Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding The Influence Of Colorism On The Dating Preferences Of Black Undergraduate Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Odessa Foster

LSU Master's Theses

This study examined the effects of colorism on emerging Black undergraduate college students and how it influences their dating preferences while attending a Predominantly White Institution. The participants were 18-24 years old and self-identified as Black women attending a PWI. A secondary analysis was conducted. The findings of this study revealed that family can influence emerging Black adults dating preferences as they are likely to have the same preference as their family. There is a significantly positive relationship between family preference and dating preferences. This study also examined the correlation between media/social media and dating preferences. As there were positive …

Immigration And Social Work: A Content Analysis Of Schools In Liberal States, Yenicka Avila, Stephanie Ibarra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The social work profession vows to defend society’s most vulnerable populations, including undocumented immigrants. Yet, how immigration is perceived in social work education and the extent to which social works schools are integrated this concept in their mission statements and/or social media pages remain understudied in the existing literature. This study is a mixed-methods content analysis of 133 social work schools accredited (or in the process of accreditation) by the Council of Social Work Education (N = 133). It was hypothesized that the proportion of social work schools that overtly/covertly mentioned immigration in their mission statements and Facebook pages will …

The Influence Of Instagram And Depression Amongst College-Aged Individuals, Ariana Soylemezoglu

Selected Full-Text Master Theses Collection 2018-

Social media has impacted the lives of many young adults within today’s society. While social media has connected individuals from around the world, it has also blurred the truth from reality. Quite often, social media users will give a glimpse into their life where judgements are free to be made by their audience. Instagram is a noteworthy platform that is highly utilized, but also highly critical to one’s mental health. Previous research has explored the significance between mental health and social media; however, the aim of this current study is to carefully examine the connection between depression and Instagram usage …

The Perspectives Of Former Csec On The Recruitment Process Through Online Platforms, Shawnte Beacham-Houston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is the sexual exploitation of children for financial gain and is a billion-dollar industry. The sexual exploitation of children is a serious form of sexual abuse and a violation of their human rights. Previous research has explored sex trafficking victimization but not pathways to sexual exploitation. Current research does not explain how online activities and specific internet platforms are involved in CSEC recruitment and entry into the commercial sex trade industry. In this study, the way in which social media platforms are used to recruit children into the sex trade industry was addressed. The …

Exploring The Relationships Of Social Media Usage And Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression In Adolescents, Morgan Culpepper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social media is a popular form of communication and entertainment among youth. Inconsistencies are present in the literature on the potential effects it can have on mental health. Depression and anxiety disorders are common among all age groups in the US, and this study aimed to determine the relationship social media has on symptoms of anxiety and depression. The Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS) and the GAD-7 were used to measure symptoms of anxiety, as well as the CES-D scale to evaluate depressive symptoms in adolescents. The number of social networking sites and number of hours spent on social …

Harnessing Social Media For Good: How Human Service Nonprofit Organizations Use Social Media To Connect To Stakeholders And Clients, Angela C. Volpe

Doctor of Social Work Banded Dissertations

This banded dissertation examines how human service nonprofit organizations use social media to connect to stakeholders and clients and makes suggestions for how nonprofits can best utilize this powerful medium in their practice.

The first scholarly product was a qualitative systematic review that examined the existing literature regarding how human service nonprofit organizations use social media to enhance their provision of services for clients. Themes discovered included types of social media being used, levels of human service nonprofit organizations (HSO) social media engagement and reasons for use, and barriers to social media use.

The second scholarly product was a case …

Lgbt+ Teens, Social Media Use & Depressive Symptoms, Megan Curtis, Danielle Ryder

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Sexual and gender minority youth are statistically more likely to face severe mental health challenges than their cisgender, heterosexual peers; they consistently comprise a disproportionate percentage of youth who report experiencing depression, suicide ideation and attempted suicide in the United States every year (e.g. Abreu & Kinney, 2018). The aim of this study was to fill a gap in the current literature base by investigating the effects of social media use on sexual and gender minority youth mental health. The researchers conducted an online anonymous questionnaire targeted toward American LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, etc.) youth ages 14 to 18, …

Utilization Of Social Media In Strengthening Communication In Long Distance Relationships, Lexie Gutzmann

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of individuals, who have experienced long distance relationships, and utilize the instant access of communication through technology to strengthen and maintain their connection despite their geographical distances. Using a qualitative design, individuals between the ages of 20-30 were asked questions about their experience of utilizing social media and technology as a mode of communication to sustain their long distance relationship. The researcher analyzed the data by looking for codes and themes within the participant’s answers. The findings indicated that the participants found that social media and technology were beneficial in …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Vicarious Racism, Police Videos, And Their Impact On The Facebook Consumer, Daniel Segundo

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This quantitative exploratory study used conflictual police videos on Facebook as a marker for vicarious racial trauma on social media to investigate its correlation with trauma symptoms. The literature has yet to examine the impact of vicarious trauma experienced on social media. This study collected data from participants who completed an anonymous online questionnaire reflecting on previous experiences watching conflictual police videos. The findings suggest: a positive correlation between vicarious racial trauma experienced on Facebook with trauma symptoms; that police shooting videos had a stronger correlation to trauma symptoms compared to police arrest videos; and a moderate relationship between negative …

