Articles tagged with Social Media
A study by University of Sydney neuroscientists found that people's brains can detect AI-generated fake faces with a 54% accuracy rate. However, verbal identification was only successful 37% of the time, highlighting the potential for using brain activity to flag deepfakes on digital platforms.
A new study teaches teenagers to reframe their stress responses from negative to positive driving forces. The intervention improves stress-linked health outcomes, including biological responses, psychological well-being, anxiety symptoms, and academic performance in high-stress environments.
Theatre productions have been shown to promote positive body image in young children by improving body appreciation scores and increasing unique qualities perception. The study evaluated the impact of a body-positive production on 99 children aged 5-9, finding significant improvements in both boys' and girls' body image attitudes.
Researchers analyzed 4,000 Facebook posts to understand how clickbait influences user engagement. They found that both headlines and text can 'bait' users into interacting with a post, with some techniques more successful than others.
Researchers analyzed 47,112 Reddit comments to identify elements of tone and style linked to hyperpartisan echo chambers. Language features such as strong emotion, familiarity pronouns, and face-to-face conversation markers are common in hyperpartisan comments.
Researchers found that partisans tend to justify their own party's falsehoods and view those of opposing parties as unacceptable. The study suggests that this partisan charitability can be driven by a desire for trustworthiness within one's own group, but not necessarily outside it.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a new method to detect deepfakes, using self-blended images that improve detection accuracy by 5-12%. The team created novel synthesized images with controlled artifacts to train algorithms and found significant improvements in detecting deepfake images and videos.
During the pandemic, people used social media to bond with friends and family, learn new skills, and stay active. Social media use increased across all demographics, with significant increases among females and 18-24 year-olds, highlighting its potential as a source of social support.
A retrospective study found over 40,000 Twitter users used pandemic misinformation hashtags in 220,000 tweets. By January 2021, a fifth of these accounts were suspended by Twitter.
A UCI-led study found that repeated exposure to hurricanes is associated with symptoms of post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and fear. Repeated threat exposure disrupts the natural healing process, potentially leading to a mental health crisis.
Researchers found that user-initiated corrections with reliable sources consistently helped users reject fake news. Individuals with higher health anxiety and conservative political stance were more susceptible to misinformation. The study encourages social media users to correct fake news they see online if they have a reliable source.
A new study reveals that a high proportion of posts on #mediterraneandiet are confusing and inaccurate, with only 53% of posters listing health credentials. The study emphasizes the need for strategies to communicate about nutrition and counter misinformation online.
A new study from Carnegie Mellon University found that tweeting about an open-source project on GitHub increases its popularity by 7% and attracts more contributors. The researchers also identified characteristics of high-impact tweets and the type of people likely attracted to a project by Twitter posts.
Researchers from the University of Bath and Lancaster found that popular scales measuring technology use are related and poorly defined, failing to confirm 'addictive' behaviors. This calls into question current measures of digital technology use and its links to mental health and wellbeing.
Researchers found that increasing the influencer marketing budget increases consumer engagement, but firms are allocating budgets sub-optimally. Selecting influencers who post original content and have more followers leads to greater effectiveness.
Researchers found a clear tendency for people to assign idealized attributes to their online avatars, particularly regarding psychological traits. This phenomenon suggests that internet users often present an idealized version of themselves, with significant differences between actual and ideal self-representations.
A study led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health analyzed health care workers' motivations for vaccination and how they share their experiences on social media. The findings suggest that emphasizing 'freedom from fear' and addressing misinformation can be effective in reducing vaccine hesitancy.
A new study from Trinity College Dublin suggests that teenagers who spend a 'goldilocks amount' of time online may have better mental wellbeing. The research found that low engagement with digital media is also associated with poor mental health outcomes for adolescents, while high engagement predicts worse mental health outcomes.
A University of Utah-led study found a surge in anti-Asian hate language on Twitter between January and March 2020, with clusters of hateful tweets spreading across the US. The researchers identified 15 geographic regions where anti-Asian hate was statistically higher than expected.
