Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Public Health Agency Of Canada’S And The Ontario Government’S Vaccine-Related Crisis Communication On X During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sheraza Burney, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Anita Kothari

Publications

Crisis communication strategies must be tailored to the unique nature of social media. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, public health agencies have widely used social media to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. This research utilized the social media pandemic communication model to describe the key themes disseminated through the Ontario government and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s vaccine-related crisis communication on X (formerly Twitter). Between 27 January 2020 and 6 April 2021, 1271 posts related to COVID-19 vaccination were collected from three official government X accounts——two from the province of Ontario and one from Canada. Posts were analyzed …

Examining Racial Discrimination Index And Black-Years Of Potential Life Lost (Ypll) In South Carolina: A Real-Time Social Media Research, Yunqing Ma, Peiyin Hung Ph.D, Xiaotong Shen, Zhenlong Li, Curisa Tucker Phd, Rn, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D.

Publications

Purpose: Despite efforts to reduce health disparities, Black Americans still face higher mortality rates than Whites. Racism has been recognized as a significant social determinant of health. Using social media data, human-being qualitative coding, and AI, we created a county-level racial discrimination index, exploring its association with years of potential life lost (YPLL) rates. Methods: Through human-AI collaborative approaches using X/Twitter data, we calculated yearly county-level racial discrimination index (RDI)—number of racial discrimination posts per 100,000 in-county non-duplicated posts and examined the relationship between RDI terciles and YPLL per 100,000 non-Hispanic Black individuals. Annual data for the covariates were derived …

“R-Word” Slurs Triple On X After Donald Trump’S Thanksgiving Post Used The Word, Bond Benton, Daniela Peterka-Benton

College of Communication and Media Scholarship and Creative Works

A joint study from Montclair State University faculty in the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication in the School of Communication and Media and the Department of Justice Studies shows a dramatic increase in content containing the slur “retard” on X after Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving Day Truth Social post used the word. Findings showed a 225.7% increase in posts containing the r-word on X with 1,129,438 posts in the studied period. The most viewed, liked, and shared content analyzed enthusiastically endorsed use of the r-word. Results appear consistent with the period after other prominent …

Trust In Ephemeral Content In Social Media Platforms: A Mixed-Method Approach Examining Online Users’ Privacy Concerns In The Case Of Snapchat, Ream Al-Ghamdi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study investigated privacy management practices on ephemeral social media platforms, with a particular focus on Snapchat, Yik Yak, and Instagram Reels. It utilized a mixed-method approach, integrating an analysis of privacy policy terms with empirical data obtained through a quantitative survey of 346 US university students, including Saudi students studying in the United States and their American counterparts, as well as qualitative insights from in-depth interviews. Privacy policies were systematically evaluated across critical dimensions, including first-party data collection, third-party data sharing, user privacy controls, data retention practices, and compliance with international regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and Saudi Arabia's …

Through The Lens Of Social Media: Examining The Relationship Between Exposure To Social Media Videos Of Police Misconduct And Perceptions Of Legitimacy And Cooperation With Campus Police, Kamal Alhassan

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how exposure to social media and internet news videos depicting police misconduct influences college students' perceptions of campus police legitimacy, procedural justice, and willingness to cooperate. Although prior research has demonstrated the impact of media portrayals on perceptions of municipal police, limited attention has been given to campus policing contexts. Guided by Tyler’s process-based theory of police legitimacy and Gerbner’s cultivation theory, this quantitative study surveyed 400 students at a large public university in the Southeastern Mid-Atlantic region. Measures included self-reported viewing and engagement with police misconduct content on social media, internet, and traditional media platforms, as …

Everything New Is Old Again: The Coming Metaverse, Platforms As Premises, And Addressing Harms That Occur Behind The Veil Of Scale, Lara Putnam, Jena Martin

Faculty Articles

Increasingly, social media companies have engaged in the creation, development, and deployment of "worlds" within a virtual reality setting, leading to significant interactions among users within these engineered spaces. However, this expansion has also been accompanied by harms. While some harms are unique to immersive reality technology, many mirror harms that occur in the analog environment, including fraud, theft, verbal abuse, and child sexual exploitation. Others replicate harms that have already exploded in non-immersive online spaces, including image-based sexual exploitation, cyberstalking, and invasion of privacy. Unfortunately, the architecture and infrastructure of these spaces has created what we coin here to …

