Social Media Platforms Research Articles

The legitimation of screenshots as visual evidence in social media: YouTube videos spreading misinformation and disinformation

This article explores the use of screenshots as a form of visual evidence on social media platforms. It considers their role in YouTube videos that spread misinformation and disinformation about the Notre Dame Cathedral Fire and an internet hoax, the Momo Challenge. The article draws on two social semiotic frameworks, legitimation (Van Leeuwen in ‘Legitimation in discourse and communication, 2007) and affiliation (Knight in ‘Evaluating experience in funny ways’, 2013, and Zappavigna in ‘Searchable Talk and Social Media Metadiscourse’, 2018), to analyse how screenshots and accompanying voiceovers construe technological authority and propagate social values. Seven key forms of screenshots are identified in the dataset, alongside the key social bonds that are made visually salient in the screenshots. Overall, this research contributes to how we understand the role of screenshots in instances of misinformation and disinformation, highlighting the importance of identifying the affiliation potential of the screenshot in order to determine its veracity.

Playful, coded, and emotional language: Discursive strategies of online criticism on Chinese social media

Language has always been essential in collective actions. Because offline collective actions are highly controlled in China, Chinese people often resort to online criticism, which heavily relies on the creative use of language to circumvent the government’s control of public communication. This study collects and analyzes the data of the #JiangshanjiaoandHongqiman# public discourse on Weibo to investigate the discursive characteristics of Chinese people’s online expressions. In February 2020, a mass organization of the government launched two official virtual idols on Weibo, one of the most widely used social media platforms in China. Amidst widespread discontent with the management of the pandemic, this intervention in fandom culture triggered a backlash among the Chinese Internet users. This study shows that the Chinese netizens expressed criticism through coded, playful, and emotional language. This article contributes to the literature on discursive strategies of online public discourse in China.

Knowledge of Dentists regarding Antibiotic Prescription in Endodontics in Tripoli

The aim of this study was to assess how well dentists understand and follow guidelines for prescribing antibiotic in endodontics in Tripoli. A questionnaire link was sent to all participants via various social media platforms. All answers from the online form were automatically imported in an Excel file and were then appropriately analyzed. Descriptive statistics (such as frequencies and percentages) were calculated, and Chi-square test were used to compare between the groups. The majority (67.6%) of the respondents were general dental practitioners and most of them were females (80.4%). A smaller group (10.8%) were endodontic specialists while 21.6% belong to other specialties. Diffuse swelling was the most common condition for which antibiotics were prescribed (81.4%) and in patient with swelling & difficulty in swallowing (73.5%). Antibiotics were always prescribed by 65,7% of respondents for patient exhibiting systemic symptoms such as fever and malaise and 6.9% of respondents always prescribed antibiotics in prolonged root canal treatment. The Majority of respondents selected Amoxicillin with Clavulanate as the first choice for patients without medication allergies (72.7%) and Amoxicillin ranked as the second most preferred antibiotic (39.4%) (Table 3). On the other hand, the majority of respondents preferred clindamycin as the first choice for patients with penicillin allergy (43.6%). The majority of the participants believe that the typical duration of antibiotics course is five to seven days (98%). The majority (95.1%) of respondents were aware of drug resistance, while a very small percentage (4.9%) were not aware. The data reveal that critical importance of selecting antibiotics based on patient-specific factors, such as allergies, to ensure effective and safe management of endodontic infections. The knowledge and attitude of dentists regarding antibiotic prescription for endodontic treatments require further improvement.

We are stronger when we are connected: Queer counterpublics and the Korean Queer Culture Festival

This paper examines the emergence of queer counterpublics in South Korea through a case study on the opening ceremony of the Korean Queer Culture Festival (KQCF) in 2015. Due to an outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the organizers live-streamed the event via YouTube instead of inviting the participants to the Seoul City Plaza, where they set up the stage. During the opening ceremony, social media platforms momentarily became alternative spaces for queers to interact with each other on a real-time basis. In analyzing a series of concerted actions, such as lining up in front of a police station for a permit, setting up a stage, writing a statement, shooting a video for broadcast, watching the event on YouTube, posting messages and pictures on social media, and exchanging messages with friends, I discuss how queer counterpublics emerge, contesting the heteronormative and heteropatriarchal public sphere in South Korea.

