Research on social media and its effects on people. Covers sleep and mood, body image, self-objectification, and the platforms' wider social impact.
Research from uOttawa's Telfer School of Management reveals that consumers distrust super-influencers with high follower counts and instead engage more with smaller creators promoting sponsored content. This is attributed to the size of these micro-influencers, which fosters a stronger sense of trust with their audience.
Kids are missing out on local content due to algorithmic curation and platform interfaces. Researchers found US-based global streaming video platforms like Netflix and YouTube restrict children's access to available local options.
A study published in Scientific Reports suggests that emphasizing positive messages within a party is more effective for political communication on social media, fostering a cohesive and supportive online community. This approach counters the negative effect of out-party hostility, promoting engagement and constructive dialogue.
Research published by the American Psychological Association found that digital switching, such as swiping through videos, actually increases boredom and reduces satisfaction with content. Participants reported feeling less engaged when watching a single video versus rapidly switching through multiple short videos.
Research collaboration highlights social media's detrimental effects on nature, including disrupted breeding patterns and trampling of endangered plant species. However, the study also emphasizes photography as a powerful tool for conservation and education.
A new study by Lancaster University highlights that women are more likely than men to experience 'digital overload' and burnout due to their greater use of digital technologies in both work and family lives. The research emphasizes the need for gender-egalitarian work-from-home arrangements and policies to address this issue.
Researchers created Mindful Scroll, a mobile app that uses geometric shapes and soothing colours to encourage mindfulness. The app reduces anxiety and increases mindfulness in users, promoting healthier scrolling habits.
Environmental researchers at NUS use social media and deep learning to classify human activities in nature reserves, analyzing 87,090 photos from 2,813 PAs across 207 countries. The technique demonstrates utility in monitoring land use patterns efficiently and cost-effectively.
A new study by Charles Sturt University in Australia found that exposure to pro-anorexia content on TikTok leads to decreased body image satisfaction and increased internalization of beauty standards. Women who spend more time on the app are also more likely to experience disordered eating behaviors.
A study found that farmers in both countries rely on interpersonal meetings, social media, and mass media for technology adoption, with social media playing a more significant role in Brazil. The researchers suggest that understanding the complex process of technology adoption can help tech companies reach potential customers.
A new study found that meeting partners online is positively linked to relationship success among those who have social media presence on their relationships. However, the link was absent among individuals without this social media presence, particularly in marital relationships.
A team from Doshisha University has developed two approaches to generate adversarial examples for image cropping, achieving significant reductions in perturbation sizes. The white-box approach manipulates gaze saliency maps to produce effective images, while the black-box approach uses Bayesian optimization to target specific regions.
Research found social media polls to be biased in terms of content, authorship, and audience. The polls' accuracy is further compromised by the use of bot farms and astroturfing campaigns to manipulate results.
A study of Reddit comments on ChatGPT's launch reveals the tech community is more strongly divided in their opinions about AI. While non-tech discussions focus on social issues like job replacement, tech-centric subreddits have more focused and opinionated debates.
Researchers developed a rumor propagation model inspired by nuclear reactions to simulate the spread of misinformation online. The model identifies similarities between rumor spreading and fission, highlighting the importance of individual behavior, education, and real-time monitoring in mitigating false information.
Researchers found that when given accurate information about the anti-Mullerian hormone test, women had less interest in taking the test compared to those who viewed misleading online claims. The study highlights the importance of providing evidence-based information to women seeking fertility treatment.
Researchers found correlations between MIF and DDT levels with patient survival outcomes in melanoma patients. Higher CD74:MIF and CD74:DDT levels were associated with improved survival and enrichment of inflammatory markers.
A new study in Frontiers in Medicine found that individuals who perceive conflict among experts about health recommendations have significantly lower trust in health information provided by government health agencies. Doctors were the most trusted source of information, with high trust reported by 95% of respondents.
A new study by University of Essex's Dr Alexandros Antoniou exposes dark arts used by rogue influencers, including promo-masquerade, risk-fluence, mone-trapment, and stereo-scripting. He calls for a new regulatory framework and certification scheme to ensure clear expectations and boundaries in the influencer industry.
Researchers found a significant association between the KIT M541L variant and mastocytosis diagnosis in patients with systemic and cutaneous mastocytosis. The variant was identified in 19 individuals, mostly diagnosed with systemic mastocytosis, but without significant differences in symptomatology.
