Social Media Commons^™

Tackling Networked Misogyny Through Graduate Curriculum Design, Carolyn M. Cunningham

Feminist Pedagogy

This paper explores the importance of sharing feminist research through digital projects. One of the barriers of digital projects is the networked misogyny that graduate students face. This paper offers several strategies for addressing networked misogyny, including teaching about digital privacy, strategies for documenting harassment, collective engagement, and integrating trauma-informed pedagogy.

Sappling: An Interactive Platform For Creative Expression And Collaboration, Alex Aquino

Graphic Communication

Sappling is a new application that aims to tackle some of the shortcomings of traditional social media, which currently dominates the way we interact with friends and other users online. In its initial phase, we plan to target a certain demographic of people that we feel would benefit most from the platform, such as engineers or musicians. As a part of my project, I plan to help identify which group we want to target in this development stage, using survey data and other metrics to measure different groups and their likelihood to benefit from this new platform. As some research …

An Imc Plan For The Blue Dolphin Company, A Local Nonprofit, Allison Evelyn Campbell

Journalism

Alan Godley's journey into marine preservation began as a dock boy, a role that brought him face-to-face with the environmental impact of boat cleaning practices. Witnessing the washing of harsh chemicals into the ocean and waterways fueled his environmental consciousness. Years later, he founded the Blue Dolphin Company in 1989, an “organization focused on furthering the awareness of whales and dolphins, and all marine life … [supporting] the rehabilitation and release of marine mammals and other wildlife”. Over the three decades, Mr. Godley has operated this nonprofit and small business, leveraging educational initiatives to inform people of all ages about …

Digital Waves: Communicating Feminist Movements, Shauna M. Macdonald

Feminist Pedagogy

Online learning provides opportunities for pedagogical growth and innovation. When tasked with teaching an undergraduate Gender and Communication class during a virtual semester (amid the COVID-19 pandemic), I sought ways to engage students through online technologies rather than working against or despite them. The Digital Waves (DW) assignment, one that asks students to research and then create digital representations of a particular “wave” of feminism, was one of several strategies I adopted; it quickly evolved into a favorite.

Let's Talk Body: An Applied Senior Project On Social Media Body Image, Katherine R. Tonges, Lindsey J. Dwyer

Communication Studies

This paper discusses the overwhelming presence of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok in the recent generation's (Gen-Z) daily lives. Influencers have become the new celebrities by creating a “relatable and desirable” lifestyle that users aspire to gain. However, the pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards and buy promoted products can lead to negative effects on users' mental health and self-esteem. The authors of this paper (Tonges and Dwyer) have created a podcast and Instagram account to encourage an honest conversation about the impact of social media on one’s actions, emotions, and brain chemistry. By analyzing social media …

Harnessing Your Feminist Rage: A Multimedia Assignment For Upper-Level Courses, Caitlin E. Lawson

Feminist Pedagogy

"Harnessing Your Feminist Rage" introduces a three-part multimedia assignment that encourages students to think critically about feminist anger, particularly as refracted through social media. First, students introduce and analyze a media text or phenomenon that made them angry and reflect upon that anger. Then, using whichever online medium they choose, students call out the offender and express their anger to the audience of their choice in order to meet a specific goal. Finally, students reflect on their expression of anger and their experience creating their response. Overall, the goal is for students to combine their knowledge of feminist theories and …

Correlation Between Social Media Use And Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Literature Review, Makenna Rose Burger

Kinesiology and Public Health

Importance: Social media is a pervasive influence in modern society presenting many potential public health implications.

Objective: The purpose of this literature review is to synthesize current research regarding social media and eating disorders.

Methods: Primary research was gathered from Google Scholar and OneSearch database resulting in 7 articles. Articles were examined for common themes.