Toward a computational mixed methods framework to measure online deliberative discourse

This article proposes and tests a reproducible framework for a computational method to measure social media-based deliberative discourse by analyzing commentary surrounding the Canadian convoy protests of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions. Employing a combination of analytic calculations, alongside tools such as Google Perspective and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), this article assesses the quality of online deliberative discourse using established measures of deliberation including the variables rationality, interactivity, equality, and civility. We propose computational approaches to measuring these variables, and work toward validating our approach by observing correlations between an established computational measure of online deliberation-cognitive complexity. This computational approach is tested using Twitter and Reddit commentary related to the convoy protests that took place in Ottawa, Canada, during February 2022, which influenced the emergence of similar protests around the world. In addition to testing our proposed online deliberative discourse measurement framework, this case study provides insight into the deliberative characteristics of the Twitter and Reddit social media platforms.

Modelling the Predictors of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Buying Behavior in Malaysia

Despite the rapid increase in internet and mobile users in Malaysia, the growth of online purchases through social media platforms has not kept pace with this broader digital trend. This study investigates the key predictors that influence consumer buying behavior through social media marketing, with a specific focus on the roles of Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and Perceived Usefulness (PU) of these platforms. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 115 respondents in Malaysia who have experience making online purchases via mobile applications. The study also examines variations in consumer experiences based on demographic factors, including age, gender, education level, and geographic region. The findings indicate that both PEOU and PU are significant predictors that shape consumer buying behavior on social media platforms. This research provides valuable insights for marketers seeking to enhance the effectiveness of their social media marketing strategies. By better understanding the factors driving consumer behavior in the Malaysian market, businesses can design more targeted and personalized campaigns for specific consumer segments, ultimately improving their competitive advantage in this digital landscape.

Public Participation Monitoring: Social Media Data Mining and Analysis of User Engagement Patterns

Social Media Platforms (SMP) like Twitter and Facebook have become public influencing medium in today’s digital age which facilitate community interactions. These necessitates the monitoring of public participation in these SMP. This work performs such an study by examining the user engagement patterns in social media in Indonesia during the national elections (#Pemilu2024), Ramadan celebrations (#Ramadan2024), and climate change discussions (#ClimateChange). The data for the study was collected during a period of six months from (January to June 2024) using event-specific hashtags and keywords. To identify the user engagement patterns datamining and Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools were utilized. The findings show that the Twitter platform has higher user engagement in morning with news updates and visual updates at evening. The Facebook show user engagement in afternoon with videos and evening engagement with shared articles. The Sentiment Analysis (SA) and network analysis was performed over the dataset and the findings have shown that higher positive sentiments towards elections and Ramadan but argumentative towards climate change discussions. The Twitter show rapid communication effectiveness compared to Facebook. Further the youth prefer faster update and older expect detailed content sharing.

Tweeting, talking, or doing politics? Testing the influence of communication on democratic engagement

Being politically and civically engaged is known to benefit society. Using online forums, such as Twitter (the social media platform now known as X), for democratic engagement is now commonplace. However, research is inconclusive on whether offline and online activities similarly result in real-world engagement. Using secondary analysis of Pew data, both types of engagement are compared among Twitter users. Results show Twitter users engaged online, but not offline. However, those who posted about political/social issues democratically engaged both offline and online.

Behind the words: a quantitative analysis of museums’ tweets

ABSTRACT The rise of Web 2.0 technologies has revolutionized communication, pushing museums to amplify their presence on social media platforms. Scholars have taken a keen interest in exploring the intricate connection between museum activities and social media, especially heightened during the pandemic when museum closures compelled them to adopt social media as a primary mode of interaction. This study employs text mining technologies to delve into the dynamics of words used in tweets by the most active international museums. Analyzing 334,505 tweets from 89 museums spanning 2006–2022, this study goes beyond the pandemic's impact, emphasizing either ‘relationship enforcement’ or ‘digital technologies’ aspects.

Algorithmic Dissent: Militarized Platforms and Palestinian Political Imagination in Jerusalem

This article provides an ethnographic account of how young Palestinian Jerusalemites responded to Israeli state surveillance during the summer and fall of 2021. Threading between interviews with social media influencers, long-time activists, and everyday users who broadcast the historic uprising on the internet, the author chronicles how these youth made use of digital platforms to draw unprecedented attention to settler violence in their city in spite of intrusive monitoring and censorship by Israeli authorities. Reviewing a long history of Israeli surveillance and extending ethnographic accounts of political cynicism in Palestine, the author argues that the suspicion many Palestinians exhibit toward social media platforms is an asset. Heightened awareness of how new technologies facilitated dragnet surveillance by Israeli authorities did not silence young Jerusalemites into acquiescence to a repressive status quo. Instead, it inspired them to speak out on their own terms, safeguarding their city while dramatizing the limits of surveillance.

