves systematically collecting, reviewing, and analyzing a wide range of scholarly sources that address the construction of digital identity and its impact on social behavior. The study categorizes the literature into key themes, such as identity formation, self-presentation, privacy concerns, and the psychological effects of online interactions. By examining diverse perspectives and case studies, the research provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of digital identity dynamics. The findings reveal that digital identity is a complex, multifaceted construct influenced by both individual and social factors. Social media platforms provide a space for individuals to curate and present idealized versions of themselves, which can affect self-esteem and social validation. The literature indicates that while digital identity offers opportunities for self-expression and community building, it also raises concerns about authenticity, privacy, and the potential for identity fragmentation. The role of social media in shaping identity highlights the importance of digital literacy and the need for policies that protect users' online privacy and identity. In conclusion, the study underscores the critical role of digital identity in contemporary social interactions and the necessity for ongoing research into its implications for mental health, social behavior, and privacy. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to track the evolution of digital identity over time and investigate strategies to promote healthy identity practices in the digital age.

Schadenfreude and Sympathy: Observer Reactions to Malicious Joy During Social Media Service Recovery

Complex social dynamics occur when complaints are voiced on firms’ social media channels. In combination, a complainer criticizes a firm, which may be responded to uncivilly by different online personas (i.e., internet trolls or loyal customers), with virtually present observers watching how a firm responds. This research examines customer-to-customer (C2C) uncivil commentary from troll and loyal customer personas perceived by observers to elicit schadenfreude (malicious joy due to another's adverse event). Three studies show how C2C schadenfreude targeting a complainer elicits sympathy from observers, which influences observers’ future purchase intent. Study 1's online content analysis using field data shows the frequency of C2C schadenfreude during social media service recovery. Study 2 uncovers moderated mediation of C2C schadenfreude–sympathy–purchase intent, with loyal customer persona comments producing more observer sympathy than troll persona comments. Study 3 finds the harmful effect of observer sympathy on purchase intent varies based on how or if a firm addresses the C2C dialogue. This research uses a novel cognition (perceived schadenfreude from another's comment), examines a lesser-studied emotion in marketing (sympathy), and is the first marketing-related work to incorporate backlash theory from organizational management to exemplify how loyal customer comments produce a backlash effect in observers.

Real Time Depression and Anxiety Detection Using Machine Learning

Depression affects a staggering 264 million individuals worldwide, constituting a significant cause of disability. The detrimental impact of a negative workplace environment extends beyond productivity loss to encompass physical and medical ailments. Unfortunately, individuals often refrain from seeking help due to the pervasive stigma surrounding mental health issues. Leveraging the potential of machine learning, we have embarked on a journey to predict depression using diverse algorithms. Our study draws upon routine survey data, delving into factors such as home and workplace environments, family history of mental illness, among others. Recognizing and understanding the mental state of individuals, be it stress, anxiety, or depression, holds paramount importance in averting untoward incidents. Recent events, such as economic downturns, pandemic-induced fears, and social isolation, have contributed to a surge in depression and anxiety cases. Furthermore, there is compelling evidence indicating heightened social media usage among individuals with mental health disorders. Thus, we delve into the potential of online personas on social media platforms. Our work presents a comprehensive review of various methodologies employed in the literature for detecting depression, thereby shedding light on emerging trends and challenges. By identifying gaps in existing research, we aim to provide fresh insights and directions for researchers committed to advancing the field of depression detection. Key Words: Depression Detection, Machine Learning, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Accuracies, Human Being.

Disabled influencers on Instagram: exploring digital celebrity and marginalised identities

ABSTRACT This article illuminates the nexus of social media, celebrity, and marginalised identities by examining the phenomenon of disabled influencers. Since the late 2010s, disability representations in media, culture, and public discourse have increasingly moved away from stigmatising stereotypes. Disabled influencers have emerged as new voices in this landscape but, so far, exploration of their work has been limited. To address this gap, this study explores how 15 diverse fashion influencers with visible impairments address disability in their personal brands, whether they frame themselves as advocates for disability rights, and investigates their relationships with both followers and commercial brands. Through a content analysis of one year worth of Instagram posts (N = 1,429) and profile information, we outline the strategies these influencers use to make disability central to their online personas, explore their multi-layered relationship with brands, identify their distinct but somewhat limited voice in disability advocacy, and highlight their engagement strategies with digital publics. Drawing on disability and celebrity scholarship, this work provides insights on how the use of participatory platforms like Instagram intersects with the changing demands and expectations of celebrity, generating both opportunities and constraints for traditionally marginalised groups.

