Personal Social Media Research Articles

Effects of Smartphone Photography on Commercial Photographers in Bolgatanga, Ghana.

Purpose: This study investigates the effects of smartphone photography and social media use on the professional photography business, focusing on commercial photographers in Bolgatanga Municipality, Ghana and the Bolgatanga Technical University campus. Design/Methodology/Approach: A descriptive research approach was used, with quantitative data collected through standardised questionnaires distributed to 196 smartphone users and 23 commercial photographers. T Findings: The findings show a considerable decrease in demand for commercial photography services due to the widespread usage of smartphones for personal photography and social media sharing. Many smartphone users consider their photographic skills sufficient, resulting in less reliance on professional services. Research Limitation: The study focuses solely on the commercial photography sector, overlooking other possible impact areas within the photographic industry. Practical implication: Commercial photographers must adopt new technologies to remain competitive and provide distinctive, high-quality services that smartphone users cannot readily reproduce. Social Implication: Smartphones have democratised photography by allowing consumers to capture and share visual content on social media platforms, contributing to decreased demand for professional photography. This social shift emphasises commercial photographers' need to integrate their business models with changing customer behaviour in the digital era. Originality/ Value: This study adds to our understanding of the changing photography landscape, especially in a developing economy. It provides significant insights into how commercial photographers may adapt to the challenges provided by the advent of smartphone photography and social media.

South African political elite's perception of Russia: social media data sentiment analysis

Although bilateral relations between Russia and South Africa are often described as long-standing and constructive, sentiment towards Moscow amongst South Africa’s political elite varies from party to party. This is particularly evident in statements made on personal social media accounts by African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members on the topic. While there are many ways to analyze bilateral relations between countries, this article focuses on the less common method of social media sentiment analysis. Aggregated data on the topic of Russia from social media posts made by nine prominent South African political figures and one organization (the Department of International Relations and Cooperation) was analyzed, with a particular focus on the ratio of positive, neutral and negative statements, correlations between Russia-related events, the frequency of Russia mentions, as well as topics mentioned most often in the Russian context. The results showed a peak in mentions of Russia in the years before or of Russia-Africa Summits and BRICS events and a predominance of neutral statements towards Russia compared to negative or positive ones. The analyzed social media statements on Russia mainly stayed within the topics of the Russia-Africa Summits, BRICS and the Special Military Operation in Ukraine (for the ANC) and the Special Military Operation and “Troll Farm” issue amongst the opposition, particularly DA members. In addition, the number of mentions seemed to correlate with trade volume, demonstrated most clearly by China’s example. Most of the language on the topic was neutral, which fits into South Africa’s position of non-alignment, meanwhile the majority of posts on the topic were made by DIRCO and President Ramaphosa. The rest of the accounts made little or no mention of Russia and other countries, posting on domestic issues instead.

A comparative critical analysis of official and personal social media videos on being and becoming old in China

ABSTRACT This study delves into ageing as it is depicted through social media videos in China. Through a critical analysis of 40 short-form videos, it compares how older people are discursively constructed by official agents and individual content creators to uncover their underlying ideological interests. Findings show that official videos tend to portray older people as socially disconnected and lonely whereas personal videos tend to showcase the jovial and inspirational aspects of growing old. They also reveal that official videos are exclusively situated in urban settings while personal videos also depict older people in rural and relatively modest settings. These findings reflect and reinforce the pathologisation and othering of older people and reveal ideologies linked to communitarianism and governmentality and the commodification of old age in the Chinese socio-political and socio-cultural ecosystem.