Researchers found that anticipating future stress related to elections can affect people's emotional well-being before anything has happened. Education was shown to help protect individuals against these stresses, even for those actively engaged in the political process.
A research team has developed a self-learning user stance embedding computational model to understand and predict online user stances and polarising views. The model aims to infer psychological foundations about individuals' values, personalities, attitudes, and moral judgments about contentious topics.
A recent study on Reddit climate debates found little evidence of echo chambers, instead revealing a mix of polarized discussions and deliberate debate. The researchers analyzed over 18,000 posts and 267,000 comments from 93,850 users to examine topics, information sources, and community dynamics.
A study by University of Alberta researchers found that language related to depression on social media did not increase in response to COVID-19 waves, but rather decreased as people adapted. Instead, they found spikes in language related to the Black Lives Matter movement and other global events.
A recent study found that social media is a powerful tool for cities to communicate and collect information during emergencies. The research analyzed data from 23 Florida counties and their use of social media during Hurricane Irma, finding that many counties struggled with managing multiple social media accounts and correcting bad inf...
A new study found that COVID-19 restrictions in Italy led to a significant increase in relative mobility over seven months, with people spending more time outside and moving around. The researchers analyzed Facebook and Google data from 20 Italian provinces between November 2020 and May 2021.
A study found that people experience a dissociative state when scrolling through social media, leading researchers to design an app that promotes user control and attention. The app, Chirp, incorporates features such as lists and pop-up surveys to help users stay focused.
Analysis of 136,000 films and TV shows reveals increased mentions of STEM, arts, sports, and entertainment occupations, while manual labor and military professions have decreased. The study provides insights into media depictions of professions over time.
A UK survey found that much of the public value of academic research is overlooked in official 'impact' assessments. Researchers use social media to engage with their audience, often through ongoing feedback loops and collaborations, but these are not accounted for in the current system.
Alternative credit scoring systems present challenges not covered by existing regulations, leaving many Americans unable to access the credit system. These systems can be opaque and ripe for abusive lending practices, making it difficult for consumers to contest erroneous information.
Researchers at New York University found that positive tweets about vaccines precede increases in vaccination rates, while negative tweets follow decreases. The study uses big data analytics and natural language processing to track vaccine-related topics and sentiment scores.
A Swedish study of over 9,000 children found that playing video games increased their intelligence by 2.5 IQ points compared to TV-watching or social media. The study controlled for genetic differences and socioeconomic background, suggesting a positive effect of video games on cognitive abilities.
Researchers developed an algorithm to identify users' basic needs from their Instagram posts, images, and captions. The study analyzed 86 profiles in Spanish and Persian, achieving promising accuracy and complementary information between visual and textual cues.
A new study by New York University's Center for Social Media and Politics found that labeling credible sources does not shift people away from low-quality information or reduce misperceptions. However, providing credibility indicators may improve the news diet quality of heavy misinformation consumers.
A study by Jeffrey Hall found that face-to-face interaction has declined uniformly across the US, Great Britain, and Australia since before the rise of social media. This decline is attributed to increased work hours and media consumption, rather than a displacement effect.
Researchers analyzed 364 social media posts by six German-speaking influencers and found that 75% of the featured food and drinks were high in salt, fat, or sugar, exceeding World Health Organization advertising standards for children. Chocolate and sweets were the most commonly posted about products.
A new study published in Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking found that taking a one-week break from social media can lead to significant improvements in wellbeing, depression and anxiety. Participants who took a break reported improved mood and reduced symptoms of anxiety compared to those who continued using social media.
A new framework for classifying content and trigger warnings has been developed based on analysis of 32 countries and 10 different sectors. The framework categorizes warnings by theme (e.g. violence, language) and media type.
A new grant will help Missouri parents make informed decisions about vaccinating their children against various diseases. The grant aims to provide factual, evidence-based information to address common concerns and promote public health outcomes.
A new study highlights the importance of addressing Africa's unique media landscape in combating misinformation. Pavement media, including discussions in marketplaces and social spaces, play a key role in spreading false information.
A Rutgers expert has developed a free comment moderation tool, FilterBuddy, to help professional content creators protect themselves and their audiences from abusive comments. The tool uses keyword filtering to tag and quarantine potentially offensive comments before they become public.