Perceptions Of Stem Education And Artificial Intelligence: A Twitter (X) Sentiment Analysis, Demetrice Smith-Mutegi, Yoseph Mamo, Jinhee Kim, Helen Crompton, Matthew Mcconnell

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Background, context, and purpose of the study: Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly prevalent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, holding promising potential for supporting the design and implementation of quality STEM education. However, there is a lack of data-based research studying the diverse perceptions of AI in STEM education as conveyed on social media, the factors that influence those perceptions, or the change in those perceptions over time among public audiences. Results, the main findings: The purpose of this study was to examine public perceptions of AI in STEM education by analyzing X posts (Tweets) between 04/28/2020 …

Growing Organizational Marketing, Publicity, And Outreach Strategies With Intention, Elizabeth R. Fowler, Wendy G. Pothier, Donald Dow

Faculty Publications

Marketing is a necessary function of academic libraries but is frequently deprioritized in library job descriptions and organizational structures. This article serves as a case study of how one library worked to formalize marketing efforts by moving from ad hoc committee-based work to structured positions guided by an organizational marketing plan. Sharing examples over time to show the impact of marketing efforts, the authors detail the process of creating an outline for a marketing plan, as well as new initiatives that developed through the process.

Polarization And Civil Discourse In America: A Case Study Of Respectful Dialogue As A Moderating Influence On Generation Z, Liane Weintraub

Theses and Dissertations

Animosity between opposing political parties is longstanding, but the phenomenon is now acutely pervasive and dangerous. Today, polarization is further fueled by social media algorithms that create echo chambers, limiting discourse about diverse viewpoints. Consequently, polarization has become pernicious and threatens the founding principles of American democracy. This dissertation considers the roles of free speech, civility, and social capital in the US polarization problem. Through an exploration of historical scholarship on virtue, ethics, and civility, the study seeks to identify actionable tools for promoting civil discourse. The dissertation investigates Generation Z (Gen Z), focusing on intergenerational differences, the role of …

Aadej — Keeping Pace With New Challenges And Evolving Technologies, Mali Schantz-Feld Ma, Cde

AADEJ - The Communicator

Associate Editor Mali Schantz-Feld discusses the evolving responsibilities of dental journal editors, who must navigate not only dental topics but also broader non-dental trends and technological advancements. She highlights how new communication methods, such as teledentistry, social media, and online reviews, have become imperative for dental practices and, by extension, for dental publishing. Referencing Dr. J. Tim Wright's editorial on "Critical Challenges Facing Dentistry," Schantz-Feld notes that emerging technologies like AI, while challenging to adopt, also present opportunities to improve patient data analysis, diagnostics, and workflow efficiency. She asserts that AADEJ is dedicated to providing relevant information, continuing education (CE), …

From Gossip To Guidance: Analyzing Student Posting On Yik Yak, Mikayla Nemgar

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examines how college students at Minnesota State University, Mankato, use the anonymous social media app Yik Yak, and what they discuss within it. Using qualitative content analysis, 963 anonymous posts were collected and coded into five initial categories: (1) Seeking and Sharing Information, (2) Giving Raw and Unfiltered Opinions, (3) Attempting to Socialize, (4) Seeking Belonging, and (5) Complaining. The findings show that most posts expressed raw opinions, followed by seeking for belonging. Sub-themes emerged in these two categories, which offered more specific examples of how students use Yik Yak. These trends provide insight into how anonymity may …

I Thought I Found My One True Love: Enabling A Web Of Exploitation On Social Media, Amos N. Guiora, Rosalie Rawlins

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

When Amanda Todd first shared a sexually explicit photo with the person who would end up exploiting her, she was just a child, with no idea the dangerous web she would soon be caught up in. Amanda, one of the most notorious victims of child sexual exploitation via the internet, is just one of the growing number of minors who are subjected to this form of abuse each year. According to the FBI, internet exploitation of minors has increased exponentially in recent years. Amanda’s tragic example, and that of other vulnerable young people, makes the case for demanding accountability for …

