Positive Effects Of Social Media Research Articles

Impact of Social Media Engagement on Perceptions of Social Capital

Purpose: The general objective of the study was to explore the impact of social media engagement on perceptions of social capital. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the impact of social media engagement on perceptions of social capital. Preliminary empirical review revealed that active participation on social media platforms positively influenced individuals' sense of trust, reciprocity, and belonging. However, the depth of online relationships varied, with some interactions fostering meaningful connections while others remained superficial. Individual factors such as age, socioeconomic status, and cultural background influenced the relationship between social media engagement and social capital perceptions. The study highlighted the need for further research to understand the underlying mechanisms and develop tailored interventions for maximizing the positive effects of social media on social capital perceptions. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Social Capital theory, Uses and Gratification theory and Social Identity theory may be used to anchor future studies on the impact of social media engagement on perceptions of social capital. The study provided valuable recommendations that contributed to theory, practice, and policy. It enhanced theoretical frameworks by elucidating the mechanisms through which social media engagement influences perceptions of social capital. Practical implications were identified, emphasizing the importance of strategic content creation and authentic engagement for individuals and organizations. Policy recommendations highlighted the need for regulations promoting digital literacy and online safety to foster a healthy online environment conducive to social capital formation. Future research avenues were also suggested, including longitudinal studies and comparative analyses across demographic groups and cultural contexts. Overall, the study's findings offered insights that could inform strategies for enhancing social capital in the digital age.

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS

In the contemporary digital age, social media has become an integral part of daily life, profoundly influencing various aspects of society, including education. This research paper delves into the multifaceted impact of social media on students, encompassing both the positive and negative ramifications. The positive effects of social media on students include enhanced communication and collaboration, access to vast educational resources, and opportunities for self-expression and creativity. Additionally, social media platforms can facilitate peer support networks, fostering a sense of belonging and community among students. Moreover, social media can serve as a platform for academic and career networking, enabling students to connect with mentors, professionals, and potential employers. However, the pervasive use of social media also poses significant challenges and risks for students. Excessive screen time and engagement with social media have been linked to decreased academic performance, attention deficits, and sleep disturbances. Furthermore, social media platforms often expose students to cyberbullying, online harassment, and negative social comparison, leading to psychological distress and decreased self-esteem. Moreover, the dissemination of misinformation and fake news on social media can hinder students' critical thinking skills and undermine their ability to discern credible sources of information. This research paper synthesizes existing literature to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of social media on students, highlighting the complexities and nuances of this phenomenon. By elucidating the various dimensions of social media's influence on students, this paper aims to inform educators, parents, policymakers, and students themselves about the opportunities and challenges inherent in navigating the digital landscape. Additionally, the paper proposes recommendations for promoting responsible social media usage and mitigating its adverse effects on students' well-being and academic success.

Women’s attitudes towards genital aesthetic surgery and the effects of social media: A qualitative study in the context of Türk Muslim women

Aim: In the study, it was aimed to determine Türk Muslim women’s attitudes towards genital aesthetics procedures and investigate the effects of social media in this regard. Methods: In the collection of the data, the semi-structured interview technique, which is a qualitative method, was used. The study was completed with 11 women. The collected data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method. Results: As a result of the content analysis, 4 main themes and 10 subthemes were determined. The main themes were: (1) reasons for genital aesthetics procedures (childbirth-related problems, sexuality), (2) attitudes (the woman’s attitudes, society’s attitudes, beliefs), (3) obstacles and expectations (obstacles and expectations related to health service provision, scientific obstacles and expectations, privacy), and (4) social media (information, its effects on concerns). Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that women associated genital aesthetics procedures with sexuality and childbirth, they though these procedures should be performed in line with women’s needs, their beliefs would not prevent them from having these procedures in case they needed them, they had economic and systemic expectations regarding the subject in the provision of health services, and they mentioned the positive effects of social media in informing women and reducing concerns. It is recommended that health service providers make attempts to create appropriate environments and opportunities through which women can easily access information about genital aesthetics procedures, they inquire about women’s sexuality while providing care, and they have adequate information about genital aesthetics procedures.

