Articles tagged with Social Media
A new study from the University of Surrey reveals that exposure to body-positive images on social media increases body satisfaction in both men and women, while idealized imagery decreases it. Body positivity is perceived as promoting plus-size bodies more than other characteristics, but can still be beneficial for all body types.
Lehigh University researcher Dominic DiFranzo is developing an AI-powered platform, Social Media TestDrive, to equip youth with skills to navigate social media safely. The platform uses conversational AI tools to provide instant feedback and interactive simulations, empowering students to be 'upstanders' against cyberbullying.
Researchers developed a predictive model to detect users and content related to Islamic State extremists on social media, identifying potential propaganda messages and their characteristics. The study's findings can help social media companies and law enforcement agencies track and prevent the spread of extremist propaganda.
New research from Aalto University reveals how disinformation and conspiracy theories persist despite external threats, bridging partisan divides only when shared democratic norms are condemned. The study found that social bubbles built on disinformation can be difficult to break, even in the face of dramatic events.
A new study by George Washington University researchers predicts an escalation of daily bad-actor AI activity globally by mid-2024, posing a significant threat to election results. The study provides the first quantitative analysis of the misuse of AI for disinformation during elections.
Researchers found that materialistic attitudes and passive social media use are associated with increased stress, addictive behavior, and decreased life satisfaction. This study suggests a downward spiral of materialism leading to negative mental health outcomes.
New Cornell University research examines how people form impressions about individuals from social media posts. The study found that viewers' ratings of Facebook users often differed significantly from the users' self-perceptions, particularly when updates included photos or links. Cultural norms also played a role in shaping these per...
A West Virginia University study found that teens' personality traits and social media platform use are linked to depressive symptoms. Teens with higher levels of extraversion tend to experience fewer depressive symptoms on Instagram, while those with lower extraversion may be at risk for more severe symptoms.
Researchers studied newspaper ads from Dust Bowl states in 1934 to understand how businesses and companies reached consumers during a dual crisis. The study found that essential services used informational approaches while nonessential services relied on sensory appeals, offering valuable lessons for current mass media during emergencies.
A study by University of Illinois professor Emily Van Duyn found that news media consumption can trigger conflicts in couples with differing political views. Couples often struggle to decide which media to follow, leading to disagreements over news sources and content. This conflict can also affect the relationship, causing individuals...
Researchers analyzed nearly three million tweets from 42,000 Ukrainian citizens and found a significant shift towards greater Ukrainian self-identification. The study indicates that many Russians who previously dominated Twitter have switched to tweeting predominantly in Ukrainian.
Research found mobile phone users process information faster but are more likely to fall for misinformation compared to personal computers. PC users, however, are more susceptible to phishing attempts, highlighting the importance of device-specific responses.
A study by Virginia Tech researchers found that medications used to treat Type 2 diabetes, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, can decrease cravings for alcohol and lead to reduced consumption in individuals with obesity. The findings add to a growing literature on the potential of GLP-1 agonists to curb dangerous drinking habits.
A Cornell University-led research finds that social media platforms and the metrics that reward content creators for revealing their innermost selves open them to identity-based harassment. Influencers use platform filtering systems and other strategies to manage vulnerabilities, but the authors caution that internet hate and harassmen...
A new study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health estimates that social media platforms generated nearly $11 billion in ad revenue from U.S.-based users younger than 18 in 2022. The study found that YouTube derived the greatest ad revenue from users under 18, followed by Instagram and Facebook.
A study found that viewers' perceptions of Facebook users differed from users' self-perceptions, with multimedia views being more accurate than text-only views. The findings highlight the importance of understanding online self-presentation and impression formation.
A new study found that fossil fuel companies rarely respond to online discussions about extreme weather, but instead engage with sustainability initiatives and corporate efforts. Climate misinformation can fuel denialism and delay action, emphasizing the need for understanding how it's designed and spread.
A new study by researchers at New York University found that searching online to evaluate the truthfulness of false news articles actually increases the probability of believing misinformation. This phenomenon is concentrated among individuals for whom search engines return lower-quality information.
The use of 'trip-killers' to shorten psychedelic drug trips is a growing concern among doctors, with benzodiazepines and antipsychotics being the most frequently recommended options. However, warnings about their potential side effects are rarely included, highlighting a need for greater awareness.
