Social Media Representation Research Articles

A Multidimensional Approach for Evaluating Reality in Social Media: Mixed Methods Study.

Misinformation is a threat to public health. The effective countering of misinformation may require moving beyond the binary classification of fake versus fact to capture the range of schemas that users employ to evaluate social media content. A more comprehensive understanding of user evaluation schemas is necessary. The goal of this research was to advance the current understanding of user evaluations of social media information and to develop and validate a measurement instrument for assessing social media realism. This research involved a sequence of 2 studies. First, we used qualitative focus groups (n=48). Second, building on the first study, we surveyed a national sample of social media users (n=442). The focus group data were analyzed using the constant comparison approach. The survey data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analyses and ordinary least squares regression. The findings showed that social media reality evaluation involves 5 dimensions: falsity, naturality, authenticity, resonance, and social assurance. These dimensions were differentially mapped onto patterns of social media use. Authenticity was strongly associated with the existing global measure of social media realism (P<.001). Naturality, or the willingness to accept artificiality and engineered aspects of social media representations, was linked to hedonic enjoyment (P<.001). Resonance predicted reflective thinking (P<.001), while social assurance was strongly related to addictive use (P<.001). Falsity, the general belief that much of what is on social media is not real, showed a positive association with both frequency (P<.001) and engagement with (P=.003) social media. These results provide preliminary validity data for a social media reality measure that encompasses multiple evaluation schemas for social media content. The identification of divergent schemas expands the current focus beyond fake versus fact, while the goals, contexts, and outcomes of social media use associated with these schemas can guide future digital media literacy efforts. Specifically, the social media reality measure can be used to develop tailored digital media literacy interventions for addressing diverse public health issues.

Understanding invisible pain in the older adult: a content analysis of social media's representation of herpes zoster vaccine.

Herpes zoster (HZ), a common disease in older adults, affects their quality of life. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the blog posts of HZ-related information on social media platforms to analyze the attitudes and behaviors of residents toward the dissemination of health information. This research used content analysis to focus on Weibo, a representative social media in China, to analyze the content of 1866 blog posts related to herpes zoster (HZ) and herpes zoster vaccine (HZV). According to the consistency test by Cohen's Kappa, four themes were identified: (a) sources, (b) tones, (c) epidemiological information, and (d) extended parallel process model elements. The findings showed that most information on Weibo came from non-professionals, with a neutral tone, and showed the invisible pain of HZ and the effectiveness of HZV through the two largest aspects of prevention and aged protection in epidemiological information. However, current blog posts treat the older adult as invisible individuals, failing to acknowledge them as recipients of the information. Additionally, the cost of the vaccine acts as an invisible economic barrier, contributing to the dissemination of incorrect information about folk remedies. This impacts the older adult's acceptance of health information related to HZV. Thus, the way to share health information with the older adult needs to be improved in the future, and attention should be paid to the transmission of incorrect information to improve their vaccination rates and awareness of health management.

Evaluating the power of social media influencing mainstream media social representations of migrants in South African townships

The relationship between mainstream media and social media for news reporting is a complex one. Mainstream media news is relied on as a source of information on key social issues, carrying and reproducing the social representations of a society. South African townships have been reported as a hotbed of anti-migrant unrest, with the growing reliance on the communities’ lens through their social media representations shared online often considered by mainstream media as authentic sources of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). Townships are spaces of contestation for belonging and despite the diversity of those communities, there remains stigmatizing social representation between migrants and citizens, with communities attributing social ills to migrants. This study analyses how social media has influenced the reproduction of social representations in mainstream media of anti-migrant township unrest. Through a qualitative exploratory approach, mainstream news articles were analyzed for how social representations from social media are reproduced in mainstream media reporting. Social media representations reproduced in mainstream media reporting may risk perpetuating communication risks of othering, affect social cohesion in those communities, and fuelling mistrust among citizens and migrants living in South African township communities.

