Digital Commons Network^™

Online Communities And Offline Criminal Justice: The Digital Fallout Of Major Criminal Incidents, Jacqueline M. Scott

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

User-generated online data has, in recent years, become an important basis for sociological research, and the ubiquity of social media presages the importance of an increased understanding of its inner workings in the spheres of criminology and sociology. This dissertation examines the dynamics of user-generated information on social media and social news in the wake of 53 criminal incidents which generated higher-than-average interest online. Using multiple platforms and analytical techniques, I investigate the dynamics of within- and between-platform information uptake, examine potential avenues and drawbacks of the actionable information available online during a crisis, and describe patterns and focal topics …

Pornography: Social, Emotional And Mental Implications Among Adolescents, William K. Canady

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This presentation will explain the historical development of pornography. It will highlight three segments: 1- Porn’s impact on brain development of reward pathways, ultimately increasing the appetite for more porn. 2- Porn can be a false substitute for real intimacy, resulting in decreased sexual satisfaction with a real person and increased verbal and physical aggression. 3- Porn promotes sex trafficking, promotes multiple sex partners and reduced STD prevention.

#Getinked: An Anthropological Exploration Of Tattooing And Social Media, Delanee Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to address two inquiries regarding contemporary tattooing. The first goal is to explore how social media has changed the practice of tattooing while the second goal is to examine how tattoos are used to express or explore the differing facets of a person’s identity. Identity theory, social identity theory, semiotics, and the concepts of stigma and deviancy form the theoretical framework which allows one to understand the ways in which tattoos can provide insights into the various aspects of someone’s identity as well as how social media can influence members of the tattoo community. An online survey, …

Sexuality Research During A National Lockdown: Reflexive Notes And Lessons From My Ph.D. Fieldwork, Tshepo B. Maake Mr

The Qualitative Report

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for qualitative researchers since many countries had to implement lockdown policies to control the spread of the virus. Within the South African context, research on sexual minority identities and experiences is automatically sensitive and risky given the extent of intolerance and high regard for heteronormative ideologies and beliefs that continually exclude sexual minorities from the “normal.” The sensitivity is intensified during a national lockdown since there is an excessive reliance on digital public spaces to recruit participants and conduct interviews. Based on the experience of Ph.D. fieldwork, this paper pays attention to a sexuality researcher’s …

Social Media As Fragile State, Caroline A. Haythornthwaite, Philip Mai, Anatoliy Gruzd

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Social media platforms are grappling with how to respond to hate speech, misinformation, and political manipulation in ways that address human rights, free speech, and equality. As independent ‘states’, they are enacting their own rules of conduct, deriving their own ‘laws’, convening their own extrajudicial self regulatory institutions, and making their own interpretations and enactments of human rights. With the rise of social states such as Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, how fragile are they in their ability to achieve outcomes of fair, equitable and consistent application of their own laws? Could an assessment of the fragility of …

An Exploratory Study Of Anti-Black Racism In Social Media Behavior Intentions: Effects Of Political Orientation And Motivation To Control Prejudice, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Samantha A. Wilcox, Justine K. Brace, Melissa Anderson

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Considering the widespread prevalence of racist content and opinions on social media, there is a pressing need to understand how users react to such content in ways that might lead them to be drawn into echo chambers of racism, hate speech, and potentially even violence. We conducted an online study to investigate how two individual differences—political orientation and motivation to control prejudice (MCP)—may predispose people to accept anti-Black racism expressed in social media messages. Non-Black participants viewed racist and egalitarian mock social media posts and reported how likely they would be to respond favorably and/or engage in supportive social media …

Exit Through The Giftshop: Claims-Making And The Construction Of A Countercultural Brand, Cecil Mcglynn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Independent, online microcelebrity influencers are increasingly many people’s source of news. A popular group of these influencers, called the Alternative Influence Network (AIN) has come under scrutiny in recent years for collaborating with radical, far-right political actors to advance particular viewpoints (Lewis, 2018). While those within the AIN claim these outputs represent their freedom of speech, some researchers have voiced concern around the possibility of these influencers proliferating or even popularizing radical political ideals. Steven Crowder is among the most popular influencers in the AIN. He performs a daily show, ‘Louder with Crowder’, to his 5.8 million YouTube subscribers. In …