A new study on the role of polls in South Korea highlights the limitations of polling in a democratic society. The research finds that technology, methodology, intentions, and reporting can affect poll results, leading to a social construction of public opinion influenced by pollsters and media.
A study found that cutting daily social media use by 30 minutes per day improves job satisfaction, mental health, and reduces stress. Participants who reduced their social media time reported feeling less overworked, more committed to their jobs, and experiencing decreased Fear of Missing Out.
A study by Carnegie Mellon University found that using alternative data from smartphones is more effective in improving financial inclusion (23% better) and business profitability (42% better) compared to social media data. This approach can help microloan companies adopt cost-effective solutions and offset potential economic loss.
A new commentary in JAMA Pediatrics recommends improving adolescents' media information literacy skills and promoting inclusive content to combat health misinformation spread on social media. This approach aims to harness the potential of social media as a tool for positive connections and mental well-being.
Researchers developed a geoknowledge-guided GPT model that extracted location data from Hurricane Harvey tweets with an accuracy rate 76% better than default models. The model recognized complete location descriptions, enabling first responders to reach victims more quickly and potentially saving lives.
A UMass Lowell researcher has been awarded a nearly $1 million grant to study the effectiveness of extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) in preventing mass public shootings. The research aims to analyze how such laws impact gun violence and provide insights into data interpretation, social media behavior, and warning signs.
The Digital Media Overuse Scale (dMOS) is a new tool that measures digital media addiction, providing clinically relevant scores across various domains. Researchers found that overuse is typically reported in one or a few domains only, with social media being a significant concern.
Researchers found that social media influencers with distorted messages cause political parties to moderate their policies to win over independent voters. However, this leads to traditional media outlets becoming more extreme in their editorial positions, and citizens swayed by influencers growing more polarized.
Researchers at Union College found that viewing derogatory social media posts about mental health treatment can significantly impact attitudes towards treatment. Women who don't hold traditional views of femininity were particularly affected, reporting increased stigma against mental health treatment.
A systematic review of over 250 social media measures found frequent or daily social media use associated with higher odds of alcohol consumption, drug use, tobacco use, risky sexual behaviors, and anti-social behavior. Exposure to content such as alcohol advertising had the strongest evidence of harm.
A study led by Keck School of Medicine of USC used AI detection technology to analyze influencer content on TikTok between 2019 and 2022, finding an increase in posts that promote e-cigarettes. The prevalence of pod devices, e-juice flavor names, and nicotine warning labels increased significantly over time.
The study examines how social media comments influenced the public's perception of the war in Ukraine, focusing on age, gender, and ethnicity. It reveals how women are framed as symbols of national identity, with women from opposing sides being demonized or portrayed as weak.
The American Psychological Association's new report outlines several effective ways to combat misinformation, including systemic approaches like legislation and technology standards. Individual strategies focus on changing behaviors, such as debunking false claims, teaching digital literacy, and promoting critical thinking.
Smartphone usage patterns differ substantially between urban and rural populations, with urban users favoring social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. In contrast, rural users tend to use Facebook and Snapchat, suggesting that environment influences smartphone behavior.
Sydney researchers have identified new structural relationships in complex networks like Twitter and political blogs. A 'source-basin' structure plays a crucial role in organizing the flow of information, with influential nodes serving as sources and densely connected active nodes forming basins.
Researchers from RMIT University found that Australians aged 20 to 40 years old take more selfies than teenagers and older Australians. Older participants used their smartphones for functional purposes like capturing information at work, whereas teenage participants preferred taking photos during exciting events or with friends.
Virginia Tech researchers analyzed partisan media sentiment toward AI and found that liberal-leaning media tend to have a more negative tone than conservative media. The study suggests that this opposition can be attributed to concerns over AI amplifying existing social biases, such as racial and income disparities.
Research from the University of Bath found that cognitive abilities such as memory and verbal fluency were correlated with voting decisions. The study suggests that low cognitive ability makes people more susceptible to misinformation and disinformation, contributing to the Leave vote.
A study from the University of Gothenburg and University West found that social media users engage in 'nostalgizing' to relive memories and emotions. The platforms' advanced features, such as personalized photo albums and reminders, facilitate nostalgic experiences, leading to a decrease in new content posting.
Researchers have successfully mapped thousands of animal species in Bangladesh using social media posts, significantly improving habitat conservation. The study also highlights opportunities for social media companies to automate biodiversity data collection, making it easier for scientists to access and utilize.