How Authoritative Media and Personal Social Media Influence Policy Compliance Through Trust in Government and Risk Perception: Quantitative Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Previous studies on public compliance with policies during pandemics have primarily explained it from the perspectives of motivation theory, focusing on normative motivation (trust in policy-making institutions) and calculative motivation (fear of contracting the disease). However, the social amplification of a risk framework highlights that the media plays a key role in this process. This study aims to integrate the motivation theory of compliance behavior and the social amplification of risk framework to uncover the "black boxes" of the mechanisms by which normative motivation and calculative motivation influence public policy compliance behavior through the use of media. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a web-based survey of 2309 Chinese citizens from December 4, 2022, to March 21, 2023. We treated the public's policy compliance behavior during the pandemic as the dependent variable. Media use, specifically the use of authoritative media and "we-media," that is, personal social media accounts and media platforms operated by individuals, was set as the independent variable. Trust in government, representing normative motivation, and risk perception, representing calculative motivation, were included as mediating variables. A structural equation model was constructed and analyzed using Stata. First, the mediation effect of trust in government indicates that the use of authoritative media can enhance trust in government, which significantly increases individuals' policy compliance behavior (β coefficient=0.108, 95% CI 0.080-0.135; P<.001). Second, the mediation effect of risk perception shows that the use of we-media heightened individual risk perception, thereby significantly enhancing policy compliance behavior (β coefficient=0.012, 95% CI 0.002-0.021; P=.02). Third, the study revealed the "paradox of trust": the chain mediation effect in which authoritative media increased trust in government and reduced risk perception, ultimately decreasing policy compliance behavior (β coefficient=-0.005, 95% CI -0.009 to -0.001; P=.008). By combining the motivation theory of compliance behavior with the social amplification of risk framework in risk communication, we found that trust in government, as a normative motivation, operates through authoritative media, while risk perception, as a calculative motivation, promotes compliance behavior through we-media. In addition, in major crises, the public's use of authoritative media can lead to the paradox of trust: on the one hand, trust in the government increases policy compliance; on the other hand, this trust reduces risk perception, thereby decreasing compliance behavior. Authoritative institutions need to balance providing authoritative information with maintaining the public's risk perception.

Scientific Publiction Trends Regarding Personal Branding and Social Media Based on Scopus Database

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Indonesia, identified as many as 425 hoax issues circulating on digital platforms in 2023. The rise of personal branding on social media often causes communication distortion, because this platform allows someone to manipulate fake identities. So far, there has been no research that analyzes the mapping related to personal branding and social media. Therefore, this study intends to examine research trends related to personal branding and social media produced by previous researchers. The method used is bibliometric. The data source comes from Scopus, and the tool used to process and display the data is VosViewer. The results of the study show that the development of scientific publications related to personal branding and social media has experienced fluctuating developments. Ulrika Hedman has published 2 documents with an average publication time in 2014. Wioleta Kurcharska is in the top position as a researcher with the highest productivity of 6 articles. Marwick a.e (2011) has the highest contribution as an author with 2329 citations. The most widely cited reference source is the Journal of Interactive Marketing entitled Online personal branding: processes, challenges, and implications by Labrecque (2011). Keywords “career”, “social media marketing”, “instagram”, and so on are some new research fields on the topic of personal branding and social media. The field of social sciences is the discipline with the highest number of documents, with 44 publications. The most widely published type of publication document is in the form of articles, reaching 72 publications. Through this research, the researcher hopes that it can further become a research map to provide direction for future development, especially in the theme of personal branding and social media research.

Lifelong learning for leaders

Last week, I posted a rhetorical question on one of my personal social media accounts. My professional and work accounts I use accordingly, but the others are a way to stay in touch with old friends, alumni groups, and family members I don’t get to see often. Most importantly, they serve as an outlet for some jocularity and general goofiness. My post was: “Can’t decide if I want a PhD or a McLaren…”

Associations of perceived neighbourhood and home environments with sedentary behaviour among adolescents in 14 countries: the IPEN adolescent cross sectional observational study