Contribution of Social Media in Shaping Self-Perceptions: A Case of Black Women

Purpose: This study aimed to explore how social media representations of Black women’s hair shapes their sense of identity, self-concept and hair care practices. Methodology: A qualitative cross-sectional approach was employed, with a sample size of five Black women in South Africa between the ages of 20 to 29 years old. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online with research participants that were purposively selected from social media platforms Twitter and Instagram. The use of these platforms to select participants also offered convenience to the researcher as these participants were readily available because they are already active in social media. Thematic analysis was used in data analysis while the Social Identity Theory (SIT) was utilised as the theoretical framework to interpret the findings. Findings: Four themes were used to cluster the findings, namely self-categorization, social identification, perceived positive social identity and self-esteem restoration. The findings highlighted the role of social media in perpetuating the stereotypes which is traced to the slavery; and then highlight how the social media is used to reverse the systematic oppression of the Black women based on their hair. They also revealed that positive representations of Black hair on social media creates an attitude of self-acceptance and empowerment among Black women. Similarly, social media provides a space for Black women to connect, discuss their hair and share hair care tips, fostering a sense of belonging within the community. However, this study identified a gap in representation, as there tends to be an overrepresentation of one specific hair texture, leaving some Black women with limited or no representation, mainly those wearing dreadlocks. Unique Contribution to the theory, practice, and policy: The research makes a unique contribution by highlighting the importance of diverse representation in South African advertisements and social media marketing for hair products, as Black women’s hair textures and journeys are not a monolith. The findings concomitantly highlight the role of social media celebrities and/or social media influencers in the social media regarding the matter under investigation from the perspective of South African women. The study also noted the need for awareness and education about the cultural and historical significance of Black hair to reduce cultural appropriation. The findings further highlight the human rights element regarding the discrimination faced by Black women due to their hair texture, this knowledge may contribute to creating inclusivity in both society and social media spaces.

Does world system theory rein in social media? Identifying factors contributing to country mentions on X

This article examined how social media content has shaped the representation of countries for publics around the world. Based on world system theory, the study investigated the underlying predictors of country mentions on X (formerly Twitter) in 2018. It confirmed that countries with greater economic power – or higher status in the world system – received more mentions. Furthermore, countries with larger populations were mentioned more frequently as were countries that experienced major conflicts. The findings from structural equation modeling shed new light on the interrelationships that drive the social media representation of individual countries and delineated an integrated Model of Country Mentions on X. These findings have implications for global leaders, policymakers, and social media firms.

Left out and invisible? : exploring social media representation of ‘left behind places’

‘Left behind places’ and regional inequalities have garnered increasing attention from policy makers, with new data needed to support further analysis. Social media data has the potential to act as a real-time barometer of local opinions, supplementing traditional time-intensive public opinion surveys to inform public policy insights. This study evaluates the scope of potential use of social media data to investigate left behind places. Twitter is used as a case study, with the volume of tweets measured across England and Wales. Linear regression is employed to identify under-represented places in the data. The residuals of the model are then compared across classifications of left behind places, to explore whether left behind places are more likely to post fewer tweets, rendering them ‘invisible’ in the data. This study provides a valuable foundational assessment of the potential suitability of Twitter data for this purpose, engaging with concepts relating to spatial bias and social inequalities.

Analisis Peran Media Sosial Dalam Konflik Israel-Palestina Ditinjau Dari Teori Orientalisme Edward W Said

Social media has a big role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a forum for conveying information both in the form of facts and doctrine to the general public. The alignment of an individual or a country can be reflected through what they present on social media. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Edward W Said's theory of orientalism can be seen from the Balfour Declaration in 1917 which was interpreted as a manifestation of orientalism. The aim of this research is to analyze orientalist patterns in social media representations of Israel and Palestine. The method used by researchers in this research is the content analysis method. The research subjects used are ordinary people who have the power to convey their defense on social media. This research focuses on Israeli and Palestinian society by using social media as a tool in obtaining data. The result of this research is that orientalism in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be identified through history, political actions and societal views which often reflect Western dominance and views of superiority towards the East. It can be concluded that in the context of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, the role of social media is becoming increasingly significant, and algorithms on these platforms can play an important role in shaping people's views and attitudes.