INNOVATIVE PARTICIPATORY DESIGN METHOD USING SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE PLATFORMS

The study examines the effects of social media (SM), online platforms (OP) and digital instruments (DI) on participants' communication and the structure of the participatory design processes (PDPs). It addresses a gap in the literature by exploring the potential of these SM and OP to enhance stakeholders' involvement in PDPs. Through a case study of a participatory children's furniture design project involving diverse stakeholders, including children, parents, scholars, specialists, industry, university and the community, the study investigates how SM, OP and DI facilitate enriched and expedited communication in PDPs. The paper discusses these tools' challenges and opportunities within a conceptual framework. A mixed methodology approach is employed for data collection, incorporating observations, surveys, interviews and various participatory activities. By examining the findings, the study seeks to answer two key research questions: How do SM and OP influence communication patterns in PDPs? What is the impact of these DI on the structure and dynamics of the PDPs? The study proposes an innovative approach to overcome associated challenges. The positive effects of SM, OP and DI can significantly reshape the nature of participation in PDPs, such as the number of participants, the duration of the process and budget limitations.

Does Social Media Penetration Enhance Democratic Institutions? Evidence from Varieties of Democracy Data

AbstractWe examine whether social media enhances democracy using cross-sectional data from 145 countries. We used Facebook penetration as a proxy for social media. Also, based on the complex definition of democracy, high-level indices, such as egalitarian, participatory, liberal, electoral, and deliberative democracies, were used to capture democracy. Our endogeneity-corrected results documented that high social media penetration, on average, enhances all forms of democracy. In descending order, social media penetration has contributed more to enhancing democracy in high-income economies, followed by lower-middle and upper-middle income economies. In low-income economies, social media penetration has a negative effect on democracy indices. We also documented heterogeneity in the findings based on regions. Marginal analysis also revealed that the positive effect of social media on democracy is higher in countries with higher internet penetration. We suggest that with appropriate interventions, policymakers could leverage social media to enhance democratic institutions.

How is the effect of social media on intention to outdoor recreations? A study using personal social connections as a moderator

Many researchers have identified positive effects of social media to improve recreation quality. At that time, more people recognized to be involved in social media have lower motivation for outdoor activities. Here we see two-way effects of social media, positive and negative, to participation of outdoor activities. In this study, a two-path model was built on the basis of value-expectation theory and motivation theory, and a moderating effect of social connection was considered. In this study, PLS technique (partial least square) was used to verified the model. Finally, this study finds that using social media for promoting outdoor leisure activities may have both positive and negative effects on the intention to participate. However, considering participants' social connections, engaging in social media can enhance the intention to participate in outdoor leisure activities, especially for those with high levels of social connections. In the post-pandemic era, where people have become accustomed to working from home or completing various tasks online, these research findings hold significant implications for promoting outdoor leisure activities in the post-pandemic era.

The impact of social media as teaching and learning tool on higher education: A case study of Van Hien University

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused universities to switch from traditional to online teaching and learning methods. As a result, social media has gradually become prominent as a teaching and learning resource in universities. Vietnamese universities and institutes recognize the potential of social media as a powerful tool for promotion and teaching. This study examines the positive impact of social media use on (a) enhancing teaching and learning in universities, (b) motivating and supporting students, and (c) developing community connections and assesses limitations of social networks in student learning within the university context. A qualitative approach with explicitly utilizing in-depth interviews was employed to collect data from ten lecturers and 19 students of all faculties of Van Hien University. The results of this case study have shown the positive effects of social media: enriching the teaching and learning experience in higher education by inspiring and supporting student as well as promoting community connections. Integrating social media as a teaching and learning tool in higher education is part of the modern educational landscape.

The Influence of Social Media and Trust in Institutions on Digital Participation in Indonesia

The utilization of social media by state institutions holds great promise in fostering digital innovation. However, its current implementation remains limited to one-way information dissemination. Hence, this study aims to explore how social media can play a pivotal role in encouraging community digital participation, particularly concerning the adoption of digital rupiah. Additionally, it investigates the influence of institutional trust on digital participation, as higher public trust is presumed to facilitate greater engagement in digital initiatives. Employing a confirmatory quantitative approach, the research hypothesis was rigorously tested. A total of 300 responses were collected through an online survey conducted via Google Forms. These responses were subsequently subjected to analysis using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via the SmartPLS 3.0 tool. The study's findings indicate a substantial positive effect of social media on digital participation. However, contrary to expectations, the level of trust in institutions was not found to have a significant effect on digital participation. These results shed light on the significance of social media as a catalyst for community involvement in digital initiatives, offering valuable insights for policymakers and institutions seeking to enhance digital adoption and innovation within the community.