A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that AI's deep convolutional neural networks can identify faces but struggle to capture other important information like emotional state and trustworthiness. Brain activity scans revealed a weak correlation between AI's codes and human brain represent...
A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour found that the US Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision led to an increase in public support for abortion rights, with 2.4 percentage points more respondents believing abortion should be legal for women who choose to have one.
A digital detox for a week had mixed effects on mood, with no increase in desires to use social media platforms. The study found that reducing social networking site use led to decreases in both positive and negative emotions in users.
A new study by the University of Notre Dame found that viewers tend to tip less and chat more when they see others receiving higher tips, leading to a 'crowding-out' effect. This behavior is driven by the pursuit of social status and can be mitigated by splitting crowded livestreams into smaller virtual sessions.
A new study found that social media platforms restrict user-generated content and advertising related to illegal muscle-building drugs but offer few restrictions on legal dietary supplements. This has raised concerns about the potential negative effects of these products on young people's health and behavior.
A new study from Carnegie Mellon University found that men are less eager and likely to share negative information than women, while sharing positive news shows no difference. The study suggests that this may be due to a greater concern among men over how others perceive them, leading to a tendency to self-promote.
A survey of social media posts suggests that people are more positive about nature-based efforts to protect carbon-storing ecosystems than human technological solutions. The study found that tree-planting solutions, such as afforestation, received the most approval, while geoengineering was associated with negative sentiments.
Researchers describe the use of ripretinib and repeated surgical resection in a patient with recurrent GIST harboring a KIT exon 11 mutation. The treatment led to extended clinical benefit, outperforming current reported data from ripretinib clinical trials.
A new study found that people's reported media preferences often don't match their actual news consumption, highlighting the need for more accurate measurement. The researchers also discovered that those with divergent media preferences tend to visit similar online news outlets, challenging common assumptions about media polarization.
Researchers found that FAAH inhibition reduced breast cancer growth in immunodeficient mice and induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells. The combination of FAAH inhibitors and endocannabinoids was the most effective treatment approach.
A new study found that high-peace countries are characterized by an increased prevalence of words related to optimism for the future and fun, while low-peace countries feature more references to control and fear. The research used a machine learning model to identify these linguistic patterns in media articles from 18 countries.
Two studies reveal emerging awareness of the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline among policymakers and the general public. However, knowledge and use of the lifeline vary significantly based on mental health status, with those in serious distress more likely to have heard of and used the service.
Michele Starnini and colleagues studied two online communities on Reddit: GreatAwakening and FatPeopleHate. Despite deplatforming, these communities became more resilient due to their engaged members who migrated to Voat, a new platform.
A study by Washington State University found that viewing objectified images of female fitness influencers can negatively impact mental health, especially among younger women. However, a positive message such as 'Love your body' can mitigate this harm and boost self-compassion in the short term.
A new study by researchers at City, University of London found that alt-tech platforms like Gettr are increasingly important for facilitating far-right political discussions. The study shows that users banned from Twitter are up to six times more active on Gettr, sharing toxic content and aligning with far-right news outlets.
A new study analyzes Twitter discussions on deepfakes related to the Russian invasion, highlighting negative reactions and positive sentiments towards deepfakes. The researchers found that some users' distrust in real videos increased after exposure to deepfakes.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that exposure to norm-violating rhetoric from politicians like Donald Trump can reduce support for certain core democratic principles. The researchers found that Trump supporters who were shown his antidemocratic tweets indicated less support for partici...
A first-ever study of wartime deepfakes examines the effects of artificially manipulated audio-visual content on news media and user trust during the Russian-Ukrainian war. The research found that fears of deepfakes often undermine users' trust in authentic footage, and efforts to raise awareness may even cause more harm.
A collected sample of 30 million Indian tweets revealed 2% containing misogynistic language, with rates rising during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used a taxonomy to classify online misogyny and measured its prevalence in India.
A study by University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers found that crowdfunding platforms create a sense of democracy, but backers often come from similar groups and give to projects they find cool. This limits the democratizing potential of crowdfunding.
Researchers from Drexel University's Autism Institute found that most TikTok videos providing information on autism were inaccurate or overgeneralized. Healthcare professionals' content was more likely to include accurate information, while personal experience-based videos were not coded in the study.