The study analyzed comments on Sina Weibo to understand the public response to China's three-child supportive measures. Positive attitudes emerged towards housing subsidies and financial incentives, while negative responses were linked to extended maternity leave concerns.
A new study published in the Journal of Marketing explores how daylight saving time affects consumer behavior. The research found that the transition leads to increased negative sentiment and impaired self-control, resulting in unhealthy behaviors such as reduced calorie intake from snacks and decreased fitness center visits.
A phase II clinical trial found that combining sEphB4-HSA with pembrolizumab improved outcomes in HPV-negative, EphrinB2-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. The combination showed a favorable toxicity profile and activity, particularly among those with HNSCC.
A new national study found that leaving phone notifications on leads to less sleep compared to turning the phone off or keeping it outside the bedroom. Adolescents are highly sensitive to phone notifications, which can disrupt their sleep patterns.
Researchers highlight DDX41's distinct contribution to myeloid neoplasms with germline predisposition. The discovery sheds light on unique pathogenesis and disease phenotype associated with DDX41 variants.
A new study reveals significant discrepancies in the effectiveness of political ads on Facebook and Instagram, favoring more extremist groups. Over 70% of parties used user profiling in their ads, and the far-right AfD proved to be the most effective, with ads almost six times more efficient than competitors.
A recent study found that habitual doomscrolling on social media can lead to feelings of existential anxiety, pessimism about human nature, and distrust. Researchers surveyed 800 university students from Iran and the US, discovering a link between excessive negative news consumption and increased anxiety, despair, and misanthropy.
A new tool has been developed to compare gender inequality among different US states, revealing substantial gender disparities across the country. States with higher gender inequality scores tend to have lower measures of women's wellbeing and fewer tweets about the #MeToo movement.
Trusted UK TV doctors are being 'deepfaked' to sell scam products on social media, preying on people's emotions and making it difficult to distinguish authentic videos from fake ones. Experts warn of the growing threat of deepfake fraud in the healthcare sector.
Researchers from Radboud University Medical Center discuss the potential of using early on-treatment circulating tumor DNA measurements as a response assessment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The detection of ctDNA at baseline and 4-weeks after treatment initiation can predict response durability to first-line ARPIs.
Researchers discuss HER2 in breast cancer, highlighting the prognostic and predictive factors. They found an independent positive prognostic effect of HER2-low compared to HER2-zero in early breast cancer, challenging the long-held view that HER2-negative tumors do not benefit from trastuzumab-based therapy.
A study found that Americans tend to believe their opponents approve of widely agreed-upon moral wrongs, fueling partisan divides. This bias, known as the basic morality bias, can lead to dehumanization and decreased willingness to work with opposing parties.
Research by the University of Massachusetts Amherst team found that social media polls consistently predicted a landslide election win for Trump in both 2016 and 2020 presidential contests. The polls were predominantly crafted by males with a bias for Trump, and purchasing votes from troll farms was common.
The study compared FDG-PET/CT and CT for evaluating treatment response in unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. The results showed that both imaging modalities provided accurate findings for tumor response evaluation, with high concordance between the two methods.
Researchers discuss the use of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in treating biologically aggressive tumors, such as uterine serous carcinoma. The ADC T-DXd has shown remarkable preclinical activity against primary USC cells lines and xenografts overexpressing HER2/neu.
A short-term reduction in leisure-time screen media use within families was found to positively affect psychological symptoms of children and adolescents. This effect was particularly notable in mitigating internalizing behavioral issues and enhancing prosocial behavior.
A new study from University of Vermont researchers finds that Taylor Swift's disclosures about her past eating disorder have a mostly positive influence on her fans' attitudes towards body image and disordered eating. Fans who felt connected to Swift were inspired to change their behaviors or attitudes around eating or their body image...
A study published in the Journal of School Violence found that over 9-12% of 13-17 year olds in the US engaged in digital self-harm between 2019 and 2021. The research highlights the need for targeted interventions to address this growing issue.
A study of 2,001 American adults found that cryptocurrency ownership is associated with belief in conspiracy theories, support for political extremism, and the 'Dark Tetrad' of personality traits. Fringe social media sources are also a key predictor of crypto ownership.