Sentiment Analysis of Political Parties on social media: A Machine Learning and Lexicon-Based Approach

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube have become central to communication and entertainment, with users sharing opinions on various topics. These opinions, often categorized as positive, negative, or neutral sentiments, provide valuable data for sentiment analysis. Our research analyzed political YouTube comments related to India’s Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) using a combination of the AFINN lexicon and machine learning techniques. We applied feature representation methods such as Bag of Words (BoW) and Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF), alongside five machine learning algorithms: Multinomial Naïve Bayes, Logistic Regression, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and K-nearest neighbor (K-NN). We aimed to determine the most efficient sentiment analysis approach by comparing the performance of these models using standard evaluation metrics. For the BJP dataset, Logistic Regression performed best with BoW, while SVM was most effective with TF-IDF. Similarly, for the INC dataset, Random Forest excelled with BoW, and SVM outperformed others with TF-IDF. The AFINN lexicon showed poor performance across both datasets, and K-NN consistently achieved lower accuracy. Our findings suggest that SVM and Random Forest are more suitable for political sentiment analysis.

Development of an integrated model for SME marketing and CRM optimization

The development of an integrated model for optimizing marketing and customer relationship management (CRM) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) presents a crucial advancement in enhancing business competitiveness and customer engagement. This paper proposes a unified model that merges scalable software solutions for social media analytics with AI-driven CRM to provide a comprehensive framework for SMEs to enhance their marketing strategies and customer interactions. Social media platforms have become vital channels for customer outreach, engagement, and feedback, yet SMEs often face challenges in leveraging these platforms due to limited resources and expertise. Integrating social media analytics into CRM systems offers businesses the ability to analyze customer behaviors, preferences, and sentiment on a large scale. The proposed model utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline customer interactions, enabling personalized communication and improving customer retention. By incorporating AI into CRM, SMEs can automate routine tasks, such as responding to customer inquiries and segmenting audiences based on their social media activity. This allows for more efficient marketing strategies and enables businesses to proactively address customer needs, ultimately driving customer loyalty and long-term growth. Furthermore, the unified model focuses on scalability, ensuring that SMEs can adopt and adapt these technologies according to their evolving needs and resources. This paper also explores the benefits of integrating these technologies, including the potential for improved data-driven decision-making, enhanced customer experience, and increased operational efficiency. In conclusion, this integrated model presents a strategic pathway for SMEs to optimize their marketing and CRM efforts through the adoption of scalable, AI-driven tools that enhance customer engagement and boost business performance. Keywords: SME Marketing, CRM Optimization, Social Media Analytics, AI-Driven CRM, Customer Engagement, Scalable Software Solutions, Business Performance, Personalized Communication, Customer Retention, Data-Driven Decision-Making.

The 360 diary method in experiential education: using social media as a complementary method to interviews and audio diaries

Although social media platforms with visual and audio storytelling features can provide rich qualitative data that offers deep insight into forms of outdoor experiential education, particularly for college-aged participants, few studies have investigated its potential in this field. This paper aims to extend understandings of social media research by drawing on a phenomenological study that employed the 360 Diary Method – an approach combining more ‘traditional’ qualitative approaches (interviews and audio diaries) with social media (Instagram and TikTok) – to explore the experiences of four college students who backpacked over 2,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail together. By comparing themes from multiple forms of qualitative data, findings show how Instagram and TikTok generate new understandings while texturizing what is shared verbally in audio diaries and interviews. Findings also highlight emerging theoretical and epistemological tensions when using social media in research due to its orientation towards performativity. This study concludes that in the digital age, utilising social media as a data source remains valuable but may be best employed in conjunction with other complementary qualitative methods to investigate the multi-layered nature of participant experiences in outdoor settings.