“My Mummy Has A Hole In Her Face”: Living With Facial Eye Disfigurement, Zali O'Dea, Jane Southcott

The Qualitative Report

People living with facial eye disfigurements (LwFED) are often shunned by a society that makes spontaneous judgements based on appearance. This article is a case study of the lived experience of Toni, a 27-year-old woman LwFED, the result of her treatment for ocular cancer. Semi-structured interviews facilitated the exploration of her experiences. We present the findings chronologically but interwoven with themes such as: being strong for others; responding to her partner’s abuse; dealing with strangers; and reinventing her sense of identity and supporting others. We identified institutional perspectives of work, hospital, and family within the prevailing UK that impacted Toni’s …

The Perspective Of University Students On The Availability And Effectiveness Of Cyberbullying Prevention And Response Initiatives On Campus: Virtual Semi-Structured Interviews On Resources, Barriers, And Solutions, Molly-Gloria R. Patel, Anabel Quan-Haase

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Cyberbullying is a problem in educational settings, and much of the research has focused on the development of effective prevention and response initiatives. Because of the vulnerability of children, cyberbullying research and intervention programs have largely targeted elementary students. A growing body of research has shown that cyberbullying is not limited to elementary settings, but the problem is also prevalent in postsecondary institutions, with potentially severe negative consequences. Yet, there is a gap in research about interventions tailored to this life stage. To address this gap, we conducted virtual semistructured interviews through Zoom with 21 university students on the availability …

A Social Media Marketing Plan For Premiere Property Group, Emma Claire Pittman

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This project took the current stats of Premiere Property Group, LLC’s (PPG) current social media presence and curated a plan to increase both engagement and brand awareness for the company. The social media marketing plan was created to set specific goals for the marketing department and to utilize the techniques and tools of current social media platforms to market the company without a large budget. The current social media platforms, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, were assessed for followers, likes and views, as well as overall engagement. A social media marketing plan was then created specific to PPG’s target audiences and …

From Androgyny To Binary And Back: A Qualitative Analysis Of Nonbinary Tiktoks., Savannah Hatton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how nonbinary individuals represent and express their gender on TikTok. Given the limited amount of research that has been done on nonbinary gender expression in online spaces, this study uses TikTok to observe the ways that nonbinary individuals perform gender. Additionally, given the relative newness of TikTok, this study serves to inform growing research on identity formation through social media. It used a sample of fifty TikToks by nonbinary creators to perform a content analysis. The findings reveal significant variation in how nonbinary individuals "do gender" on the platform, with some individuals identifying closely with binary labels, …

The Role Of The Family In Confronting The Excessive Use Of Modern Technology Among Children "Therapeutic Alternatives", Khaled Mikhlif Al-Jenfawi

Journal of Police and Legal Sciences

This study aimed to identify the role of the family in confronting the excessive use of technology and social media programs from the view point of social workers and psychologists working for the Juvenile Welfare Department of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in Kuwait, in the light of some variables (sex , and practical experience)

The studywas a descriptive analytical study. It used the social survey method. A questionnaire consisting of (39) items was built and designed, and its validity and reliability were tested. Among the most important results of the study: The level of the family's role …

Taking The Social Out Of Social Media: Social Media Induced Loneliness As A Mechanism For Elevated Depression During The Pandemic, Samara Rosen

Honors Theses

During the COVID-19 pandemic health protocols limited in-person interactions, interrupting the undergraduate experience and prompting students to find virtual ways to connect with their peers. A key goal of this study was to assess whether college students’ social media use was a viable replacement for in-person interactions during the pandemic, reducing risk for psychological difficulties that ordinarily accompany social isolation. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate loneliness as a potential mediator underlying the longitudinal relationship between social media use and depression. Self-report data were collected in November 2020 (T1), February 2021 (T2), and May 2021 (T3). The …