BackgroundUnderstanding environmental correlates of sedentary behaviour (SB) among young people is important as such data can identify approaches to limit sedentary time. This paper estimates associations of parent-reported neighbourhood and adolescent-reported home environments with SB among adolescents aged 11–19 years from 14 countries.MethodsIn the International Physical activity and the Environment Network (IPEN) Adolescent Study (an observational, cross-sectional multi-country study), adolescents wore a triaxial accelerometer for seven days that assessed sedentary time (ST). Adolescents completed survey measures of sedentary behaviour (SB) related to recreational screen time and sitting time in motor vehicles. Parents and adolescents completed surveys assessing neighbourhood and home environments. Accelerometer based ST was available in 3,982 adolescents while survey data were available for 6,302 dyads. We estimated the total and direct effects of each environmental attribute on ST and SB. Sex of the adolescent and city/country were examined as moderators.ResultsThe average ST in adolescents from 14 countries ranged from 7.8 to 10.5 h/day. Personal social media was the only significant correlate of total ST across both sexes. With respect to self-reported SB, adolescents accumulated an average of 3.8 h of non-school screen time per day and nearly 40 min of transport-related sitting time. Screen time was associated with all home environment variables, including social media account, as well as land use mix—diversity, traffic safety, and crime safety. Transport-related sitting time was related to land use mix—diversity, recreation facilities, walking facilities, and pedestrian infrastructure, but no home environment variables. City/country and sex were significant moderators of several associations.ConclusionsBoth home and neighbourhood environment features were related to ST and SB. Having social media accounts emerged as a major contributor towards sedentarism in adolescents.

Lifelong learning for leaders

Last week, I posted a rhetorical question on one of my personal social media accounts. My professional and work accounts I use accordingly, but the others are a way to stay in touch with old friends, alumni groups, and family members I don’t get to see often. Most importantly, they serve as an outlet for some jocularity and general goofiness. My post was: “Can’t decide if I want a PhD or a McLaren…”

POETIC STYLE TWEETS FROM PT KERETA API INDONESIA'S X ACCOUNT @Kai121 AS A SOCIAL MEDIA BRANDING STRATEGY IN THE DIGITAL ERA

In an effort to reach a wider audience in the digital era, PT KAI Indonesia uses several social media with a different focus and style. Meanwhile, PT KAI's X (Twitter) account uses poetic style posts that are not related to railways. This difference in style seems to have an influence on the number of followers that each platform has managed to gather, where the PT. KAI’s X account has the highes followers than other social media accounts with 1,238,637 followers. Poetic sentences from the PT. KAI’s account always gets a higher response from netizens compared to informative posts with a stiff and standard language style. In fact, the posts are often re-uploaded by netizens on other personal social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, and receive reactions in the form of likes, shares and comments in quite significant numbers. For this reason, this research discusses PT KAI's social media branding strategy in the digital era with a focus on the poetic style tweets of PT KAI's X account @kai121. The method used is a qualitative-descriptive approach with content analysis techniques assisted by the Nvivo 12 application for analyzing computer-based qualitative data. This research analyzes content uploaded by the @kai121 account, during the period 1 December - 31 December 2023. The results show that poetic content related to love, sadness and life motivation received a high response from users. @kai121's tweet expresses feelings of sadness, hope and support in facing separation and life's journey. The tweet received a good response and shows consistency in the content uploaded.

Knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices regarding plagiarism among health researchers in Egypt and Lebanon: a multicenter questionnaire study

To enhance efforts against plagiarism, a deeper understanding of its various aspects is essential. This cross-sectional questionnaire study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, and self-reported plagiarism practices among health researchers in Egypt and Lebanon. A validated questionnaire was distributed to postgraduate students and faculty members across 15 universities through personal emails and health researcher-specific social media platforms. Out of 283 respondents, the mean knowledge score was 14.8 ± 3.7 out of a possible 27.0, indicating moderate knowledge of plagiarism. Attitudes toward plagiarism were moderately permissive, with an average score of 62.2 ± 10.9, out of a maximum of 90.0. Subjective norms received a moderate score of 33.6 ± 6.7, where a favorable score should be low (10–23) suggesting that participants perceive society as disapproving of plagiarism and believe its prevalence is low. The mean self-reported Plagiarism Severity Score (PSS) was 4.1 ± 3.6, reflecting a low level of self-reported plagiarism, with a maximum possible score of 18. Multivariable analysis revealed a negative correlation between subjective norms and the PSS (β = −0.194, CI [−0.196: −0.010]). This finding is counterintuitive, as one would typically expect that a lower subjective norms score (indicating stronger disapproval of plagiarism), would correlate with fewer acts of plagiarism. One possible explanation for this result is the presence of negative perceptions of organizational justice—such as feelings of being unfairly treated—which might lead to higher rates of self-reported research misconduct. We recommend that universities in the Arab Middle East region develop research ethics training programs that include responsible conduct in research. However, it is essential for academic leaders to assess and address the research integrity climate within their institutions, as organizational injustice could undermine the effectiveness of these educational efforts.