Results: Common themes found in the resulting research is the prevalence of ‘thinspiration’, gamified content, and overlap of eating disorders with other mental illnesses. Several articles found a significant correlation between social media use and the severity of eating disorder symptoms. …

The Power Of Video Games: How Celeste And Hellblade Address Mental Health, Victor M. Ortiz

Communication Studies

The media has the power to educate audiences on topics through effective storytelling. This paper shows how video games as a medium possess unique potential to affect players through interactive experiences. Two video games titled Celeste and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice serve as examples of social cognitive learning through media exposure. This paper conducts a content analysis on the two titles. From the analysis, we learn the stories in Celeste and Hellblade aim to help those who play them learn how to cope with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The literature review section discusses past research done on …

Market To Me: A Case Study On The Marketing Efforts Of Salesforce Software Company, Marissa Adrianna Spiess Espinola

Experience Industry Management

Social media platforms constitute outstanding channels for fostering relationships with consumers. Recently, there has been a drastic shift towards social media marketing and away from traditional marketing. Marketers are beginning to understand the importance of social media opportunity and are implementing social media marketing strategies and initiatives into companywide marketing practices. Companies cannot afford to lack presence on social media, as competitors could outpace them with marketing efforts of products and services to the public. Social media has become a necessary tool when marketing and advertising. The purpose of this study was to examine social media marketing practices of Salesforce …

Becoming Agricultured: Creating An Agriculture Literacy Podcast For Consumers, Madalyn C. Souza

Agricultural Education and Communication

Today’s consumers want to become more aware of where their food comes from. There is a need and a desire to bridge the gap between consumers and production agriculture. One way to reach consumers is through audio podcasts. Podcasts are digital audio recordings that are streamed online. The podcast Becoming Agricultured will be a platform to show the relationship between agriculture and the environment, food, fiber and energy, animals, lifestyle, the economy and technology. The podcast is aimed to tell agriculture's story through factual research and personal accounts of those involved in different sectors of the agriculture industry and cultivate …

“Moderated”; How Facebook And Youtube Recreate The Meaning Of The Societal Public Square, Dylan John Kreisman

Journalism

This study investigates the prevalence of content moderation systems on digital intermediaries and the influence those systems have on the spread of information. It primarily analyzes the content moderation systems of Facebook and YouTube. Since Facebook and YouTube are two of the most used online platforms in the world, the way content is shared and viewed can have implications towards a person’s perspective on a subject. Social media and online intermediaries are growing as people’s source of news, so the primary way people view news in the near future will most likely be from intermediaries such as Facebook or YouTube. …

From Urban To Agriculture, Jacqueline V. Aenlle

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

"From Urban to Agriculture" is a website utilizing a blog and podcast to connect with consumers and share reliable information about agriculture. In addition to covering specific topics such as organic production, dairy animal welfare, and honey production, this forum also address cross disciplinary topics such as media literacy and critical thinking. The website not only appeals to everyday consumers, it also provides resources for educators seeking to integrate a lesson on agricultural advocacy into their curriculum. The following report details the creation process for this website, development of blog content, acquisition of podcast materials, and future plans for the …

The Effect Of Social Media Platforms On Perceptions Of Flirtatiousness And Discomfort, Brynn Alyssa Motal

Communication Studies

This study examines recipients’ perceptions of an acquaintance’s message when sent through various social media platforms to identify the effect it has on the perception of discomfort and flirtatiousness. A posttest-only experimental design was utilized in which participants viewed hypothetical messages over varying platforms for each of the three conditions (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram). After viewing one of the manipulated messages, participants (N = 71) completed measures to assess their perceptions related to perceived flirtatiousness and discomfort. Primary results indicate that there was no variation between perceptions of flirtatiousness between the three platforms. However, Facebook provided the most discomfort for recipients, …

Exploring Student Motivations In Using A Newly Developed Study Abroad Application, Danica L. Schutt

Communication Studies

This study examined student motivations to use a newly developed application for their study abroad needs. Though prior research suggests that identifying with certain perceived groups increases their sense of belonging, critics also recognize that every unique individual has his/her own set of specific needs to be satisfied regardless of social membership. A survey style interview was conducted in which twelve Cal Poly students answered open-ended questions surrounding application use and travel needs. The interview assessed their opinions on perceived membership as a Cal Poly student, their motivations to utilize travel applications, and their ideas on what features make travel …