Behind Derogatory Migrants' Terms For Venezuelan Migrants: Xenophobia And Sexism Identification With Twitter Data And Nlp, Joseph Martínez, Melissa Miller-Felton, Jose Padilla, Erika Frydenlund

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

The sudden arrival of many migrants can present new challenges for host communities and create negative attitudes that reflect that tension. In the case of Colombia, with the influx of over 2.5 million Venezuelan migrants, such tensions arose. Our research objective is to investigate how those sentiments arise in social media. We focused on monitoring derogatory terms for Venezuelans, specifically veneco and veneca. Using a dataset of 5.7 million tweets from Colombian users between 2015 and 2021, we determined the proportion of tweets containing those terms. We observed a high prevalence of xenophobic and defamatory language correlated with the …

A Collaborative Solution: Online Safety And Adolescent Trends, Loni L. Whiteman

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This professional action project focused on addressing the risks and needs facing local adolescents in my community. I partnered with several professionals and community members to host a parent night presentation at Timberlake High School. The presentation included an overview of risks and trends affecting our local youth, as well as statewide statistics on social media, mental health, vaping, substance use, and other risky behaviors. At the conclusion of the presentation, attendees were invited to ask questions, network with professionals, peruse the “paraphernalia” table, and collect resource handouts from several different supporting agencies in the local area. The presentation was …

Exploring Facilitators, Barriers And Concerns Of Police Using Social Media When Investigating Missing Children, Eleanor Howlings, Reka Solymosi

International Journal of Missing Persons

Missing person investigations involve the collection of information to ensure the person is located as fast as possible, minimising their exposure to harms. Social media is a valuable source of information in police investigations both to learn about the missing person, and to appeal for information to the public. To ensure social media is used safely and effectively, we must understand the concerns and experiences of investigating officers. In this pilot study, we analysed interviews from 8 experts who investigate missing children to identify the facilitators and barriers of using social media. We also identified concerns raised by officers around …

Effect Of Gender And Attachment Styles On The Formation Of Parasocial Rleationships, Breanna Carlson, Frank Lien

Concordia Journal of Communication Research

New streaming services, social media platforms, and advances in talk and text are constantly developing in society today. The constant addition to new technological outlets creates a larger platform for viewers to watch and follow their favorite celebrity, television character, or influencers whenever they want. The researchers chose to investigate how a person’s attachment style affects both the likelihood and severity of forming a parasocial relationship with their favorite celebrity or T.V. personality. Specifically, the researchers explored the effect both gender and experiences affect this connection. Participants of the study attend a Lutheran, faith-based institution of college education in an …

Every Screen Is A Window And A Mirror: How Social Media Strengthens Ties Within The Lgbtq+ Community, Jourdan Sadir Pérez

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

How To Analyze Parental Conversation Online: A Computational Stack For Studying Vaccine Hesitancy., Carter Willets Ward

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Despite national and international organizations such as the CDC and WHO recognizing the value of vaccines and their importance in addressing public health concerns, there has been a decline in coverage for even the most established vaccines over the past three years. The global COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to this decline via decreases in medical resource accessibility and an increase in vaccine hesitancy. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO had recognized vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten threats to public health. In the present work, we introduce a background account of (1) vaccine hesitancy and (2) anti-vax activism, …

Depictions Of Strikes On Social Media, Zachary D. Mangels

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Social media provides a rich source for the study of social movements. Not only do movement organizations use social media as a platform to spread their message and organize, but users can also share their thoughts about a particular movement with ease. This project seeks to understand how the socioeconomic status and gender of a social movement’s participants affect the public’s reaction to their activities. This is done by studying how these movements are described on Twitter, and if these descriptions differ among different striking professions. The types of social movement I intend to study are all strikes which were …

