Social Media Providers Research Articles

Can cat videos harm your relationships? Hedonic and utilitarian content as technological antecedents of phubbing

This paper investigates how hedonic and utilitarian content consumption and the habitual use of social media, specifically Facebook, affect phubbing behavior. The research model was tested using a cross-sectional survey (N = 220) conducted via Prolific. The participants were chosen from among those who use Facebook as their most frequent social media service on their smartphones. The results showed that utilitarian content has a more prominent effect on phubbing than hedonic content. Furthermore, for females, hedonic content positively affects phubbing when it is consumed habitually, and the effect of habitual use on phubbing differs significantly between males and females. These results suggest that technological affordances can induce phubbing behavior differently between males and females and that social media providers should consider the customization of displayed content in a way that will not induce phubbing behavior. The results also provide implications for social contexts and different relationships. Accordingly, the consumption of hedonic and utilitarian social media content should be regulated (e.g., by parents, schools), and education regarding content consumption should be provided. This study contributes to phubbing research by providing a technological perspective on its antecedents.

Preventive action against online abuse: An Australian perspective

Previous research into various forms of online abuse tend to calculate indicative prevalence rates. Little research has examined what courses of action are adopted to prevent further online abuse. This gap in the academic literature is addressed in this article. Data were derived from responses to an online questionnaire into online abuse. Sample comprised participants aged 25-75 who were not currently transitioning between high school and university study, alongside the 18-24 cohort who have dominated most previous research samples. Results showed that blocking abusers was the common strategy to prevent further online abuse. This is the general advice given by social media platforms when users encounter online abuse and bullying. This was followed by participants choosing not to comment on matters including feminism and racism. Fear for their personal safety fuelled the desire for participants to censor their online commentary or cease altogether. However, these were not universally adopted with some participants making no changes to their online activities following incidents of abuse. Personal responsibility for online safety only addresses micro-level online abuse. This indicates that macro-level online abuse is not being addressed adequately by social media providers, who should become more proactive in preventing online abuse.

The influence of social norms on expressing sympathy in social media

Increasingly, people are turning to social media to express grief. By and large, however, the social media community can do little more than improvise reactions, not quite sure how to use the old familiar social scripts as guides to lending effective support. To examine the role of social media in the grieving process, we used a mixed-methods approach: 12 interviews with “social media grievers” reveal the expectations of the bereaved regarding other users’ behavior. By way of two online experiments with 1058 participants, we tested how these expectations are met by the messaging of social media providers in accordance with social norm theory. We found that injunctive social norm messages are particularly effective, whereas descriptive social norm messages vary in their effectiveness, depending on which information is presented and how prominently so. What our study shows, then, is that both are potent socio-technical tools that can guide users towards more empathetic behavior when dealing with the bereaved, so while social media may not be a substitute for therapy, they can offer profound comfort for those of us dealing with bereavement and grief.

Are Perceptions About Government and Social Media Providers Related to Protection Motivation Online?

This study aims to explore the relations between perceptions about government and social media providers, and protection motivation of social media users. A survey was conducted among students at a public university in Slovenia (N=276). The results of PLS-SEM analysis indicate that fear of government intrusions is associated with both perceived threat and privacy concern. This establishes the perceptions about government as important factors related to both privacy concern and threat appraisal according to protection motivation literature. Non-significant relations between trust in internet service provider, and perceived threat and privacy concern indicate that social media users may not consider them as relevant cyberspace actors capable of threatening their privacy on social media. The results also suggest that trust in social media providers moderates the association between privacy concern and protection motivation. Privacy concern appears to be related to protection motivation only if trust in social media provider is high.

Evaluation of emotional dynamics in social media conversations: an approach based on structures of opposition and set-theoretic measures

The paper presents the results related to the definition and adoption of structures of opposition, built with set-theoretic measures, to evaluate emotional dynamics that arise during conversations on social media. Specifically, a graded hexagon of opposition is used to compare the emotional profiles of individuals involved in a dyadic conversation. Set-theoretic measures, based on fuzzy logic, are used to construct the hexagon whose analysis allows us to understand the tendency of the conversation toward empathy or lack of empathy. The results can be useful in the context of the current trend of social media sensing and, in particular, to support social media providers in receiving early warnings related to the analysis of emotional dynamics that could lead to or degenerate into information disorder. The results have been evaluated with conversations extracted from the Empathetic Dialogue dataset.