Harnessing Social Media For Occupational Therapy Graduate Program Recruitment, Rebecca Ozelie, Annika Knuth

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The occupational therapy (OT) profession faces a national enrollment decline, with many United States graduate programs struggling to fill seats. As social media use continues to rise among young adults, OT programs may benefit from leveraging digital platforms to enhance visibility and attract qualified applicants. This study explored how prospective students engage with OT program social media accounts and what content influences their admissions decisions. Using a cross-sectional survey design, 161 current or incoming OT graduate students from programs across the United States were surveyed about their social media habits during the admissions process. Results revealed that 69.5% of participants …

Co-Constructing The Future Of Digital Intimacy, Chris Geeng, Lucy Qin, Allison Mcdonald, Amna Batool, Diana Freed, Oliver L. Haimson, Jevan Hutson, Elissa M. Redmiles, Zahra Stardust, Miranda Wei, Douglas Zytko

Articles

The Internet, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies have transformed the way humans can interact with each other and express romance, sex, and other forms of intimacy. Digital intimacy, including online dating, sexual/intimate content sharing, online sex work, and romantic chatbots, has grown ubiquitous. This can both be a source of great joy, such as when connecting remote partners and supporting sexual self-expression, and a source of harms, including but not limited to image-based sexual abuse, deepfakes, location privacy violations, and technology-enabled intimate partner violence. As new technologies continue to transform digital intimacy, this workshop aims to create a sex-positive …

Posting About Goals On Social Media: The Unexpected Effect Of Posting Goal-Intention Photos Rather Than Goal-Pursuit Photos On Goal Attainment, Kelly Eunjung Yoon, Cornelia Pechmann

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Can posting photos online help individuals achieve their goals? Past research has generally found that posting about goals on social media increases motivation to achieve those goals. However, little is known about the consequences of posting different types of goal-related content. This research uses real-world Instagram data to test the effects of posting photos about goal pursuit (i.e., goal enactment behaviors) versus goal intention (i.e., goal planning or setting) on goal attainment. Our findings indicate a positive and significant relationship between posting goal-pursuit photos and goal attainment. Conversely, posting goal-intention photos yields no measurable effect. This finding challenges the generalized …

The First Amendment, Global Corporate Responsibility Standards, & The Quest For Online "Speech Nirvana", Evelyn Aswad

Faculty Articles

With large and powerful social media companies operating as worldwide speech regulators, it is unsurprising that governments have attempted to not only regulate how these companies address platform speech but also pressure them to deliver preferred speech outcomes. In 2024, the Supreme Court decided two cases addressing both themes in the U.S. context. In Moody v. NetChoice, the Court explained how legislation regulating private platform curation of usergenerated content runs afoul of First Amendment protections. And, in Murthy v. Missouri, the Court appeared to erect significant hurdles to challenging alleged governmental coercion of such platforms. These cases have left many …

Harmful Connections: How Tort Law Can Address Algorithmic Account Recommendation Harms And Protect Youth Social Media Users, Francesca Kennedy

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

In 2023, the United States Surgeon General published an advisory to bring an urgent public health issue affecting America’s youth to the nation’s attention. The urgent public health issue was the ongoing negative impact of social media on children and adolescents. The report revealed that ninety-five percent of youths aged thirteen to seventeen use social media. Exposure to harmful content poses a risk to their mental health, including body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, depression, and, in extreme cases, death. Their mental health is also harmed by predatory behaviors and interactions with malicious adults that target and exploit minors on internet platforms. …

“This Generation Of Women Is Finished”: Misogyny As Social Bonding On Social Media And Patriarchal Constructions Of Femininity, Emma Mierzejewski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis explores online discourse between users on social media platforms, specifically Instagram, in an effort to better understand the patriarchal influence on American social culture. Users on the platform regularly write off misogynistic comments as simply “dark humor” or an extreme expression of one’s “freedom of speech.” At the same time, supportive comments are also influenced by those same misogynistic expectations. I argue that misogynistic thinking in comments and a willingness to uphold them for social bonding provides deeper insights into our society’s attitudes towards women, their roles, and conceptions of femininity in general. I conducted a content analysis …