Conceal or reveal: (non)disclosure choices in online information sharing

ABSTRACT People typically enhance their online personas by sharing favourable personal information. Nevertheless, sharing of unfavourable information about oneself still occurs and is essential in some online contexts (e.g. allowing negative reviews). It remains unclear why people reveal potentially damaging information. We conducted an online experiment ( N = 462 ) to explore the effects of feedback properties and individual characteristics on online information sharing in two contexts (social and socioeconomic) where personal ratings are essential. We allowed users to conceal their personal rating if it dropped below a threshold. The context was the primary determinant of the threshold users chose. Control availability and feedback content triggered additional considerations and caused some users to change their (non)disclosure choices. However, many users relied on their priors (experience, assumptions) rather than on new information. Our findings show how people may fail to identify the impact of nondisclosure, which may signal undesirable information to others. These findings challenge the reliance on holding users solely accountable for their ‘informedness’ vis-à-vis disclosure of their personal information.

EDITORIAL: Humanizing Learning

This volume contains three articles that address the idea of humanizing online learning. learning technologies as platforms. The first by Olivia Stewart investigates work done to increase engagement and participation in an asynchronous course. The second is an implementation paper by Kam Moi Lee and her colleagues that investigated the role that online personas and journey mapping through the lens of equitable design practice. The third is a review of higher education mathematics homework and course platforms.Finally, April Burton contributed a book review of Caitlin Tucker’s recent book on Blended Learning.

Shaping Heroism Through Participatory Fan Cultures: An Analysis of Video Game Heroes as Nonhuman Online Personas

This paper expands the theoretical framework for analysing nonhuman personas developed by Connell and Moore (2023) to explore video game hero personas as assemblages - complex negotiations between social media platforms, video game developers, and participatory fan cultures. Through a critical analysis of Aloy from the Horizon (2017-2023) series, I argue that video game heroes are dynamic characters, and fan participation in the shaping of a video game hero’s online persona is often overlooked. By examining the collaborative relationships between video game heroes and their online participatory fan communities, the article contributes to ongoing conversations about processes of heroic representation in popular culture.

Byte-Sized Evolution: Navigating the Linguistic and Cultural Dynamics of Social Media

In the ethereal realm of social media, where the digital and the tangible collide, a linguistic and cultural metamorphosis unfolds, redefining the essence of human communication and societal dynamics. This abstract encapsulates the intricate ballet between language and culture in the vast expanse of online platforms, exploring the transformative power, paradoxes and challenges embedded in this digital world. At the linguistic crossroads, social media acts as both provocateur and preservationist. The brevity demanded by character limits births a new lexicon, where abbreviations and emojis transcend the informal to entwine with the formal. Linguistic evolution becomes a pulsating force, challenging traditional norms while offering a canvas for conciseness in an interconnected world. The influencer phenomenon adds an avant-garde layer, as online personas shape linguistic trends, creating digital subcultures that infiltrate mainstream discourse.Cultural narratives unfold through the alchemy of hashtags, becoming tools of expression and catalysts for societal change. The paradox of globalization surfaces, with social media as both a bridge and a potential bulldozer of linguistic diversity. The dominance of English and Western cultural influence raises concerns, but online communities emerge as bastions for the preservation and revitalization of endangered languages. Yet, the digital landscape is not without its pitfalls. Misinformation, like a shadow, looms large, challenging the integrity of language and the trust in societal narratives. The influencer’s power becomes a double-edged sword, fostering digital subcultures while also igniting ethical debates on cultural commodification and misinformation spread. As societal fault lines are exposed, the echo chamber effect emerges, testing social media’s potential to either unite disparate cultures or deepen existing divides. The journey through this digital linguistic and cultural landscape demands a nuanced approach—embracing innovation while safeguarding against oversimplification, misinformation and cultural appropriation.

