Digital Commons Network^™

Machine Learning-Based Models For Assessing Impacts Before, During And After Hurricane Events, Julie L. Harvey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social media provides an abundant amount of real-time information that can be used before, during, and after extreme weather events. Government officials, emergency managers, and other decision makers can use social media data for decision-making, preparation, and assistance. Machine learning-based models can be used to analyze data collected from social media. Social media data and cloud cover temperature as physical sensor data was analyzed in this study using machine learning techniques. Data was collected from Twitter regarding Hurricane Florence from September 11, 2018 through September 20, 2018 and Hurricane Michael from October 1, 2018 through October 18, 2018. Natural language …

User's Ability To Detect Fake News In Online Environments., Aleeza N. Gardner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technology has drastically changed the way people consume news. Due to the rise of online spaces built for users to share content, there has been a rise in the spread of false information. Social media platforms, Facebook specifically, provide their users with personalized content based on their interests. The ease of spreading information online coupled with the anonymity of the Internet, creates a breeding ground for potential misuse of information. This study sought to examine how users view themselves and others were influenced by fake news on social media if the post is denoted as fake, or if the post …

Vlogging Truth To Power : A Qualitative Study Of Resilience As Practiced By Transgender Youtube Content Creators., Corey J. Feger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an exploratory account of ways that transgender people’s personal YouTube channels, or “vlogs,” provide new avenues to cultivate resilience as a collective. To make sense of this unstable, contested model of identity and community, I apply a three-part model of “social resilience,” a theory of resilience that transcends the individual and welcomes incoherency, contradiction, and “messiness” into its analysis. In Chapter One, I provide a snapshot of transgender history and present my research objective and justification. Chapter Two consists of a literature review and argues in favor of a hybrid theory of intersectionality and assemblage. Chapter Three …

Show Me A Sign: How Signs Embedded Within Social Media Shape And Influence Outdoor Recreational Tourists' Decision-Making Processes At Colorado State Parks, Sarah Marie Norlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to determine the ways in which signs within social media posts on Instagram and Facebook frame the way that outdoor recreational tourists make decisions about Colorado state parks' locations, services and activities. Surveys were conducted at 6 Colorado state parks in the 2018 spring, summer, and fall months. These surveys asked respondents to answer multiple choice and open ended questions about their social media habits, their outdoor recreation habits, and their opinions about images displayed on Colorado Parks and Wildlife's social media pages.

A total of 93 surveys were collected during the research period. …

Exploring The Factors Associated With Social Media Use In Local Health Departments, Suzanne Lamarca Madden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: The health system in the United States is rapidly advancing, including newer technologies, newer ways of delivering essential public health services and population health. Approximately 70% of the public uses social media as a communication tool, which makes it an ideal platform for dissemination of information. Local health departments (LHDs) are accountable for assuring ten essential public health services, including informing, educating, and empowering people about health issues. Previous research showed less than 70% of LHDs are adequately performing this essential service. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors impact the use of social media by …

Social Media And The Effect On Social Comparison, Recovery, And Motivation Measures In High-Intensity Functional Fitness Athletes (Hift), Mia D. Hannah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of social media in high-intensity functional fitness (HIFT) athletes facilitated social comparisons that affected recovery and motivation. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use social comparison theory to investigate the impact that short workout videos had on heart rate (HR), heart rate recovery (HRR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), perceived recovery status (PRS) and time to completion. Methods:Thirty-three individuals who identified as HIFT athletes participated in this study (age: 30.45 years ± 6.59, height: 169.41cm ± 8.69, weight: 73.07 kg ± 13.65). The participants were made up of 57.6% (n=19) female and 42.4% (n=14). Participants were …