Platform liability, hate speech and the fundamental right to free speech

ABSTRACT In contemporary society, the rise of social media has dramatically transformed the sharing of information, bypassing traditional editorial and governmental controls. This shift has enabled rapid global information sharing but also raised concerns about the influence of social media platforms, even in democratic societies. Legislative responses, such as Germany's Network Enforcement Act of 2017, mandated swift removal of illegal content, influencing over twenty other nations to enact similar laws. These regulations often target hate speech but risk suppressing political opposition, particularly in authoritarian regimes. The European Union’s Digital Services Act came into force in 2024 and imposes stringent removal obligations on platforms. This enhanced platform regulation pushes companies towards the use of automated content moderation for purposes of meeting those obligations. A 2024 report found a substantial majority (87.5% to 99.7%) of deleted comments on Facebook and YouTube in France, Germany, and Sweden were legally permissible, suggesting that platforms, pages, or channels may be over-removing content to avoid regulatory penalties. Against the backdrop of this recent data, the paper examines the possible impact of stringent platform liability legislation on free speech in the ambit of hate speech, focusing on the delicate balance between regulation and freedom of expression.

Promoting Indigenous Culture Using AI Algorithms on Social Media: Effective Strategies for Improving Mental Health among Canadian Youths

This study explores the intersection of culture, technology, and mental health in the digital age, focusing on the impact of promoting Indigenous culture on social media to support Canadian youths' psychological well-being. Recognizing the historical marginalization of Indigenous narratives, it investigates how AI algorithms integrated into social media platforms enhance the dissemination and engagement of cultural content. A controlled experiment was conducted where two groups of youths engaged with either a traditional or AI-powered platform promoting Indigenous culture. Over five days, their mental health and cultural engagement were assessed. Results revealed that the AI-powered platform significantly improved participants' cultural identity, sense of belonging, and mental health compared to the traditional platform. These findings suggest that AI technology can play a transformative role in delivering culturally relevant content, offering a promising approach to addressing mental health disparities in Indigenous communities and beyond. The study contributes to understanding how AI can enhance digital cultural promotion and support mental well-being.

Technological Innovations in Enhancing Digital Mental Health Engagement for Low-Income Groups

Malaysia, classified as a low-income group, faces a significant burden of mental health problems. Digital Mental Health Interventions (DMHI) offer innovative solutions to address mental disorders (MD) through the application of scientific principles and engineering technologies. This study investigates the digital mental health (DMH) tools used to prevent MD and identifies the factors influencing their adoption among low-income groups (LIG). This study reviews four key articles that highlight three main DMH tools: Mobile Health (mHealth), telehealth, social media platforms, and chatbots. It identifies key factors driving engagement with DMH tools among LIG, including accessibility, communication, affordability, cultural sensitivity, and government policies. Advances in technology are enhancing the accessibility and effectiveness of DMH tools, making them increasingly viable for LIG. By leveraging applied science and engineering technologies, these tools can reduce the cost of mental health care, improve service utilization, and alleviate the burden of mental disorders.

Moralization of law, heavy-penaltyism, and retributive justice: A corpus-assisted study of legal consciousness on Chinese social media

Previous studies on legal consciousness have primarily focused on individual-level interactions with legal institutions or personnel. However, this perspective may overlook the indirect experiences that citizens gain through social media and the social normative consensus behind individual experiences. To address this gap, this study examined the shared legal consciousness expressed by citizens on a social media platform. Using corpus-assisted discourse analysis and sentiment analysis, we analyzed 284,792 danmu comments from the most popular legal channel on Bilibili in China. Our findings provide a contemporary perspective on legal consciousness in Chinese social media, uncovering three prevailing ideologies: moralization of law, heavy-penaltyism, and a predilection for retributive justice over restorative justice. Through our mixed-methods approach using big data, we demonstrate the potential for expanding research on legal consciousness. Our findings enable a deeper understanding of how legal consciousness is expressed and shared among citizens in the digital age.