A sociological study found that most young adults experience confusion in choosing life-partners, with women more likely to report this than men. The pervasiveness of social media and digital dating can distort the reality of available candidates, leading to impulsiveness and decreased in-person interactions.
Researchers analyzed live-streams of hurricanes and storms, finding that people in affected areas used streams to discuss official risk advice and show support to impacted regions. The study highlights the importance of understanding how new technologies influence hazard risk perception and community engagement.
A new editorial paper discusses molecular and cytogenetic analyses used to identify distinct subtypes of acute myeloid leukemias (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Researchers found that around 15% of AML cases remain genetically unclassifiable, emphasizing the need for further research.
A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that increased social media usage 18 months into the pandemic had a negative effect on college students' mental health. Students who spent more time on social media were more likely to experience depression and anxiety.
A study found that large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT underperform state-of-the-art detectors but can explain their analysis in plain language. LLMs' semantic knowledge makes them well-suited for detecting deepfakes, providing a common sense understanding of reality.
A recent study analyzed 333,635 English tweets on man-made climate change, identifying four main narratives and common stances on the topic. The analysis highlights the challenges of addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, as well as the need to counter misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Researchers found that ants need three main things to succeed when hitchhiking: climbing ability, foraging/colonizing behaviors, and temperature tolerance. The study tracked the spread of invasive ants through non-commercial transport on personal vehicles, highlighting a significant threat to native species.
Researchers found that individuals with positive schizotypy are more likely to share false political information on social media, particularly when motivated to raise awareness. This study suggests that understanding the psychological characteristics of those who spread misinformation can inform targeted strategies to combat its spread.
A study by LMU researchers reveals systematic bias in how political ads are delivered on Facebook and Instagram. The platforms' targeting systems favor campaign ads promoting incendiary issues, leading to unequal reach for different parties.
A study published in Health Communication found that adults who looked to a person they knew, such as a friend or relative, for good health inspiration had greater motivation to reach their health goals. The women participants were more likely to choose a personal role model rather than a celebrity.
A study conducted by Oregon Health & Science University and Lewis & Clark College found that increasing melanoma literacy combined with strengthening skin-check confidence is key to increasing early detection. Social media ads were used to boost knowledge and confidence, leading to improved survival rates when melanoma is caught early.
Researchers found a consistent positive relation between social media use and vaccination across all major political parties. For Democrats, social media exposure predicted greater vaccine uptake due to increased information about new pathogens. For Republicans, believing others were vaccinated was the key factor.
Researchers have developed procedures for using gold nanostars to perform more efficient, conformal, and safe laser ablations for treating brain tumors. This technique addresses limitations in traditional LITT by providing improved precision for lesions greater than 3 cm or with complex shapes.
Researchers discuss primary hepatic angiosarcoma, a rare mesenchymal liver tumor, and its poor prognosis compared to hepatocellular carcinoma. Diagnosing PHA is critical due to its similar clinical presentation to HCC.
Researchers analyzed three tumor markers for associations with radiographic response and clinical outcomes in NSCLC patients. The study found that CEA, CA-125, and CA-19-9 were associated with progression and radiographic responses in NSCLC.
A study by UniSA found that half of AFL fans had witnessed racist 'barracking' such as name calling at matches compared to 36% of NRL fans and 27% of A-League fans. Only 3% of AFL fans reported incidents through the phone-text hotline.
Researchers identify key factors that determine when melanoma metastasizes, shedding light on optimal treatment strategies. Understanding tumor doubling time and risk assessment can help clinicians select high-risk patients who may benefit from adjuvant systemic therapy.
A study by Technical University of Munich found that Russian social media campaigns had a limited impact on the European public, with most people believing the disinformation being spread. The decisive factor in efficacy was whether a person is fundamentally receptive to conspiracy narratives.
A study found that responses with both visual and tactile feedback were most effective in conveying emotions on social media. Participants experienced greater feelings of support and approval when receiving tactile emoticons compared to visual-only feedback alone.
Influencers who disable social media comments are perceived as less sincere, less receptive to consumer feedback, and incur professional consequences. This behavior can undermine their ability to connect with followers, even when the displayed comments are mostly negative in nature.
Researchers identify UBE2J1's role in degrading the androgen receptor, a key player in prostate cancer progression. The study suggests targeting this ubiquitination machinery may help overcome antiandrogen resistance in cancer therapy.