Distracted Parenting: How Social Media Affects Parent-Child Attachment, Denise Ante-Contreras

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social media usage for parents has become ubiquitous, as either a form of entertainment or communication with other individuals. However, excessive use of social media has also shown to have effects on parenting; causing parental distraction, decreasing the level of everyday parental engagement, and making a child more likely to be at risk for injury. Studies have shown that frequent eye contact, one on one time, and undivided attention are necessary in building a secure attachment between a parent and child. The research study in question hoped to understand whether there was a correlation between the amount of hours a …

How Does Social Media Impact The Postpartum Depression Experience, Connie Marie Stringfellow

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explores the impact Social media has on the postpartum depression experience. To date, no work has examined the association between social media and postpartum depression. This research is an exploration into the use and impact of social media on individuals with postpartum depression. One hundred and three participants provided information about their demographics, experience with depression, treatment options, use of social media and preferred method of support. This information was gathered and analyzed via a web-based survey instrument. Descriptive statistics was used to compare responses on the internet based questionnaire. The study findings show that Social Media has …

Social Workers’ Duty To Report Dangers Via Social Media: A Systematic Review, Katy Kolstad

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This systematic review aimed to evaluate social workers’ obligations to report suicidal or homicidal posts on social media. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed and multiple databases were searched for relevant literature. Of the literature searched, 26 articles were of use to the study. Based on the findings, there was a lack of concrete information regarding social workers obligations and mandated reporting guidelines of internet activity. The topic has not been studied to the degree that was required by this study. Current statutes and regulations would need to be updated to address the issue of social media use and suicide/homicide …

Cyberbullying: Impacting Today’S Youth, Hillary Noll

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Cyberbullying is becoming a major concern surrounding the adolescent population because of the increased use in the internet and social networking sites. Studies show that cyberbullying can cause mental health concerns in adolescents who have been victimized, leaving them feeling lonely, depressed, and rejected. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of high school students who have been victimized by cyberbullying and to explore the relationship between cyberbully victimization and suicide. An anonymous mixed methods study was utilized and formatted with both quantitative and qualitative questions. The survey was distributed by email to students enrolled in the …

The Impact Of Social Media On Emerging Adults’ Grieving Experiences, Nikole M. Sharpe

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Emerging adults experience developmental challenges when faced with loss. They are responsible for meeting developmental milestones, such as, identity achievement as well as mourning a loss both at the same time. This complexity is heightened when adding social media. Social media grieving has become a new way of mourning losses. However, there is still little data on the impact of social media on emerging adults’ grieving experiences. A systematic review was utilized to gather and synthesize the most current and relevant empirical data. Twenty five quantitative studies were selected for analysis and key data was abstracted including, sample size, age …

Social Media, Relationships, And Young Adults, Emma Shields-Nordness

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this project was to explore how young adults are experiencing relationships when using social media. Using a qualitative design young adults between the ages of 18-24 were asked questions about their experience with social media. The participants reflected on their experiences and reported back. The researcher analyzed the data by looking for themes within the participant’s answers. The findings indicated that young adults between the ages of 18-24 prefer to use texting or social media as their main means of communication. The participants also eluded to the feeling of isolation that can happen when depending on these …

I Googled. "How Do You Know You're Gay?" : A Qualitative Study On Lgbtq Identity Formation And The Internet /, Rebekah M. Meresman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative, exploratory study examined the impact of the internet on the identity formation process of LGBTQ individuals. This study aimed to answer the question: How and why do some LGBTQ-identified adults use the internet as a tool to formulate their sexual/gender identity? Through an anonymous online survey, LGBTQ identified participants were asked several open-ended questions about their identity formation experiences, and the role of the internet on this process.

Fifty individuals participated in the study, from a wide range of sexual and gender identities, half of which identified as transgender or gender non-conforming. Of these participants, most indicated that …

How Is Social Media Used By Military Families To Communicate During Deployment?, Lisa Bittner

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

As the construct of today’s military has progressed and changed over time to include a more diverse representation of the United States culture, so have families progressed in how to maintain connectedness during periods of absence. The challenge of maintaining communication despite distance and extensive time differentials is often subsidized today through the utilization of social media or electronic forms of communication. This form of communication often serves as a supplement to traditional mediums of communication such as letters, care packages, and telephone calls, offering a more immediate and interactive communicative process to occur between deployed service members and their …

The Impact Of Electronic Communication And Social Media On Child Welfare Practice, Sarah K. Breyette

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The present literature regarding the intersection of technology and child welfare practice has primarily focused on the impact of these technologies on youth and families. There has been very little research that has focused on how child welfare workers perceive the direct impact that electronic communication and social media use has had on their practice. The research questions guiding this exploratory study asked child welfare workers whether or not the use of electronic communication and social media has made working with youth easier, if use of these technologies has introduced any difficulties, and if any challenges and/or benefits of using …

Graduate Social Work Students' Attitudes About The Use Of Social Networking Sites In Social Work And The Possible Ethical Implications Of Such Use, Christina Irene Dillon

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the study was to investigate graduate social work students' attitudes about the use of social media in social work and the possible ethical implications of such use. The study used an exploratory quantitative survey design with self-administered questionnaires. Data was collected from 56 graduate social work students at California State University, San Bernardino.