REPRESENTASI IDENTITAS LOMBOK DALAM AKUN INSTAGRAM “INSIDE LOMBOK”: ANALISIS SEMIOTIKA ROLAND BARTHES

Social media is the factor that influences different perspectives about Lombok's identity. This research aims to describe the meaning of images that represent Lombok's identity in the Instagram account “Inside Lombok” using Roland Barthes' semiotic theory. The method used in this research is a qualitative method with descriptive analysis. The analysis in this study uses Roland Barthes's theory, including denotative meaning, connotative meaning, and myth. ““Inside Lombok”'s” post is the source of this research regarding the outsider's perspective on Lombok identity and the perspective of Lombok people regarding Lombok's identity itself. The results of the study show that the representation of Lombok's identity depends on how people perceive Lombok. According to the three images, there are hidden meanings that only Lombok people can discover. Therefore, the representation in social media should be clear so that everyone has a similar viewpoint.

Dissociative Identity Disorder in Schools Part I.

Dissociation is a normal life adaptation that can become pronounced and disruptive in the setting of repeated or extreme exposure to trauma. Children and adolescents may experience dissociation due to a trauma or stressor-related disorder, anxiety, or depressive disorders. Children and adolescents also may mimic behavior they see online as a way of expressing internally painful and intolerable experiences. Myth and misinformation surround the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly multiple personality disorder. The purpose of this article is to provide school nurses with evidence-based information on DID and resources for practice regarding how to provide a secure, consistent approach to students who are being traumatized, misunderstood, or excluded at home or at school. Part 1 of this two-part series describes DID foundations and DID in school-aged children, reviews controversy spurred by social media representation, and presents the Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) model. TIC offers useful perspectives regardless of a student's presentation or diagnostic status. Part 2 will discuss recommendations for managing dissociative presentations using a team-based approach, focusing on the school nurse's roles and responsibilities.

Study of Pop Culture Representation in Social Media

Pop culture has become an inseparable part of modern society's life. Social media, as one of the main platforms for pop culture, has become an effective means for distributing and consuming pop culture. However, the representation of pop culture on social media also often causes problems, such as discrimination, bias and hegemony. This study discusses the representation of pop culture on social media, especially in Indonesia. This study uses a cultural studies approach to analyze the representation of pop culture on social media. The results of the analysis show that the representation of pop culture on social media in Indonesia is still dominated by Western pop culture, and often causes problems, such as discrimination against local culture.

How Are Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Portrayed on Social Media?

Abstract: The aim of the present systematic review was to examine the state of social media representation of women with an experience of sexual violence (SV) and/or intimate partner violence (IPV), as social media has become a significant communication platform for developing social representations of public health issues. The review followed the PRISMA guidelines and was pre-registered in PROSPERO. PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed were searched, and seven articles met the inclusion criteria. The review identified two distinct portrayals of women with experiences of violence on social media: a stigmatizing representation of women as victims and a portrayal of women as survivors. Therefore, the review shows that social media has the potential to convey a positive representation of women and to raise public awareness on this social issue. Nonetheless, if not used responsibly, social media can contribute to spreading stigmatizing beliefs toward violence against women. In conclusion, this review provides an up-to-date understanding of the portrayal of women with an experience of violence on social media, highlighting the significant influence that social media has on public perceptions.