The Influence of Social Media Use Intensity on Social Comparison in College Students

Social media have been growing rapidly with the advanced development of IT, people are spending an increasing amount of time in cyberspace and perceive psychologically intangible objects (e.g., video reels, avatars, online movie streaming services), which they come to regard as “projection”. However, it remains unclear whether social media makes people more emotionally positive healthy or less. This study aims to explore the intensity effect of social media utilization on social comparison. With a general basis of the two-stage model of interactive media use for motivation and positive content, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey study (N = 450) in the context of students in Pekanbaru, Indonesia and empirically tested a mediation pathway linking to social anxiety. The results indicated that use did not directly increase social anxiety. Instead, social comparison, a proximal outcome, and self-esteem, an intermediate outcome played mediating roles, supporting the complete mediation effects. Statistically, the intensity of social media utilization have influenced more in a positive direction. This finding provides important theoretical and practical implications for the design of communication mental health campaigns and education in this digital era to enhance the positive effect of social media.

The inhibition effect: Privacy concerns disrupt the positive effects of social media use on online political participation

The literature on the relationship between social media and online political participation continues to expand. Yet, attention to the effect of cognitive dispositions central to user engagement on social media is rare. This study advances the current theoretical understanding of the effects of social media news use by focusing on online privacy concerns. Two studies in Singapore (Study 1 using cross-sectional survey data) and the United States (Study 2 using two-wave panel data) find that social media news use is positively associated with online political participation. Still, public concern regarding online privacy is negatively related to online political participation. Moreover, moderation analyses suggest that those with more significant privacy concerns are least likely to engage in online political participation, even at higher social media news use levels. We also identify that those with lower cognitive ability are more likely to curb online participation due to privacy concerns.

How can people benefit, and who benefits most, from using socialisation‐oriented social media at work? An affordance perspective

AbstractPast research has predominantly regarded (private) socialisation‐oriented social media (SoSM) use at work as a counterproductive behaviour and has thus focussed more on its dark side. However, given the prevalence of social media in today's work life and the various affordances this technology can have, social media might have important bright sides. In this research, drawing on the affordance perspective, we propose that the day‐to‐day use of SoSM at work is positively associated with perceptions of social connectedness, which is further positively associated with life satisfaction and task performance. We examined our hypotheses using an experience sampling study of 134 full‐time employees in China across 10 consecutive workdays. The results of multilevel modelling showed that, as expected, daily SoSM use at work related positively with employees' perceptions of social connectedness, which in turn predicted their daily life satisfaction and daily task performance. We also found that the relationship between daily SoSM use at work and perceived social connectedness was stronger for employees with higher, rather than lower, perceived workloads. We suggest this moderating effect occurs because social media is an efficient medium, providing greater affordances, through which busy workers can meet their belongingness needs. Overall, our study sheds light on the previously less‐studied positive effects of social media use at work.

Social Media Helps with Friendships

In recent years, social media has saturated every aspect of life. Social media has gradually become one of the primary ways for people to construct and continue different interpersonal relationships. There is always a debate on social media's effect on friendships. This study surveyed the social media platform WeChat to explore whether the effect is positive or negative. Through qualitative and quantitative data analysis, we found the positive effect of social media on friendships.

Reciprocal associations between social media use and self-perception of aging among older adults: Do men and women differ?