Event Planning As A Means Of Applying Transferable Skills: The Planning Of The 2019 Communication Studies Banquet, Kylie E. Clark

Communication Studies

Though an annual event, The Communication Studies Banquet has had low attendance in the past and was seen as formal and expensive. This year’s event was revamped in order to make the banquet more fun, accessible, and affordable. The planning and enhancement of this event required several transferable skills which can be applied not only to event planning, but also to many other careers. These skills include organization, communication, negotiation, creativity, financial management, and resourcefulness. This paper examines the utility of transferable skills, including how they are acquired and why they are valuable, and explains how these skills were applied …

Girls Who Handle It: Transforming The Lives Of College-Aged Women, Jordan Rae Delfs

Journalism

Girls Who Handle It (GWHI) is an organization unique to San Luis Obispo, but hoping to expand in the coming years. The team recruited myself to begin the process of expansion beginning in Santa Barbara. Despite the success in San Luis Obispo, the lack of previous recognition in this new city proved to be a difficulty in executing this event. GWHI aims to create a community empowerment movement by allowing college-aged women to share their vulnerabilities on a public platform creating conversation surrounding difficulty. They also highlight the role social media plays in hiding these trials by often not accurately …

G3 Facebook Campaign, Virginia Rose Lee

Agricultural Education and Communication

G3 Enterprises, started by the third generation of the Gallo family, provides packing and supply chain services within the wine industry. The transportation department focuses and specializes in transporting wine grapes from vineyards to the wineries for Gallo and external companies. In some ways, marketing a service as business-to-business can be more complex than marketing a business-to-consumer product according to B2B International (Hague, Harrison, 2017). Therefore, G3 needs to branch out of its traditional marketing and keep up with current trends by creating a greater social media presence. If G3 Transportation can successfully showcase its trucking service through social media, …

Malene Wines: The Beginning Of A Brand, Tyler Menane

Agricultural Education and Communication

Malene Wines is the most recently developing brand under the Crimson Wine Group. Currently, the brand is being produced and managed under Chamisal Vineyards. Malene Wines started off with one brand of rosé wine, that has only been available for purchase in the Chamisal tasting room or wholesale. This has caused confusion for the consumer in differentiating the two brands. To help begin the separation of the two brands, Malene Wines has recently received a modified Airstream trailer to serve as a mobile tasting room.

Whereas Chamisal Vineyards is a brand focused on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with small production …

Egg Awareness, Hailee J. French

Agricultural Education and Communication

In 2008, Proposition 2 passed, forcing all egg producers in California to provide more room inside of cages to their laying hens. The Humane Society of the United States [HSUS] initiated this battle and won but, less than a decade later decided that still wasn’t enough room for the birds. HSUS is now pushing to have a new measure on the ballot in November 2018 forcing all egg producers in California to produce their eggs cage free.

This project will survey the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo campus to gauge the campus’s understanding of egg production in California. …

Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo’S New Dream Center: Bringing Awareness And Increasing Student And Staff Outreach Through Social Media, Brenda Itzel Garcia

Journalism

The following study investigates how using social media as a platform for Cal Poly’s new Dream Center will increase the percentage of outreach and promote awareness among students and staff.

The number of undocumented students on campus continues to grow every year since 2012 when former President, Barak Obama, first introduced introduced DACA. However out of 65,000 undocumented students who graduate high school in the United States, only 10% continue to pursue a higher education, and only 8% of those students actually complete and undergraduate degree.

The purpose of having a dream center is to increase the graduation rates, have …

Promoting Beneficial Social Media Use In Lonely College Students With Film, Francesca P. Ricapito

Journalism

This study explores the relationship between loneliness and approaches to social media in relation to college students at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Understanding why and how individuals engage with social networks can provide avenues into which they can establish online habits that are beneficial to their overall wellbeing. Qualitative data was gathered from interviews with two members of faculty and staff as well as four students, their responses recorded and interpreted as an essay film. Respondents expressed the need for awareness and mindfulness when approaching social media by periodically assessing their own activities and feelings while …

Modernizing A Podcast Media Organization Via Social And New Media Rebranding Methods, Randi A. Hair

Journalism

The following study and subsequent public relations campaign is intended to explore the difficulties, opportunities, caveats and all facets of transitioning a traditional travel media organization to new media. It unearths the pitfalls/barriers that naturally occur and aggregate over time when an organization or journalist (specifically “Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer” in this scenario) has not adapted nor altered their practices for changing common practices in the media industries. In this campaign, journalist Thomas Wilmer is seeking to increase his podcast audience and digital presence.