Reporting non-consensual pornography: clarity, efficiency and distress

According to recent legislative initiatives, non-consensual pornography is a crime in several countries and social media providers have a duty to provide their users easy to use mechanisms to report abuses. In this paper, we analyse the state of the art of the interfaces for reporting non-consensual pornography from the victim’s perspective. Firstly, we analysed 45 content sharing platforms where aggressors might post non-consensual pornography. The analysis identified three distinct interaction styles for reporting the crime: Scriptum (a text-field where the user verbally describes the abuse), Bonam (a multilayered menu that includes a correct option), and Malam (a multilayered menu that does not include a correct option). Secondly, we conducted a within-subject study to evaluate the experience elicited by these interaction styles. Participants (N = 39) were given a scenario and asked to report six blurred images as non-consensual pornography using a medium-fidelity prototype. The results exposed complex trade-offs between clarity, efficiency, and distress among the different interaction styles. These trade-offs open foundational research directions transcending boundaries between human-computer interaction and multimedia studies and interfacing computer science research with the law.

Social media perceptions, readiness and usage in fostering sustainable growth of micro and small enterprises in Uganda

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of social media, perception, readiness and usage on sustainable growth of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Uganda.Design/methodology/approachThis study is cross-sectional and adopted a mixed method approach. Data was gathered through a questionnaire survey of 212 business owner–managers that are members of the Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA) and engaging 8 business managers in the in-depth interviews to support and strengthen the quantitative results. Data analysis was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS.24) and Atlas ti.8.FindingsThe study reveals that social media perception, readiness and usage positively influence sustainable growth of MSEs in Uganda. However, the insufficient soft and technical skills, lack of devices such as computers and smartphones and the high cost of Internet data undermine the usage of social media by business owner–managers for sustainable growth of their businesses.Practical implicationsThe findings demonstrate what policymakers, social media operators and business owner–managers need to do to enhance integration of social media platforms and channels into the operations of MSEs in Uganda.Originality/valueThis study adds to existing literature on social media technology in MSEs with evidence from Uganda. The study results are likely to foster usage of social media as policymakers and social media providers will come up with appropriate strategies to unlock the social media potential of the business owner–managers for sustainable business growth in Uganda.

Consumers' willingness to share digital footprints on social media: the role of affective trust

PurposeDespite consumers' widespread use of social media platforms, there is scant research on the underlying factors that influence their willingness to share digital footprints on social media. The purpose of this study is to address this research gap by examining consumers' cognitive and affective attitudes simultaneously.Design/methodology/approachThis research used quantitative method by using online survey administered to a sample of 733 social media users.FindingsThe findings indicate both cognitive and affective attitudes jointly influence consumers' behavioural intentions with trust as a key construct mediating the relationship between attitudinal antecedents and consumers' willingness to share digital footprints on social media.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the information systems (IS) literature by offering a comprehensive framework constituting the joint attitudinal components as antecedents to consumers' behavioural intention for sharing digital footprints while trust works as a mediator.Practical implicationsThis paper has important managerial implications. It helps marketers and IS managers in profiling consumers, understanding consumption patterns, sharing of digital footprints, which are useful for effective market segmentation, product development and future design of social media platforms. It informs social media providers of the importance of not only focussing on functional aspects but also underscores the essence of paying attention to consumers' affect towards social media platforms, especially trust.Originality/valueThe paper presents an original framework that explains the influence of joint attitudinal components on behavioural intention, with trust as a mediator.

Wired to Doubt: Why People Fear Vaccines and Climate Change and Mistrust Science.