PurposeDespite the positive impact of social media use in late adulthood, social media use is still low among older adults. Research in technology adoption and utilization indicates the importance of age-specific factors, such as self-perception of aging (SPA). As it is unclear whether SPA facilitates social media use or social media use promotes SPA, reverse causality has emerged as a major point of contention within this literature, with several studies reporting conflicting results. Thus, in this study, we aim to contribute unique insight by examining (1) whether positive and negative SPAs demonstrate unique associations with social media use and (2) whether these reciprocal associations differ by gender. MethodsUsing two waves (2014 and 2018) from the Health and Retirement Study, 4101 older Americans (age ≥65 years) with normal baseline cognition were included in this study. Autoregressive cross-lagged analyses were conducted to assess reciprocal associations between SPA and social media use among the total sample and by gender subgroups. ResultsControlling for covariates, we found that more frequent social media use marginally predicted higher positive SPA four years later (B = 0.02, p = .07), and higher negative SPA marginally predicted less frequent social media use four years later (B = −0.07, p = .08). However, the by-gender analysis showed that the positive effect of social media use on positive SPA was only significant among older men (B = 0.04, p < .05), whereas the negative impact of negative SPA on social media use only existed among older women (B = −0.13, p < .01). ConclusionsThe reciprocal associations between SPA and social media use differ by the valence of SPA (positive/negative) and gender. Future interventions for SPA and digital technology use among older adults should be gender-tailored.

How does social media use impact subjective well-being? Examining the suppressing role of Internet addiction and the moderating effect of digital skills.

Previous studies have explored the impact of social media use on people's subjective well-being, but there is a lack of discussion on the relationship between social media use, Internet addiction, and subjective well-being, and the research on the influence of digital skills on this relationship is not sufficient. This paper aims to fill these gaps. Based on the flow theory, this paper takes Chinese residents as the research object and uses CGSS 2017 data to analyze the impact of social media use on people's subjective well-being. Our study used multiple linear regression models for analysis. To test the hypotheses and the moderated mediation model, we adopted PROCESS models with 5000 bias-corrected bootstrap samples and 95% confidence intervals. All analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0. The empirical analysis shows that social media use has a positive direct effect on subjective well-being, and Internet addiction plays a suppressing role in the relationship between social media use and subjective well-being. In addition, we found that digital skills moderated the positive effect of social media use on Internet addiction and the indirect effect of social media use on subjective well-being through Internet addiction. The conclusion of this paper supports our previous hypothesis. Besides, the theoretical contribution, practical significance, and limitations of this study are discussed based on the results of previous studies.

Effects of Social Media on Youth: A Case Study of Punjab

Purpose: There is a wide scope to assess the effect of social media usage among youth in Punjab, Pakistan. This research work was conducted to check the intensity of usage of social media in Punjab and its effects on educational learning, social behavior and political awareness in youth.&#x0D; Methodology: Survey research was conducted and data related to the study was collected through the questionnaire.&#x0D; Findings: Results shows extensive use of social media declined the socialization among people, specifically youth, although, it increases the convenience and saved a lot of time. Implications: Study is useful for the policy makers and government to check positive effect of social media on youth and how to overcome the negative impact. 

The association between sharing something difficult on social media and mental well-being among adolescents. Results from the "LifeOnSoMe"-study.

Social media use is part of everyday life for adolescents. Over the last decade, concerns about the potential negative effects of social media use on mental health and well-being has been raised. Possible positive effects of social media use have to a lesser extent been explored. However, some studies have found associations between social support on social media and well-being. Self-disclosing thoughts and feelings on social media might provide social support and positively affect well-being. The current study aimed to explore adolescents' experiences with sharing something difficult on social media and the association with well-being. The survey data in this cross-sectional study were collected from a sample of 2023 adolescents from senior high schools (mean age 17.4, 55.6% females). Mental well-being was measured using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale (WEMWBS). Multiple linear regression adjusting for age, gender, social media frequency/duration of use, and the number of close friends was used to explore the association of sharing something difficult on social media and mental well-being. The findings indicated that sharing something difficult on social media, either with a few friends/family members or in a public post, was associated with lower well-being. Perceived social support (easier to talk about, received support, positive experience) after sharing something difficult was associated with higher well-being. Females reported sharing something difficult more than boys, but no interaction effect of gender was found in the associations between private or public sharing and well-being. The results indicate that social media can serve as a supportive environment for adolescents. Future research may want to explore additional aspects of adolescents' social media use, sharing, and well-being, such as differences in public and private sharing. Such contributions will increase the knowledge base of optimal ways to seek social support through social media.