The research conducted for this study is two-fold. Firstly, the research demonstrates best practices …

Effects Of Para-Social Presence On The Consumer Decision Journey, Ayda Tahmasbi

Communication Studies

Para-social presence is investigated in this research study to determine its effects on the consumer decision journey. Attachment styles are also taken into consideration as a possible influence on establishing para-social presence. This study specifically looks at an internet personality’s social media platforms, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and her social media marketing efforts for the release of her new book, Almost Adulting. This study found statistically significant relationships between increasing level of para-social presence across Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Further, the study found that para-social presence has a positive correlation with consumers’ initial consideration, purchase decision, and post-purchase experience. Finally, …

Innovative Dance Music Productions: Social Media Marketing Campaign, Savannah M. Smith, Julia P. Melmon

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Transitioning College Media From Print Focused Business Models To Digitally Focused Business Models, Celina Oseguera

Journalism

The noticeable downturn in print advertising indicates a need for change in the news industry business model. College media is not immune to this decline and need for change. A change in business model calls for transitioning to an alternative system that does not primarily rely on print products and advertising — a digitally focused business model. Many college media organizations around the United States have started to pursue this type of model, changing the way they produce and present news in the process. Taking into account the state of print focused business models in the general and collegiate news …

The Effects Of Social Media On Public Consumption Of News, Journalism And Relationship Building In Public Relations, Heather E. Fissel

Journalism

This study presents information regarding the effects social media has had thus far on the consumption and understanding of news and current events in today’s society. It analyzes how social media has altered traditional news media and what literature predictions are for the future of the journalism profession. This study also presents information regarding how social media has affected public relations and the formation of relationships with stakeholders and publics. It analyzes what literature states on the subjects and takes a closer look at how technology has impacted journalism and public relations curriculum as well. Journalists are facing challenges because …

Mcv Wines Social Media Marketing Campaign: Successfully Marketing Wine To Millennials, Dillon Payne

Journalism

The following study investigates how to develop a commercial on a social media platform in order to advertise a product to millennials – in this study, wine is the product. The number of consumers is increasing as each year more and more millennials become 21 years old, thus being able to be the next and newest consumer of the wine industry. The campaign’s focus was to create a wine commercial for a tasting room called MCV Wines and market it on social media to see if millennials would be interested in purchasing wine after seeing the commercial. Withscholarly research, the …

A Rhetorical Criticism Of Blackfish: Making Waves In Orca Activism, Lindsay Beisheim

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Lust For Lulu: An Examination Of Lululemon Athletica's Marketing Authenticity And Branding, Sara Sousa

Communication Studies

Lululemon Athletica, a brand built upon the values of balance, harmony, and culture, has one of the most unique and modern methods of advertising of any retailer today, but sometimes being unique can either elevate a brand or bring it down in flames. The brand has experimented with many different advertisement campaigns as a way to engage consumers and promote a lifestyle; some have proven successful while others have stirred up controversy and turmoil for the brand. Honesty and authenticity are not only traits valued as human characteristics, they are also highly valued in the marketing and advertising realm. Marketing …

Public Relations In The Restaurant Industry: Using Visual Social Media To Increase Consumer Relationships, Carly M. Cady

Journalism

As daily social media usage grows, marketing through these platforms become increasingly important for public relations professionals. Instagram, one of the most popular social media platforms, provides a new way to instantaneously reach millions of potential customers through the use of visuals. However, with limited knowledge of this new public relations tool, standing out and creating a successful presence for your business is difficult. This study is to explore how visual social media, specifically Instagram, can be used to increase consumer knowledge in the restaurant industry.

Investigation of current literature regarding the topic and gathered opinions of industry professionals will …