We all want to be right in our thinking. Vaccine hesitancy and global warming denial share much in common: (1) both are threats to personal, community and global health, (2) action is contingent on co-operation and social policy, and (3) public support relies on trust in science. The irony is, however, as the science has become more convincing, public opinion has become more divided. A number of early polls showed that ~70% of people supported COVID-19 vaccine use and global warming, ~20% adopted a wait-and-see approach, and ~10% were staunch objectors. Although these percentages are approximate, what factors are responsible for the differences in engagement, doubt and distrust? How can we reduce the consensus gap? One approach is to return to grass roots and provide a brief history of the issues, understand the difference between fact and opinion, truth and falsehood, the problem of certainty, and how scientific consensus is reached. To doubt is a healthy response to new information, and it too has a scientific basis. Doubt and distrust reside in that region of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for suppressing unwanted representations. Bridging the consensus gap requires shifting human thinking patterns from doubt to belief, and belief to action. Education and improved public messaging are key, and social media providers require urgent oversight or regulation to remove false and harmful/dangerous content from our digital lives. Delays to vaccinate and failure to reduce greenhouse gases will dramatically change the way we live. The new norm may be more deadly COVID variants, strained healthcare systems, extreme weather patterns, diminished food supply, delays in goods and services, damage to world's economies and widespread global instability.

The ConnectionRoom: A New Analogy for Understanding the Ethical Dimensions of Social Media

We propose an analogy, the ConnectionRoom, to help us understand that social media providers are brokers who connect us for a price, and we challenge social media stakeholders to strike a deal that is transparent, equitable, and wise.

Protection motivation theory using multi-factor authentication for providing security over social networking sites

Nowadays, Passwords are to identify users of Social Networking Sites (SNS). However, there are some downsides to it such as the user forgetting their password or the account being hacked by an attacker. To retrieve their password, websites are asking for an alternate email address or security question. Due to its expanding features and popularity, social media has become more vulnerable. It is no secret that social media providers leave security to the discretion of users during the development, which raises serious concerns. Earlier research has been supported by the Protective Motivation Theory (PMT), which provides a hypothetical structure for analyzing the protection of Internet users. According to the current internet safety search, new engines incorporated into a PMT structure for perhaps the first time. Adaptation assessment variables, including the strength of behavior, the effectiveness of responses, and individual responsibility, were the most important predictors of online safety intentions. A multi-factor authentication mechanism linked to a trust model used on SNS. The needs, actions, and behaviors of users are particularly adaptable to confidence systems. The level of threat was also a significant predictor. The explanatory power of the standard PMT model with the multi-factor authentication technique was raised by 15% by incorporating new components such as past experiences, behavioral control, habitual strength, security and safety support, and individual responsibility. The results are considered in the advanced evolution of PMT in the context of Internet security for home computer users.

Demystifying congruence effects in Instagram in-feed native ads: the role of media-based and self-based congruence

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the kinds of ad appeals and brand types that contribute to perceived ad–media congruence on Instagram and how such congruence influences consumers’ engagement intentions via the interaction of self-related congruence constructs. Additionally, ad intrusiveness was studied as a mediator of the relationship between ad–media congruence and consumers’ behavioral engagement intention.Design/methodology/approachAn online 2 (Ad appeal: hedonic vs utilitarian) × 2 (Brand type: hedonic vs utilitarian) between-subject experiment was conducted with four versions of mock-up Instagram in-feed native ads.FindingsResults showed that hedonic advertising appeals contributed to ad–media congruence on Instagram, which yielded a lower level of ad intrusiveness and further resulted in higher consumer behavioral engagement intentions. The brand type did not significantly influence participants’ perceptions of ad–media congruence. Moreover, the findings indicate individuals’ brand-self congruence and ad-self congruence were significant moderators in interactions with ad–media congruence in influencing consumers’ behavioral engagement intentions.Practical implicationsBoth brand managers and social media providers can leverage this study’s findings to improve ad effectiveness and consumer experiences in their respective social media landscapes. Specifically, knowing what kind of ad is more congruent and less intrusive, as well as how to better tailor targeting strategies in digital media spaces by building higher ad self- and brand self-congruence, can help them achieve persuasive effects when complying with the Federal Trade Commission disclosure guideline.Originality/valueThe current study advances extant literature on native advertising by examining the core characteristic of ad–media congruence and its relation to the key metric of social media marketing success – consumer engagement intentions. The findings also extend the congruence theory by examining the interaction effect of media- and self-related congruence constructs.