Female Instagram elderly influencers countering the ageing narratives

Influencers are usually associated with young people creating waves on social media. However, there are “Influencer” at age 60 and beyond. This study unveils ‘Female Instagram Elderly Influencers’ who inspire every generation through appeal and presence on the platform. This study explores how older women influencers on Instagram promote themselves online and how they challenge the stereotypes about ageing. In an era defined by the growing influence of digital media, this study reveals the unique perspectives these women use to challenge the social assumptions about ageing. In particular, this study proposed new ways of ageing, defying gender and setting newer perspectives on old age and ageing. By using a netnography technique, an extensive investigation of the online identities and discussions of eight senior female Instagram influencers was conducted. Netnography has allowed to delve deeper into their public profiles, observing their virtual communities and providing insights into their online identity. The results draw attention to a few key characteristics that characterise the online personas of these “older female influencers” on Instagram. These influencers challenge preconceived notions about ageing through their profiles by projecting an image of themselves as vibrant, engaged and active. They portray a colourful, opportunity-filled life full of self-expression through their carefully chosen texts and videos, which showcase their love for everything around them, like food, travel, fashion, quick tips, etc. Furthermore, the findings suggest that these influencers provide their followers with a sense of empowerment. By sharing their personal day-to-day experiences, wisdom and advice, they interact with a broad audience and uplift and reassure those going through difficult times. People of all ages engage with their content, showing how this sense of community is ‘ageless’. The critical role older female Instagram influencers play in eradicating age-related stereotypes and creating a welcoming community is revealed through this netnography investigation. Their experiences and online persona offer a nuanced viewpoint on ageing, encouraging individuals to take advantage of life’s opportunities at any age.

#influenced! The impact of social media influencing on self-esteem and the role of social comparison and resilience.

Social media influencers (SMIs) are online personas that acquire significant audiences on social networking sites (SNS) and have become a prevalent part of social media. Previous research indicates potentially detrimental effects of social media use on mental well-being, however, little is known about whether, how, and for whom online comparisons with SMIs lead to adverse psychological effects. In this study, we investigate the impact of positivity-biased images of female SMIs on the state self-esteem of female participants while considering social comparison processes as mediating and individual resilience as moderating factors. Regression analyses showed that acute exposure to positivity-biased SMI images led to upward social comparisons, which in turn predicted lower state self-esteem. Thus, results revealed a significant mediating effect of social comparisons on the association between image type and state self-esteem. However, when observing the direct effect of image type on state self-esteem, we found that the exposure to positivity-biased SMI images unexpectedly led to higher overall levels of state self-esteem relative to the control group. In light of contemporary social comparison literature, subsequent post-hoc analyses suggest that exposure to SMI images in this study may have prompted both contrastive and assimilative upwards comparisons, leading to varying consequences for distinct self-esteem dimensions, ultimately manifesting in the observed suppression effect. Resilience was not found to moderate the proposed associations. Thus, the findings of this study offer new insights into the impact of SMIs on individuals' self-evaluations online, challenging previous assumptions, and suggest a need for further examination.

Ja’miezing’s Podcast Persona: Intertextual and Intercommunicative

An online persona is a public presentation of a human or non-human actor such as organisations and locations, digital objects, artificial intelligence, and media texts. This article provides an analysis of the online persona of the Australian satirical comedy podcast, Ja'miezing. Written, directed, performed, and produced by comedian Chris Lilley, Ja'miezing is a narrative podcast series that features the intimate details of the post-high school life of the character Ja’mie. The podcast launched following Lilley’s online cancellation which resulted in his previous mockumentary television shows being removed from Netflix and the Australian Broadcast Corporation’s video-on-demand service, ABC iview. The study builds on the five dimensions of persona – public, mediatised, performative, collective, and value – by drawing on contributions from podcast studies to better understand the unique features and practices of podcast personas. It seeks to untangle the complex interplay between the intertextual and intercommunicative connections of podcast producer, host, character, platform, and audience micropublics as they contribute to the online presentation of the podcast’s persona. The article highlights the potential of podcast personas as a unique form of a non-human online persona that requires further investigation. This approach also has implications for how to consider other forms of mediated communication with online personas.

The Influence of the Online Persona on University Students

The media network constantly updates the cognition of university students. The university students in the media society are gradually symbolized, labeled and fragmented. The network persona further develops and evolves into an idealized role for university students to participate in the media society. Although the concept of online persona has made a lot of research in communication science, the online persona as a symbolic representation of media society still leaves a gap at the psychological level. This paper adopts the questionnaire method to study the positive and negative effects of online personas on the psychology of university students. Through the study, it is found that online personas play a certain role in guiding the psychological development of university students. They also distort their values to a certain extent and cause mental stress and psychological anxiety among university students. Due to the complexity of social information and the immaturity of college students themselves, online persona is also one of the reasons for the confusion between the "true self" and the "ideal self" of college students. Therefore, this paper explores the influence of online personas and suggests that university students should improve their self-cultivation, identify social information and establish correct values.