Employee use of social media: Private, public or something else?

This article examines the use of social media at the intersection of work and private life and analyses how employers are permitted to intervene in employees’ social media behaviour. In the article, this phenomenon is described as the hybrid role of an employee. It is created when a person adds work-related information to their personal social media profile and when employers encourage personnel to highlight their expertise and employer-related issues using personal social media accounts. The content of an employee's social media bio and social media postings, as well as an employer's social media policy, create a complex framework spanning the private and public domains. In addition, an employer's intervention in an employee's social media posts constitutes an interference with that employee's freedom of expression and private life, which are fundamental and human rights. Therefore, a compelling reason must exist for an employer to interfere with an employee’s use of social media. Factors that influence this assessment include the employee's position and duties, the closeness of the connection between the social media content and the employer, the (harmful) effect of this content on the employer or its activities, the veracity and public-interest value of the content, the proportionality of the sanction and its compatibility with the employer's social media policy.

Social Media as a Village Government Communication Channel in Improving Public Services to the Community in Minahasa Regency

Public service issues are still often the main topic in society, starting from the lack of clear information and slow service that occurs in government in various cases, both related to information, administration and implementation of development in various fields, to the lack of resources that are able to provide the best service to the community. The current era of information technology, new media, which includes social media, is certainly one of the right solutions in overcoming communication and information problems for the government, but the problem is whether social media has been used optimally in carrying out public service duties by the government, especially the government in the village. Along with the many complaints from the public regarding government services, even though communication and information technology is already present in the midst of society and the government. This is the basis of this study, to be studied and studied in more depth, using a qualitative research approach, related to how social media becomes a communication channel for village governments in improving public services. Village governments in Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi Province have not optimally used social media as an information channel in an effort to improve public services. This is evidenced by the lack of official social media from the village government as a media/information channel in supporting public services. Not all village governments have the human resource capabilities that can manage and operate social media well, actively and intensively in providing information to the public regarding programs, policies, and government regulations. Most village governments in Minahasa Regency do not yet have official social media as a medium/channel of information to the public. There are still many village government officials who use their personal social media for the needs of conveying information to the public, even then only when necessary. Obstacles to the Village Government in utilizing social media to improve public services include limited human resources, technological infrastructure, and cultural constraints, these factors affect the effectiveness of communication through social media.

The Influence of Personal Selling and Social Media Marketing on Purchase Behavior Mediated by Brand Awareness, Brand Association, Perceived Quality, and Brand Loyalty at PT. Asuransi Bangun Askrida Bandung Branch

The marketing landscape has shifted from traditional to digital approaches, requiring companies to adapt strategies to remain competitive. Askrida, using both personal selling and social media marketing, seeks to boost general insurance production and maintain market share. However, despite these efforts, Askrida lags behind its five main competitors in profit, and general insurance sales remain inadequate, with increasing customer complaints. This study aims to evaluate how personal selling and social media marketing influence consumer behavior at Askrida through brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. Using a quantitative approach, this research collected primary and secondary data through Google Forms questionnaires distributed to 416 non-corporate customers of Askrida Bandung Branch. The sampling method employed was purposive sampling, and data analysis was conducted using SEM-PLS (Partial Least Squares) via SmartPLS software. The findings indicate that both personal selling and social media marketing significantly affect brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. Personal selling impacts purchasing behavior through these mediating variables, though brand awareness itself does not directly influence purchasing behavior. Conversely, social media marketing affects purchasing behavior through brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. Recommendations for Askrida's Marketing Team include enhancing personal selling by improving product information quality through additional training for sales staff and using interactive training materials. For social media marketing, it is advised to update content with relevant and engaging information. Increasing brand visibility and consistency in marketing campaigns, creatively strengthening brand associations, enhancing quality perception through customer testimonials and unique product features, and implementing loyalty programs are crucial strategies for Askrida to bolster market position and consumer loyalty. This study also notes that the findings may not be generalized to all digital marketing activities and suggests further research with additional variables and a more in-depth evaluation of effectiveness.