Social Media Identity Deception Detection

Social media have been growing rapidly and become essential elements of many people’s lives. Meanwhile, social media have also come to be a popular source for identity deception. Many social media identity deception cases have arisen over the past few years. Recent studies have been conducted to prevent and detect identity deception. This survey analyzes various identity deception attacks, which can be categorized into fake profile, identity theft, and identity cloning. This survey provides a detailed review of social media identity deception detection techniques. It also identifies primary research challenges and issues in the existing detection techniques. This article is expected to benefit both researchers and social media providers.

The path to people’s responses to native advertising in social media: A perspective of self-presentational desire

Recently, anecdotal evidence has suggested that native advertising in social media can be considered another important arena for people to build desired self-presentational images and online identities. Thus, it calls for an empirical analysis on people’s responses to native advertising from a perspective of self-presentational desire (SPD). This study proposes a conceptual model to examine the role of SPD on people’s responses to native advertising, i.e., advertising acceptance (AC) and advertising engagement (AE), in social media. The model was validated using survey data collected from a large social community. The results indicate that SPD is a crucial determinant of native advertising responses. Moreover, AC partially mediates the relationship between SPD and AE. This work contributes to our understanding of advertising responses by extending the theory of self-presentation to the context of native advertising and generates several critical managerial insights for social media providers and advertisers.

Televizyon ve Sosyal Medyanın Çocuklar Üzerindeki Etkileri ve Yapılması Gerekenler

Television and social media become an inseparable part of our daily lives. Even though these media organs have many beneficial effects, there are also many harmful effects on children. They may influence children in a very negative way and have many harmful consequences. The families are ill-equipped to deal with this problem and only they can effectively deal with the issue. Therefore, it is important for schools and health institutions to put an emphasis on media education and develop public awareness about that. The harmful effects of the media can only be stopped if there is a national policy for prevention and protection from it. Hence, citizens and non-profit organizations can create a nationwide awareness, which by doing that they should be able to put pressure on the government and prompt a policy change. On the other hand, television channels and social media providers should be encouraged and pressured to behave responsibly. This constitutes a social and public health problem so that should be considered an interest of everyone and every segment of society.

Social Media Socialism: People’s Tech and Decolonization for a Global Society in Crisis

Recent proposals by the neo-Brandeisian School of antitrust seek to ameliorate harms to society created by social media monopolies. While this initiative sounds great on paper, their solutions are inadequate, as they leave the proprietary, profit-seeking structure of social media networking intact. As a result, the neo-Brandeisian framework fails to cope with the harms of Big Social Media networks, such as privacy harms, user manipulation, the amplification of sensational content, the problems of online advertising, digital colonialism, and environmental degradation. This Article argues that social media socialism based on a democratic commons should replace Big Social Media networks. It suggests an interlocking set of tools to decentralize social networks, including network interoperability, data portability, data decentralization, a fully Free and Open Source Software stack, and socialist legal solutions. The guiding framework is based on a People’s Tech model that places ownership and control of social media directly into the hands of the global public. It proposes solutions to (1) force interoperability, data portability, data decentralization, and a Free and Open Source Software stack on social media providers; (2) put rules in place to prevent new business practices that concentrate wealth and power; (3) abolish or amend laws inconsistent with social media socialism; (4) pass strong privacy laws; (5) subsidize the social media commons through a Digital Tech New Deal; (6) form regulatory bodies to regulate social media; (7) formulate solutions jointly with the international community within a decolonial framework designed for global equality, reparations, and environmental sustainability. The Article begins by outlining the harms produced by social media monopolies. Next, it provides a socialist critique of neo-Brandeisian philosophy and its proposals to fix social media. Following that, it explains how commons-based social media decentralization works -- including its history, philosophy, and core components -- using the Fediverse and LibreSocial as case examples. The final section outlines a People's Tech model for social media socialism and addresses possible challenges.