The Impact of Thin-Ideal Internalization, Appearance Comparison, Social Media Use on Body Image and Eating Disorders: A Literature Review

ABSTRACT This literature review aims to examine the negative and positive aspects of social media use, on body image, eating disorders (ED), and explore the possible mechanisms driving these relationships. The method of this review focuses on the qualitative interpretation and synthesis of the knowledge state of the knowledge in the literature selected for a defined topic. The key findings of this review are: (a) Social Media Use and Body Image: Thin-Ideal Internalization and Appearance Comparison (b) Impact of Social Media Use on eating behaviors (EB) and ED (c) Theoretical Perspectives on Body Image and ED (d) Relevance of Social Media Use, Body Image, and ED (e) The role of social media from a sustainable and positive perspective. The results identified the light and dark sides of social media use for body image and ED. The negative and positive effects of social media use on body image and ED are discussed.

I’m doing the right thing! Technological intimate partner violence and social media use: the moderating role of moral absolutism and the mediating role of jealousy

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the associations between social media use integration and Technological Intimate Partner Violence (TIPV) while also exploring the mediating role of the three dimensions of jealousy and the moderating role of moral absolutism. Our sample consisted of 404 adults aged 18 to 59. The results indicated a significant positive effect of social media use integration on cognitive jealousy and TIPV. Social media use integration was correlated with behavioral jealousy and TIPV, while TIPV was positively associated with all three dimensions of jealousy. The moderated mediation analysis suggested that behavioral jealousy fully mediated the effect of social media use integration toward TIPV at all levels of moral absolutism, while cognitive jealousy had a partial mediating effect only at medium and high levels of moral absolutism. We discuss our findings by pointing out that (a) various dimensions of jealousy might be influenced differently by social media use integration, and (b) individuals with high levels of moral absolutism might be more prone to cognitive jealousy after being exposed to prolonged social media use. We acknowledge that our results may have limited generalizability as our sample was primarily female. Research involving larger portions of male participants would be important to pursue.

Social media, sleep difficulties and depressive symptoms: A case study of South African youth in Cape Town

While the rapid evolution of social media has generated several positive outcomes, there is a growing concern of negative effects due to its excessive usage. The excessive use of social media, often termed as Problematic social media use has been generalised as an addiction-like behaviour that is very common with more established features of drug addictions. In this paper, the relationship between social media use, sleep difficulties and depressive symptoms is evaluated using a survey sample of 205 youth participants, recruited from various areas in Cape Town. The participants completed questionnaires that included a social media addiction scale (SMAS-SF), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The results suggest a high prevalence of social media use among the participants. Furthermore, the findings displayed a positive relationship between social media use and sleep difficulties, while a positive effect of social media use on depressive symptoms was also confirmed among the sample. The findings highlight the potential threats to the health of youth from the excessive use of social media and digital devices. Further studies are required to establish a deeper understanding of this phenomenon.

Does Citizen Engagement With Government Social Media Accounts Differ During the Different Stages of Public Health Crises? An Empirical Examination of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has created one of the greatest challenges to humankind, developing long-lasting socio-economic impacts on our health and wellbeing, employment, and global economy. Citizen engagement with government social media accounts has proven crucial for the effective communication and management of public health crisis. Although much research has explored the societal impact of the pandemic, extant literature has failed to create a systematic and dynamic model that examines the formation mechanism of citizen engagement with government social media accounts at the different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study fills this gap by employing the Heuristic-Systematic Model and investigating the effects of the heuristic clues including social media capital, information richness, language features, dialogic loop, and the systematic clue including content types, on citizen engagement with government social media across three different stages of the pandemic, employing the moderating role of emotional valence.MethodsThe proposed model is validated by scraping 16,710 posts from 22 provincial and municipal government micro-blog accounts in the Hubei province, China.ResultsResults show that the positive effects of social media capital on citizen engagement were observed at all stages. However, the effects of information richness, language features, dialogic loop, and content types, and the moderating effect of emotional valence, varied across the different pandemic development stages.ConclusionsThe findings provide suggestions for the further effective use of government social media, and better cope with crises. Government agencies should pay attention to the content and form of information shared, using technical means to analyze the information needs of citizens at different stages of public health emergencies, understanding the content most concerned by citizens, and formulating the content type of posts.