An Intersectional Approach To Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Women’S Sexualized Body-Positive Imagery On Instagram, Megan A. Vendemia, Kyla N. Brathwaite, David C. Deandrea

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Our work adopted an intersectional approach to investigate how women’s racial identity may influence how they evaluate and are impacted by body-positive imagery of women on social media. In a 2 × 2 × 2 experiment (N = 975), we examined how source race (Black vs White) and sexualization (non-sexualized vs sexualized) in body-positive images affect Black and White viewers’ impressions of self-interest, moral appropriateness, and body positivity. Results indicated that viewers generally responded more favorably to non-sexualized (vs sexualized) images: Participants reported less self-interested motivations for sharing, found the images more morally appropriate, and believed they were more …

Chinese Celebrities’ Political Signaling On Weibo, Dan Chen, Gengsong Gao

Political Science Faculty Publications

In China, celebrities can dominate public discourse and shape popular culture, but they are under the state’s close gaze. Recent studies have revealed how the state disciplines and co-opts celebrities to promote patriotism, foster traditional values, and spread political propaganda. However, how do celebrities adapt to the changing political environment? Focusing on political signaling on Weibo, we analyze a novel dataset and find that the vast majority of top celebrities repost from official accounts of government agencies and state media outlets, though there are variations. Younger celebrities with more followers tend to repost from official accounts more. Celebrities from Taiwan …

Professional As A Mother: Empowering Working Mothers Through Social Media, Trinity Marie Hernandez-Lopez

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

Women in the workforce continue to experience a gendered pay gap, making only around 86% of the salary of their male counterparts (Pew Research, 2022). This is worse still for those women with children, who are less likely to be considered for promotional opportunities and dismissed as not committed to their careers. As a mother, I have been on the receiving end of this discrimination, but I am also lucky enough to understand my rights and value in the workforce. The goal of this capstone project was to improve the outcomes for working mothers by developing an online community to …

Our New Iscsc Social Media Presence, Bibi Pelić

Comparative Civilizations Review

Social media presence is essential, we could say even critical to any organization today. Social media can for itself be a topic for a discussion on civilization, as social media is today shaping mindsets, for better or worse.

Realizing this major development in our ever-more digitalized world, the ISCSC has undergone, in the past year, significant changes in the direction of establishing its social media presence.

Analyzing Fluctuation Of Topics And Public Sentiment Through Social Media Data, Haoyue Liu

Dissertations

Over the past decade years, Internet users were expending rapidly in the world. They form various online social networks through such Internet platforms as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. These platforms provide a fast way that helps their users receive and disseminate information and express personal opinions in virtual space. When dealing with massive and chaotic social media data, how to accurately determine what events or concepts users are discussing is an interesting and important problem.

This dissertation work mainly consists of two parts. First, this research pays attention to mining the hidden topics and user interest trend by analyzing real-world …

Emphasizing The Importance Of Long-Term Marketing Strategies For Nonprofits Utilizing Social Media, William Baumert

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

In order for nonprofit organizations to tackle complex societal issues, support from public or private sectors is generally required. Marketing to these sectors through social media channels is highly beneficial due to the inexpensive and adaptable nature of the platforms, however creating and deploying an effective marketing campaign through these mediums can be challenging. This piece will aim to emphasize important points for nonprofits to consider when creating long-term marketing strategies revolving around social media.

Social Media Giving Statistics

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Nonprofits claim: Facebook as the most important social media for their causes, Twitter in a close second place, YouTube in third place.

Social Media Statistics For Charities And Nonprofits In 2022

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

According to the Giving Report, 29% of people consider social media to be the communication tool that most inspires giving.

Later (Later.Com) – Tool To Help With Social Media Posting, Griffin Davis

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

As advertised: Later is the all-in-one social marketing platform for the top social networks. Plan, analyze, and publish your content in a few clicks — so you can save time and grow your business.

Nonprofit Social Media Use In 2022

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Nonprofit Social Media Users: 87% of nonprofits worldwide use social media.