AI-Based Cropping of Ice Hockey Videos for Different Social Media Representations

AI-Based Cropping of Ice Hockey Videos for Different Social Media Representations

Analisa Efektivitas Media Dalam Meningkatkan Kesiapsiagaan Berbasis Representatif Media: Struart Hall

Knowing Indonesia's unique geographical conditions, various disaster risks have been discovered that will occur. This disaster risk is found in areas that have special conditions, one of which is the Pancer Beach area. Where conditions are close to the beach, various disaster risks definitely arise. That's why preparedness is needed for the surrounding community which is built on an understanding of early warning. Social media representation also plays an important role in the effectiveness of Early Warning System deployment. So research was conducted which aimed to analyze the effectiveness of social media representations used in increasing citizen readiness based on an early warning system. This research method uses a qualitative approach with data collection techniques in the form of in-depth interviews, observation and analysis of documents related to early warning systems. The research results show that the effectiveness of using the media to convey information to citizens is still lacking. This research also found several challenges in the implementation process. Residents who live on the coast and in remote parts of the village have different access to the internet or social media they use. Based on the final analysis, this research recommends strategies related to media collaboration with in-depth representation regarding the dissemination of information and overall participation. So it can increase effectiveness in the process.

#MournHub and @GrieveWatch: Mediating monarchy and mourning in the digital age

Queen Elizabeth II's death in September 2022 prompted a predictable saturation of representations across all UK media. A lot of ‘traditional’ media, like the BBC, largely assumed, and hence attempted to reproduce, a hegemonic and unified response of national mourning. But some social media representations exposed a struggle over meaning, displaying ambivalence or even outright negativity towards the British monarchy and ‘national’ mourning practices. This article uses #MournHub and @GrieveWatch as two critical case studies to explore the complex meanings of the Queen's death across different communities and spaces. Doing so, this article illuminates the ambivalences of ‘national’ mourning, the intersectionality of class, race and national identity in shaping the tenor of people's responses to the Queen's death, the commercialisation and corporatisation of memorialising death and nationhood, the changing forms of royal mediations, and the careful staging of royal events.

Social Media Representation of Female Power --Content Analysis and Semantic Network Analysis Based on the Topic of "Michelle Yeoh Oscar Queen" on Weibo

With the empowerment of communication brought about by the Internet and new media technology, womens topics are receiving more and more attention, and womens subjectivity is beginning to break away from traditional biases. After winning the Academy Award, Michelle Yeoh created history, breaking the limits of Asian female identity and showing people the power of women who are unyielding to fate and not defined by anyone. Based on the media and womens perspective, this study focuses on the social media presentation of womens power. It takes the text of comments on the Weibo topic Michelle Yeoh Oscar-Winning Actress, as the research object to study the general characteristics of comment presentation. The research found that the comments mainly focused on Congratulations and Michelle Yeoh, and the theme showed a high concentration ratio; Most users are very concerned about Michelle Yeohs Asian female identity and have expressed a positive attitude towards the event. By analyzing how Weibo, a public social media platform, promotes and disseminates womens power, this study provides inspiration for related issues and womens news production and media communication.

Visualisation of Radio: Audiovisual Content Strategies of Moscow Radio Stations in Social Media During the Turbulence

This paper presents the results of a study of the content strategies related to visualisation of Moscow's top-rated radio stations in social media. The objectives were to determine the activity of Moscow radio stations and audience response in social media during the turbulent late 2022. First, the official accounts of forty three Moscow radio stations on the platforms VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, in the messenger Telegram* and on the video hosting YouTube, as well as Yandex Zen, Twitter*, TikTok*, Yappy, RuTube and so on were analyzed. For a more detailed analysis of content strategies, ten radio stations leading the Mediascope ranking were selected. The analysis was carried out according to the following criteria: the presence of official representation in social media, the number of subscribers, forms, formats and genres of activity of the radio station, the audience response to the content of the radio station in social networks and messengers. Particular attention in the study was paid to the ways in which the selected radio stations were visualized. The results of the analysis show that VKontakte remains the most popular platform for radio stations during the turbulence, followed by YouTube, Odnoklassniki, Telegram* and Zen. Social media pages are used by stations as a specific method of expansion or as a means of strategic interaction with the audience. The predominance of video content is observed on two platforms — Vkontakte and YouTube; music stations are the most active in posting it. Radio stations are not particularly active in publishing video content on the site, and almost all of them post videos from their YouTube channels. A number of radio stations do not publish video content at all. The most popular are short vertical videos and 'long' horizontal recordings created from both on-air and unique off-air content. There are practically no broadcasts (except for the news content of "Moscow Talks"). The channels' audience is rather passive. With regular video broadcasts and publication of content, radio stations achieve high audience engagement.