#Tribe: A Study On Digital Tribalism In Saudi Arabia, Maha Alrehaili

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This dissertation examines digital tribalism in Saudi Arabia as a lens through which to explore the complex interplay between state, identity politics, and social media in an era of rapid transformation. Amidst ambitious modernization efforts under Vision 2030 and ongoing economic restructuring, the Saudi state has sought to establish a national identity by leveraging tribal heritage. This study investigates how the three major tribes, Harb, Qahtan, and Otaibah, are responding to rapid modernization through an examination of their digital presence on X (formerly Twitter).

Employing a comparative case study design and content analysis of three years of digital activity, this …

Children’S ‘Playbour’ As Influencers On Social Media: An Investigation Into The Legal And Ethical Issues Surrounding Kidfluencers, Catherine J. Archer, Kate Mirandilla Delmo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The legal and ethical concerns around children performing as social media influencers (SMIs) on various social media platforms have been in the spotlight, with the recent world-first decision by the Australian Government to ban social media for those under 16. Social media influence is big business across the globe, with organisations investing in working with influencers to promote their brands and/or ideas. Some children now ‘work’, often managed by their parents, to produce posts that promote brands and ideas on behalf of organisations–not only to other children but also to adults. This paper presents findings of two case studies of …

Exploring The Ethics Of Social Media In The Counseling Field, Kaitlynn Cornell-Mullane

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Social media has become deeply integrated into both personal and professional lives, yet the use by counseling professionals remains underexplored. This study investigated how various roles within the counseling field experience and utilize social media in their professional development, identity formation, and ethical practice. A qualitative online survey was utilized to collect data from counseling professionals (N = 20). Findings revealed 6 themes: (a) Conflicting Perspectives on Client Social Media Use and Engagement, (b) Personal Discomfort and Ethical Ambiguity, (c) Counselors’ Varied Approaches of Social Media Use, (d) Social Media Use for Professional Development, (e) Mixed Perspectives on Social Media …

Girl Gamers, Online Community, And Social Identity Theory: The Role Of Positive Distinction Strategies On Group Engagement On R/Girlgamers, Rachael Green

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Identity theorists have studied the complex relationship between gender and gaming for over two decades, but research on how women persist in gaming communities despite harassment remains underdeveloped. Grounded in Social Identity Theory, this dissertation examines the subreddit r/GirlGamers to evaluate the prevalence and impact of positive distinction strategies in countering identity threats. Based on a mixed-methods approach, the findings highlight three key strategies (group permeability, social creativity, and social competition) alongside themes of emotion, structural inequality, and interpersonal violence. Statistical tests indicate that posts employing at least one positive distinction strategy receive significantly more upvotes and comments than those …

Global China In Pakistan: Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Symbolic Domination, Social Media Geopolitics, And Security Corridors, Davide Giacomo Zoppolato

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the discursive and material dimensions of China’s global rise through a case study of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Pakistan. As China becomes a leading provider of development finance, its infrastructure-led approach is reshaping geographies across the Global South. Focusing on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—the BRI’s flagship project—I examine how Chinese and Pakistani actors co-produce development through discourses, infrastructures, and security regimes. Structured around three articles, the dissertation analyzes: (1) the official diplomatic discourses of Chinese state institutions and their reception by Pakistani media outlets; (2) the curated geopolitical discourses of Chinese social media …

Reject Modernity, Embrace Tradition: Unpacking Gender Roles In Social Media Performances Of "The Good Life", Lauren Mar

Scripps Senior Theses

What do JD Vance, tradwife influencers, and the “sprinkle sprinkle” movement have in common? They all have something to do with the increasing popularity of an apparent return to traditional gender roles. This thesis is an intersectional investigation of women’s gender roles in relation to class and race as they appear in different performances of “the good life” on social media. Through a series of personal essays, this thesis explores how these media examples represent a deeper political unhappiness with present conditions. This thesis takes the time to unpack the different sides of discourse surrounding each subject, and counters the …