Destabilising the home: place making, dark tourism and the spectral

Ghosts, hauntings and the spectral are intrinsically linked to sites of dark tourism. Supernatural stories commonly emerge in places connected with tragedy, death and the macabre, forming spectral geographies in which the past and present intertwine. Visiting places of supernatural significance has long been of interest to tourists (Holmes and Inglis, 2004), however, in the last two decades a considerable ‘ghost-hunting’ subculture has emerged alongside commercial events and tourist attractions dedicated to engaging visitors with spectral possibilities (Eaton, 2020; Ironside, 2018). As a result, places associated with ghost folklore including private homes, hotels, and heritage buildings, have become popular travel destinations due to their supernatural associations. Film and television media are often credited with the popularisation of haunted places (Edwards, 2019; Hill, 2010); however, more recently web-based and social media platforms have become spaces for promoting, reporting, and sharing paranormal experiences. In this paper, we explore the construction of spectral geographies, specifically haunted houses, through online narratives. By drawing upon textual analysis of both marketing and online reviews we analyse two cases, 30 East Drive and The Ancient Ram Inn, and explore how these private homes have been transformed into sites of dark tourism through digital storytelling and discourse. Through our analysis we consider how personal experience, intertextuality, and uncanny signifiers contribute to a form of placemaking through digital media and storytelling (Halegoua & Polson, 2021), experiential consumerism (Pine & Gilmore, 2011) and an evolving spiritual quest culture (Eaton, 2015).

Relationship between death anxiety and resilience among critical care nurses in Oman.

Critical care nurses encounter numerous work-related stressors that might lead to depression and anxiety. Areas with higher patient mortality can lead to burnout, higher turnover and death anxiety. The possession of resilience and good attitudes towards mental health is of utmost importance for nurses, given their role as influential figures within society. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between death anxiety and resilience among critical care nurses in Oman. This study employed a cross-sectional design with convenience sampling, sending 300 invitations via a URL link on a popular social media platform for critical care nurses in Oman. Out of 218 responses, the initial response rate was 72.7%. After data cleansing to remove incomplete and illegible submissions, the final sample consisted of 183 nurses who completed the Templer Death Anxiety Scale and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The survey was conducted in December 2023. The study found that the mean death anxiety and resilience scores were 38.23 (SD = 6.96) and 37.62 (SD = 5.32), respectively. Most of the participants exhibited a low level of death anxiety and a moderate level of resilience. The results of this study found a significant proportional correlation between death anxiety and resilience among critical care nurses in Oman (p = .000); nurses with a higher degree of resilience were shown to be significantly correlated with a lower level of death anxiety. The results showed that resilience explained 14.9% of the variation in death anxiety. The research in Oman reveals that critical care nurses in the country experience moderate death fear. This anxiety stems from the demanding nature of their profession, which involves providing care for critically ill patients in high-pressure environments. Factors such as cultural and religious beliefs and educational attainment are also influencing this anxiety. Resilience is positively associated with the ability to confront challenges with courage, and a positive correlation exists between resilience and death anxiety. This suggests that nurses with higher resilience may also experience higher death anxiety because of their profession's inherent responsibilities and decision-making. The study on critical care nurses in Oman highlights that workplace stress and high death anxiety negatively impact their well-being and patient care quality. Factors like job demands, cultural beliefs and education influence these experiences, with resilience playing a key role in coping. Enhancing resilience and coping strategies can improve care quality and reduce turnover in nursing.

Content analysis of fluoride-related posts on Instagram

BackgroundThe Internet and social media have become many people’s primary sources of health information. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, and users spend a significant amount of time daily on the platform. Therefore, analyzing oral health-related information shared online can help to identify the requirements of specific groups, assisting in the planning and execution of educational public health actions. As a result, this study was carried out to conduct a qualitative evaluation of fluoride-related content on Instagram in 2022–2023.MethodsUsing hashtags associated with fluoride, a search was conducted on the Instagram application in the Persian language. All fluoride-containing posts were saved, and data was collected thrice at two-month intervals. MAXQDA software version 2020 was used to categorize the collected data content based on type, quality, and quantity.ResultsThe qualitative analysis included 1565 (9.45%) posts with fluoride-related content out of 16,475 total posts. After removing the duplicates, 400 posts remained, among which 282 posts (70.5%) and 118 posts (29.5%) were pro- and anti-fluoride, respectively. After qualitative analysis, 270 codes were examined and categorized into three main themes and eight subthemes: “fluoride sources,” “The advantages and disadvantages of fluoride,” and “Invalid beliefs about fluoride.”ConclusionThe frequency of pro-fluoride use was higher than anti-fluoride posts. However, due to the high prevalence of posts containing false information on fluoride toxicity for health, ineffectiveness on caries prevention, and conspiracy theories, there is a need to improve the quality of information on fluoride by providing scientific and unbiased explanations by professionals online or during dental visits and supervising social media content.