The Enchanted North

Abstract The article explores ‘off the grid’ representations in social media, with a focus on how these representations reproduce imaginaries of nature, place and gender. The analysis material consists of content produced by three influencers who left urban life for a simpler lifestyle in northern Sweden. We find that the social media content draws on numerous ideals: neoliberal ideals on digital entrepreneurship, anti-capitalist ideals on ‘escaping’ modern consumerist society and romantic (sometimes colonial) envisioning of northern Sweden as wild and empty land. We conclude that the ‘off grid’ social media representations and the various ideals they incorporate should be understood as expressions of a contemporary era of neoliberal romanticism: a trend that exists both online and offline.

Can youtube be trusted as a source of quality and reliable information on COVID-19 vaccination in Italy?

On March 2022, six different search queries were used to retrieve COVID-19 vaccination-related videos, resulting in the identification of 329 videos, and their characteristics were described. Two validated instruments, namely HoNCode and DISCERN, were used to assess the reliability and quality of the videos' content. Of the total number of videos, 72.0% were from non-medical or generalist channels. The most represented category was internet media (32.5%) while the less frequent was educational medical channel (7.0%). Videos from medical channels had higher reliability (p=0.002) and quality (p<0.001) than not medical channels, despite receiving fewer visualizations (p=0.004), likes (p=0.018) and comments (p<0.001). Media and news agencies sources consistently delivered lower quality content. These findings suggest that public health professionals and institutions should consider investing in social media representation to fill the gap with non-medical sources in terms of popularity, to provide reliable and interesting videos, and ultimately deliver health education to the general public.

Black representation in social media well-being research: A scoping review of social media experience and psychological well-being among Black users in the United States

There has been a wide array of scholarship that has investigated the effects of social media use on psychological well-being since 2006, with most focusing on general populations, specific populations of non-Black individuals, or specific use patterns such as passive use, active use, and addictive use. Comparatively, the extant literature focusing on Black populations is sparse. In this scoping review, we collected 38 articles that studied social media experience and psychological well-being by Black social media users in America. We found recurring research themes that focused on the Performance of Signifyin,’ cyberbullying victimization, racial stereotyping and discrimination, along with more common well-being measures, including self-esteem, social support, depression, stress, anxiety, and negative affect. The findings of this research suggest nuanced dynamics of Black social media experience, potentially due to the unique overlapping influences of social practices and exposure to traumatizing content that Black users encounter on social media. Because our examination of articles was limited to populations of Black users in the United States, we note that our findings may not be extendable to Black social media users who reside in other parts of the world.

Beyond the Semantic Web: Towards an Implicit Pragmatic Web and a Web of Social Representations

Motivated by the distinction between semantics and pragmatics as sub-disciplines of linguistics, shortly after Tim Berners-Lee introduced the Semantic Web in 2001, there have been works on its extension to the “pragmatic level”. Twenty years later, the Semantic Web is more popular than ever, while little has been achieved in extending it into a Pragmatic Web. Social representations introduced by Serge Moscovici in the 1960s seem totally ignored by the information technology community even though they are strongly related to research on opinion mining and representation in social media. We, thus, recall the major results of academic research on the Pragmatic Web, followed by our proposal for an Implicit Pragmatic Web inspired by various sub-domains of the discipline of pragmatics. We further recall the basics of the social representations theory and discuss their potential implementations in a Web of Social Representations and thus their potential contribution towards at least a part of the future internet.