Are You Sure They're A Nurse? Public Perceptions Of Australian School Nursing, Anita Moyes, Brent A. Hayward

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Nurses work in schools in every state and territory of Australia but have limited visibility in the public discourse. Knowledge and perceptions of school nursing work can significantly influence policy, funding, and program implementation, yet public perceptions of nursing work in Australian schools have never been investigated. Aim: The aim of the study was to examine public perceptions of the work of nurses in Australian schools using data collected from a thread on the social media platform Reddit. Study objectives included exploring respondents’ source of knowledge, perceptions of the presence and distribution of school nurses, and understanding of the …

Regional Tourism Destination Brand Identity Formation Via Social Media: A Mixed Methods Study, Stephanie Meek, Violetta Wilk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examines the influence of social media on regional destination brand identity, addressing post-COVID-19 challenges for regional destinations through the Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) theory framework. We conducted two studies: a qualitative analysis of 2325 social media user-generated content posts using Leximancer, and a quantitative survey of 1239 potential tourists using structural equation modelling (SEM) with AMOS. The qualitative study identified distinctive brand associations for the regional tourism destination, which informed Study 2. The quantitative study demonstrated that electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on social media has a positive influence on perceptions of regional tourism destination brand identity, …

Improving Hpv Vaccine Rates For Aboriginal Young People Through A Social Media Campaign: An Interrupted Time Series, Natalie A. Strobel, Jocelyn Jones, Kim Gates, Simon L. Turner, Joanne E. Mckenzie, Daniel R. Mcaullay

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection that can lead to HPV-related cancers such as cervical cancer and other cancers such as anal, vaginal, and penile cancer. HPV rarely produces symptoms and cannot be cured or treated; therefore, vaccination is essential to protect against HPV and HPV-related diseases. However, young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, respectfully, ‘Aboriginal’) people are not receiving their HPV vaccine dose, resulting in missed opportunities to be protected from HPV-related cancers. Health promotion is a critical way to empower people to take ownership over and control their health and is a core function …

Digital Playgrounds: Irish Tweens' Media Literacies In The Context Of Social Media Content Creators, Fardus Sultan

Doctoral

Children under 12 are avid social media users. Of these, tweens, children aged 9 to 12, are currently the age group most likely to engage in independent social media content consumption. One of their favourite online activities is watching content produced by social media influencers and content creators, collectively referred to here as social media creators. The popularity of social media creators has grown exponentially in recent times. Considered trusted, relatable and authentic, they produce content that resonates with audiences. Consequently, their messages often possess greater persuasive power, making them a popular choice for advertisers. Creators seamlessly blend commercial messaging …

Characterizing Language Use In Online Accessibility Discussion Forums, Nithiya Venkatraman, Anand Ravi Aiyer, Yash Prakash, Sampath Jayarathna, Hae-Na Lee, Vikas Ashok

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Discussion forums are one of the favored platforms for knowledge sharing. Given their popularity, copious research exists on understanding the linguistic and behavioral characteristics of forum conversations, so as to inform the design of many downstream applications including discourse visualization, sentiment analysis, and question answering. However, prior investigations have mainly focused on general forums designed primarily for sighted users, and as such the applicability of their findings to dedicated accessibility discussion forums frequented by blind screen reader users remains unanswered. To bridge this knowledge gap and facilitate the development of better-informed assistive technologies for blind people, we investigated language use …

Policing Gender: The Interest Convergence Of Women's And Transgender Rights, Michael Ulrich

Faculty Scholarship

The social, political, and legal landscape has seen a resurgence of gender fundamentalism, seeking to reinforce archaic notions of what it means to be a woman. Social media movements run in tandem with this resurgence of gender fundamentalism. For instance, the “tradwife” phenomenon that romanticizes a domestic, subservient role for women.¹ Alabama Senator Katie Britt most infamously reflected the convergence of these trends when she delivered her response to the State of the Union from a kitchen table and proclaimed that her message was “a direct appeal” to her “fellow moms.”² Meanwhile, executive orders and state laws have …