Social media profiling: The influence of personal and professional social media content on hiring ratings

AbstractThis study integrates identity and situational strength theories into a realistic accuracy model framework to develop and test hypotheses regarding how hiring managers perceive social media (SM) information, and how those perceptions translate into ratings. In Study 1, 310 h professionals rated which SM content they perceive as most useful in assessing applicants on various work‐related constructs. The provided a foundation for Study 2, where 151 h professionals participated in an experimental hiring simulation to understand whether these perceptions of SM information translate into rating behavior. Results indicate that manipulating SM content influenced HR professionals’ ratings of applicants. Non‐job‐related SM content influenced ratings of work‐related constructs more strongly than job‐related content. Professional SM was rated more favorably than personal SM.

Medical Tourism for Cancer Treatment: Trends, Trajectories, and Perspectives From African Countries.

Cancer continues to be a significant public health concern. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) struggles with a lack of proper infrastructure and adequate cancer care workforce. This has led to some countries relying on referrals of cancer care to countries with higher income levels. In some instances, patients refer themselves. Some countries have made it their goal to attract patients from other countries, a term that has been referred to as medical tourism. In this article, we explore the current status of oncology-related medical tourism in SSA. This was a cross-sectional study. The study participants included oncologists, surgeons, and any other physicians who take care of patients with cancer. A predesigned questionnaire was distributed through African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer member mailing list and through study team personal contacts and social media. A total of 52 participants from 17 African countries with a 1.6:2 male to female ratio responded to the survey. Most (55.8%) of the respondents were from Eastern African countries. The majority (92%) of study participants reported that they knew patients who referred themselves abroad, whereas 75% referred patients abroad, and the most common (94%) referral destination was India. The most common (93%) reason for referral was perception of a higher quality of care in foreign health institutions. The findings suggest the need to improve local health care systems including building trust of the system among general population. The study highlights potential financial toxicity, and it adds to the current emphasis on return of investment on homegrown workforce and cancer treatment infrastructure.

Cyberloafing In The Digital Age, Disrupting Or Enhancing Performance?: Literature Review

One aspect that becomes a reference for the development of a company is employee performance. In an effort to improve employee performance, several companies implement policies by providing technology benefits such as internet, cellphones and computers. The original aim of implementing this technology allowance was to maximize employee performance. However, the facts on the ground show that there is a phenomenon of irregularities in the use of these technological facilities which are used for personal interests, whether opening e-mail, playing games, accessing personal social media and accessing entertainment sites. This phenomenon is called cyberloafing. Cyberloafing is a serious problem related to employee behavior, where this behavior will be contrary to the employee's integrity in completing their duties. Cyberloafing is disciplinary behavior where a worker diverts concentration and work time to activities outside of work interests. This article reviews the literature on cyberloafing among Generation Z ASN employees to help readers better understand this condition. This aims to clarify the phenomenon of cyberloafing, the impact of cyberloafing, benchmarks and dimensions of cyberloafing.