Research by Adam Fetterman at the University of Houston found that publicly admitting mistakes on Facebook leads to more positive online impressions. This is because humility, openness and honesty are perceived as important traits in online interactions.
A study by Politecnico di Milano and Indiana University found a statistically significant association between online misinformation and vaccination hesitancy in the US. In states with high misinformation, lower vaccination coverage was observed.
A new study found that older adults are no more likely to fall for fake news than younger adults, except for those aged 70 and above. Analytical reasoning skills and positive affect impact detection ability, with 'shallow' information processing increasing vulnerability to deception.
A recent study from Emory University found that people who self-report non-medical prescription drug use (NMPDU) express more negative emotions and less positive emotions on social media compared to those who do not, and that NMPDU tweets are highly polarized
Research reveals a 23% increase in online incivility among Congresspeople from 2009-2019, with more inflammatory tweets receiving more likes and retweets. Politicians who received reinforcing feedback from likes and retweets subsequently engaged in more uncivil tweeting.
A study from the University of Illinois Chicago explores key themes and topics from COVID-19 vaccine-related tweets, identifying changes in public attitudes towards vaccination and concerns about effectiveness. The research provides insights for policymakers to frame policies and programs to accelerate vaccine uptake.
Researchers developed a new set of privacy-preserving tools to automatically detect and filter spam on WhatsApp. These tools can safeguard users' privacy without compromising on safety goals.
A study examines adolescent perspectives on TikTok's mental health benefits and risks, including how the algorithm enables unique connections with peers around interests and mental health struggles. Participants also discussed excessive use, peer comparison, and challenges in regulating their TikTok use.
Research found that people are less likely to collaborate with those who signal their wealth and social status. In contrast, modesty can be a strategic advantage in cooperation-based social situations.
A new study finds that public praise energizes essential workers, while those who don't receive it experience negative emotions and poor coping mechanisms. Essential workers in less visible fields like corrections officers face significant challenges due to lack of appreciation.
A new study published by the American Psychological Association found that people are more likely to forgive and spread misinformation if they believe it might become true in the future. Participants imagined how false statements could eventually become true, making them less likely to rate the statement as unethical.
The partnership between pharma companies and patient influencers has raised concerns about the potential risks and benefits. While some see it as a way to improve disease awareness and treatment options, others worry about misinformation and advertising blurring the lines between opinion and ad content.
A recent study by the University of Rochester found that mobility patterns can be predicted with surprising accuracy based on data collected from acquaintances, even if individual users turn off their own location tracking. The researchers discovered that up to 95% of an individual's movement pattern can be inferred from people they ar...
The University of Missouri has received a grant to help nurses discuss COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy with their communities. The project will equip nursing students with knowledge and confidence to promote public health through effective communication strategies.
A new study provides insights for managing brand authenticity, diverging from conventional conceptualizations. Marketing managers need an analytical approach to understand cultural meanings and contradictions underlying authenticity challenges.
A study found that crowdfunding campaigns are most successful when promoted on social media during the first 10 days. The researchers analyzed data from GoFundMe and found that donation patterns follow three phases, with a surge in donations as the goal is approached. However, they also discovered that slacktivism can occur when people...
A Simon Fraser University study found that Google's autocomplete subtitles for 37 conspiracy theorists were never consistent with their behavior. The labels often normalized individuals who spread misinformation and harm to minority groups. Researchers call for Google to review these subtitles to better inform the public.
A new study measures the happiness benefits of US city parks in the 25 largest cities, finding a powerful effect from urban nature on users. Park size and accessibility emerged as key predictors of happiness.
A recent study analyzing traditional and social media trends on biotechnology found a significant drop in the salience of the GMO issue between 2018 and 2020. The research suggests that misinformation about GMOs is losing its ability to persuade, even on social media.
A new study by North Carolina State University found that Facebook's interest profiling process is not accurate, resulting in targeted ads that may not align with users' actual interests. Researchers discovered that even simple activities like scrolling through a page can lead to inaccurate interest inference.