Adolescents’ advertising literacy and privacy protection strategies in the context of targeted advertising on social networking sites: implications for regulation

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the development of adolescents’ advertising literacy and privacy protection strategies in the context of targeted advertisements on social networking sites (SNSs).Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted among 374 adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age, and 469 young adults (18–25 years) served as a comparative benchmark.FindingsResults indicate that advertising literacy increases progressively throughout adolescence, and reaches adult-like levels only by the age of 16. In addition, adolescents have an inadequate awareness of commercial data collection practices. This awareness slowly increases as a function of their age until it reaches an adult level around the age of 20. Finally, findings reveal that adolescents take little action to cope with targeted advertisements by means of privacy protection strategies.Practical implicationsThis paper devotes much attention to the formulation of specific recommendations for EU policymakers and regulatory bodies. In addition, it also holds implications for advertisers (e.g. the need for more in-depth data protection impact assessments), social media providers (e.g. adolescent-friendly privacy policy) and social caretakers (e.g. achieving advertising literacy and privacy education).Originality/valueThis paper fulfills the need to investigate adolescents’ advertising literacy and privacy-protective behaviors on SNSs, and, in turn, directly translates these insights into recommendations that can underpin the rationale of regulatory or policy decisions on a European level.

Using the quality circle approach to empower disadvantaged youth in addressing cyberbullying: an exploration across five European countries

ABSTRACT Digital communication technologies play an important role in the social development of young people, but can create vulnerabilities to cyberbullying and other negative online experiences. The Blurred Lives project aimed to tackle cyberbullying innovatively using a co-participatory approach, collaborating with 14–16-year olds living in areas of socio-economic disadvantage in five European countries. In phase one, 2,658 teenagers were surveyed on their internet use and any unpleasant online experiences. This data informed the second phase where the participating countries worked together with 237 adolescents across 10 schools with adult facilitators to create original anti-cyberbullying resources for teachers, parents/carers, peers, and social media providers using the Quality Circle approach. This methodology adopts an ethos of working together to solve a problem in small, peer-led groups. Each group was tasked with creating a resource for one of the target audience groups. The final resources comprise a rich variety of different formats including videos, comic strips, a board game, leaflets, posters, and newsletters. The pupil feedback highlights, for most but not all participants, an increased knowledge of cyberbullying and e-safety skills, as well as enhanced problem-solving skills, levels of confidence, and group work skills. Several operational challenges are also discussed, including the importance of school-level support, planning, staffing, and finding an appropriate balance between facilitator support and pupil agency.

Instagram photo sharing and its relationships with social rewards and well‐being

Photo sharing is one of the most popular online activities and prior research has revealed conflicting findings regarding its relationships with well-being. While a number of studies have found sharing photos improves well-being, other studies have found that photo sharing actually worsens well-being. This research examined the relationship between well-being and social rewards generated from sharing different types of photos on the most used online photo sharing platform, Instagram. Our research focused on the active sharing of photos on Instagram rather than the passive consumption of photos, so the relationship with well-being could be better understood. Our research also differentiated between sharing photos of oneself and other photos and investigated the difference between positive and negative social rewards to understand their relationships with well-being. These aspects have not been previously explored. Results from an online survey of 373 participants found that online social rewards of likes and positive comments was correlated with well-being. Well-being was significantly correlated with sharing photos of oneself as compared with other types of photos. Social rewards satisfaction was significantly correlated with well-being and was found to be a predictor of well-being, which suggests satisfaction of online interactions is associated with well-being. One obvious implication for social media design and policy would be to provide additional facilities for allowing ease of sharing photos that maximize social rewards and satisfaction levels. Social media providers could enable users to monitor their well-being levels to maximize their satisfaction with social rewards so as to improve their well-being levels.

Human rights and social media platforms: the corporate responsibility to respect human rights in regard to privacy infringements involving photo posting

ABSTRACT The business and human rights (BHR) regime defines a corporate responsibility to respect human rights, which applies to all business enterprises, regardless of form, business model, or other characteristics. Its global applicability provides that responsibility with important potential to prevent and address privacy infringements related to social media platforms. This article contributes to scholarship on human rights and technology by focusing on social media platforms’ enabling of posting photos of individuals. Applying the BHR typology of forms of business involvement in harmful human rights impacts—causing them, contributing to them, or being directly linked through business relationships—we identify situations in which social media providers can be involved in privacy infringements. We argue that the particularities of the business model applied by social media providers can turn the connection between social media providers and users into a business relationship, in the sense of the BHR regime. We identify the human rights due diligence implications of infringements caused by users, when the social media provider can be seen to have contributed to or been directly linked to the impact, as well as those caused by the social media provider, and discuss appropriate responses.