Drivers of intimate fatherhood in contemporary China: Childhood experiences, social media, and partner encouragement

Objective: This study aims to investigate what factors contribute to the display of intimate fatherhood amongst contemporary urban Chinese fathers. Background: Although a growing body of research has investigated men’s involvement in physical, and more recently, also emotional involvement in childcare, what drives men to be emotionally involved in childcare has received scant attention in the research literature, particularly in Asian countries such as China. Method: Our study draws on in-depth interviews with 19 urban Chinese fathers to investigate why men display intimate fatherhood in parenting. The thematic analysis procedure is used to answer our research questions. Results: Findings show that men’s disappointed feelings about the limited involvement of their own fathers, the intimate fatherhood contents presented in social media, and encouragement from their partner were important contributing drivers for contemporary Chinese fathers to display intimate fatherhood. Conclusion: Our study highlights the importance of personal biographies, partner influences, and social media in contributing to men’s emotional involvement in childcare. Our findings are useful for policymakers and professionals to understand, and to promote, as well as strengthen, men’s commitment to displaying intimate fatherhood.

Exploring factors impacting patient decisions in hemorrhoid surgery: A questionnaire survey in Taiwan

BackgroundMinimally invasive hemorrhoid surgeries like Doppler-Guided Hemorrhoidal Artery Ligation (DGHAL) and Stapled Hemorrhoidopexy (PPH) offer benefits over traditional methods. This study investigated public perceptions and attitudes towards these surgeries, exploring awareness, preferences, and influencing factors. MethodsA detailed questionnaire was disseminated to 2011 participants from various regions of Taiwan in December 2023, gathering data on demographics, understanding of minimally invasive surgery, and attitudes towards hemorrhoid surgery. Chi-square tests were used for analysis (p < 0.05). ResultsHemorrhoid prevalence was similar across sexes and age groups. About 70 % preferred medical centers or district hospitals for surgery. Postoperative complications were a primary concern, with significant sex differences. Approximately 70 % preferred minimally invasive surgery if costs were below NT$50,000. Medical personnel showed higher awareness of minimally invasive surgery benefits. Most participants relied on personal networks and medical social media for information. ConclusionsThe study revealed generally positive perceptions of minimally invasive hemorrhoid surgery, with cost being a significant factor. Knowledge gaps exist, particularly among non-medical personnel. Future initiatives should aim to enhance public awareness of minimally invasive surgery benefits, and policy considerations should address financial aspects of healthcare decisions.

“Newsers”: News Repertoires and News Perceptions Among Israeli Youth in the Digital Age

ABSTRACT This study examines Israeli youth’s news consumption habits and perceptions in a fragmented multi-media landscape intertwined in conflictual society. Using Q methodology and in-depth interviews with participants aged 15–18, the research uncovers four distinct cross-media repertoires of news consumers (“newsers”) varying by frequency, content, and platform. Our findings underscore that in the digital era, the definition of “news” has evolved, encompassing not only traditional media but also personal stories and social media updates on current affairs, including everyday life events. Building on existing literature, this research offers insights into the lives of young individuals navigating a rapidly evolving media terrain in a society marked by persistent conflict. The study sheds light on the emerging generation poised to influence Israeli democracy. Understanding their nuanced perception of news can inform content creation strategies to connect with and activate them. Our findings hold broader theoretical, methodological and practical implications for fostering civic engagement and promoting constructive action not only within Israel but also in other nations grappling with political unrest. By leveraging these insights, policymakers, media professionals, and educators can work toward cultivating a more informed and participatory citizenry, thus contributing to the advancement of democracy and social cohesion on a global scale.

The Process of Personal Social Media for Work: Unveiling the “Work” Behind Social Media

Many employees are engaging in personal social media for work (PSMW), which involves posting work-related content from a user’s individual social-media account. Despite quantitative studies demonstrating the presence and outcomes of talking about work on social media, scholars know little about the process of using PSMW. To fill this gap, the current study uses social identity theory and boundary theory as conceptual frames to learn why and how people engage in PSMW. Through analyzing interview and observational data from employees’ social media across a variety of industries and work arrangements, we present a model of PSMW. Our findings contribute to scholarship in at least three ways. First, this study exposes the “work” behind PSMW through a pattern of Labored Worklife: a paradox of communicating both authentically and strategically. Second, our findings show PSMW as a distinctive, flexible way through which workers can traverse complicated work and non-work borders and communicate multiple (even conflicting) identities on social media. Third, this project suggests connections between PSMW and scholarship surrounding emotion at work.