Adapting to Twitter: The Entanglement of Journalistic Values and Online Personas

ABSTRACT As more journalists rely on social media platforms like Twitter to gather information and report the news, scholars have identified an increasing tension between traditional journalistic values and reporters’ construction of online personas. Moreover, networked journalists build these mediated personas—following platforms’ affordances—to better engage with fellow journalists and algorithmic audiences. Drawing on data from 15 in-depth interviews with Kosovar Albanian political journalists and editors, this article offers a unique perspective by examining the negotiation process between professional standards and journalists’ online personas on Twitter. Via their online personas, influenced by the audience and the platforms’ affordances and logic, journalists and editors have given rise to new role conceptions and standards in local political journalism. The results show that political journalists and editors in Kosovo view Twitter as a platform where they can display both professional and personal layers of their identity. Furthermore, they feel unrestricted by journalistic standards, taking on roles outside the traditional scope of journalism: as good citizens, they express opinions on political issues; as activists, they advocate for personally meaningful causes; but they also see themselves as mordant critics of political figures.

A sense of home: two migrant personas during COVID-19

ABSTRACT This article interrogates how the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic influenced the way that we produce online personas as migrants to Australia. By conducting comparative autoethnographic analysis of our online personas built on the social media sites Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, we unpack the role of mediated persona performance in connecting to our adopted homes as well as our connection to, and forced separation from, our countries of origin. There is a growing body of research on the impact of COVID-19 on migrants, particularly on forced migrants throughout Europe, and the impact of racism directed at migrants during the early stages of the pandemic. In Australia, scholars considered the role of technology in mediating relationships during lockdowns in 2020. This project broadens the scope of this body of research by looking at migrants who came to Australia with the intention of staying, by looking across platforms, and by considering not only what is shared and why, but what is absent: the ways we were – and are – strategically silent in our online persona performances.

Analysing the importance of drill artists’ offline environment in the creation of violent online identities

ABSTRACT Drill, a sub-genre of hip-hop that emerged out of Chicago but is now a mainstay of United Kingdom youth street culture, often includes violent lyrics designed to antagonise rivals. This article draws on a longitudinal study with several drill artists to expand the academic understanding of this culture. Within this study, young people’s violent online personas are a response to inhabiting a social space that developed due to a nexus of factors, including social deprivation, a lack of informal guardianship and the rules of the online attention economy. This digital dynamic sees artists competing for viewers’ limited attention by producing exaggerated violent depictions to show cultural competence and embodied street capital as they vie for attention in an antagonistic continuum with other groups. As young people experience social spaces, not governed by the rules of the street, they often realise that their violent online persona’s utility is limited, leading to a rebranding of their digital self. The study concludes that young people’s involvement in online violence is usually a temporary response to the offline social spaces they inhabit. Attempts to address such activities should focus on young people’s offline and online experiences.

Object 452

A presentetion of Letta Shtohryn's “Чули? Чули (Chuly? Chuly), a project that blends performative video gameplay with choreography to explore manipulative narratives and the embodiment of online personas.

What Do Opinion Leaders Share from the New Normal on Twitter?: A Qualitative Content Analysis

The question of what kind of content people share on social media is brought up by the COVID-19 pandemic and new normal policy. The government's well-coordinated campaign and the opposition's harsh comments are two of the reasons Indonesians actively utilize Twitter in relation to the new normal. This study intends to characterize and evaluate the presentation of new normal messages by opinion leaders on Twitter between May 16 and 29, 2020, since opinion leaders have historically been the network's active pioneers on a topic. The theories used for this study are self-presentation, opinion leaders, and the social media approach. The accounts of opinion leaders are determined through Drone Emprit's release of Top 100 New Normal Influencers, which then, generated six profiles: @haikal_hassan, @haris_azhar, @msaid_didu, @ridwankamil, @ismailfahmi, and @kurawa. The qualitative content analysis method was employed in this study with inductive reasoning. The findings revealed seven categories of new normal statements by opinion leaders, which corresponded to three key speech themes: 1) economic issues, 2) the implementation order of new normal life, and 3) negative sentiments. Additionally, we discovered that when opinion leaders create online personas, they do not aim to transcend the most fundamental parts of their backstage selves. Instead, they establish personas and personalities that are based on the same characters from the offline world. Meanwhile, this study suggests how the data might be useful for the Government, to consider the capacity of text-based platforms to help them learn about behaviors and needs during or even post-pandemic.