Why Do People Share Ideologically Extreme, False, and Misleading Content on Social Media? A Self-Report and Trace Data–Based Analysis of Countermedia Content Dissemination on Facebook and Twitter

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby Hopp ◽  
Patrick Ferrucci ◽  
Chris J Vargo
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
News Media ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Trace Data ◽  
Content Sharing ◽  
Incorrect Information

Abstract Recently, substantial attention has been paid to the spread of highly partisan and often factually incorrect information (i.e., so-called “fake news”) on social media. In this study, we attempt to extend current knowledge on this topic by exploring the degree to which individual levels of ideological extremity, social trust, and trust in the news media are associated with the dissemination of countermedia content, or web-based, ideologically extreme information that uses false, biased, misleading, and hyper-partisan claims to counter the knowledge produced by the mainstream news media. To investigate these possible associations, we used a combination of self-report survey data and trace data collected from Facebook and Twitter. The results suggested that sharing countermedia content on Facebook is positively associated with ideological extremity and negatively associated with trust in the mainstream news media. On Twitter, we found evidence that countermedia content sharing is negatively associated with social trust.

Multidimensional Mappings of Political Accounts for Malicious Political Socialbot Identification

2019 ◽  
pp. 263-348
Author(s):  
Shalin Hai-Jew
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Information Warfare ◽  
Russian Government ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Sharing ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
Strategic Messaging ◽  
Geographical Locations ◽  
The U.S

Malicious political socialbots used to sway public opinion regarding the U.S. government and its functions have been identified as part of a larger information warfare effort by the Russian government. This work asks what is knowable from a web-based sleuthing approach regarding the following four factors: 1) the ability to identify malicious political socialbot accounts based on their ego neighborhoods at 1, 1.5, and 2 degrees; 2) the ability to identify malicious political socialbot accounts based on the claimed and linked geographical locations of their accounts, their ego neighborhoods, and their #hashtag networks; 3) the ability to identify malicious political socialbot accounts based on their strategic messaging (content, sentiment, and language structures) on respective social media platforms; and 4) the ability to identify and describe “maliciousness” in malicious political socialbot accounts based on observable behaviors on that account on three social media platform types: (a) microblogging, (b) social networking, and (c) crowd-sourced encyclopedia content sharing.

scholarly journals Information Source, Media Credibility, and Epidemic Control in COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Yuanyuan Liu ◽  
Xiaojing Li
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
News Media ◽  
Information Disclosure ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Error Recovery ◽  
Public Trust ◽  
Epidemic Control ◽  
The Public ◽  
Media Types

Based on classic media theories and typical case studies, this paper analyzed the main media types and information sources in COVID-19 infections and the impacts on media trust and social trust, as well as the effects on public health prevention and national epidemic control. It found that news media, social media, aggregated media, medical media, and government media were the five main media types people used in this pandemic. News media performed well on professionalism, timeliness, closeness to public, and social support. Aggregated media and medical media also deserved public trust on error recovery, closeness to public, unselfishness, etc. The fake news on social media, inconsistent data, and information disclosure lag impaired public trust on media. Medical media promoted the health preventive behavior of the public. News media greatly influenced the agenda setting, public opinion, and national epidemic control in the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Learning from mistakes on social media

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 453-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Edwards ◽  
Damian Roland
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Knowledge Translation ◽  
The Other ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
East Midlands ◽  
Access Information ◽  
Incorrect Information

BackgroundClinicians in the emergency care specialties often access information via social media (SM) to supplement their learning. The rapid and user-centred dissemination of information via SM speeds knowledge translation and means unnoticed errors may propagate quickly. East Midlands Emergency Medicine Educational Media is a UK web-based resource that produces emergency medicine-related learning materials. In October 2018, we inadvertently shared two sets of incorrect learning materials via SM because of a non-intentional mistake. We highlight how these errors were perpetuated and then corrected.MethodIn October 2018, two separate posts were published on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Reddit. One was an incorrect ECG where a paced rhythm was published instead of an ECG of hypocalcaemia; the other was incorrect information contained within an infographic. We reviewed the analytics of the posts, on each of the SM platforms.ResultsThe ECG mistake was picked up on Facebook 40 hours after posting by a follower. The infographic mistake was picked up on Reddit, within 3 hours. Despite these mistakes, and their correction, they continued to be shared on both Twitter and Facebook. The posts reached over 15 000 people.ConclusionHighlighting errors in educational content shared on SM is rarely reported in academic literature. We feel disclosure, and adding an update to the post is the best methodology to amend errors. We invite debate on a strategy to elucidate the number of errors in medical educational resources shared via SM and strategies on how to correct and improve them.

scholarly journals Exploring the Characteristics and Behaviors of Nurses Who Have Attained Microcelebrity Status on Instagram: Content Analysis

10.2196/16540 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. e16540
Author(s):  
Hanna Kerr ◽  
Richard Booth ◽  
Kimberley Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Background Instagram is a social media platform that enables users to share images and videos worldwide. Some nurses have used Instagram to document their experiences as a nurse and have subsequently gained microcelebrity status—that is, a user who purposefully seeks to amass a substantive Web-based following and has become recognized as a niche area of interest. Objective This study aimed to identify the characteristics and behaviors of microcelebrity nurses who act as influencers on Instagram and use their nursing profile to gain attention and presence on the Web. Methods A qualitative, exploratory, nonparticipatory content analysis of media and text generated by a purposeful sample of 10 registered nurses who use Instagram and sustain a definable microcelebrity status was conducted. In this study, manifest and latent data were examined to gain an understanding of the characteristics and behaviors of nurses who have attained microcelebrity status on Instagram. Results Data analysis revealed 5 themes of Instagram posts: (1) engaging Instagram users, (2) educational opportunities and insights, (3) nursing-related humor, (4) emotions experienced by nurses, and (5) media and narratives including patient details or work context. Messages were primarily positive in nature; however, multiple potential privacy, ethical, and professional issues were noted throughout the posted content. Conclusions The findings of this study help to expand the current knowledge related to the use of social media platforms such as Instagram, especially in regard to the emergence of nurses who use this form of technology to achieve or maintain a microcelebrity status. This study calls for additional research on nurses’ attainment of microcelebrity status on social media as well as further policy development to adequately prepare nurses to navigate social media.

scholarly journals Exploring the Characteristics and Behaviors of Nurses Who Have Attained Microcelebrity Status on Instagram: Content Analysis (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Kerr ◽  
Richard Booth ◽  
Kimberley Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Use Of Social Media

BACKGROUND Instagram is a social media platform that enables users to share images and videos worldwide. Some nurses have used Instagram to document their experiences as a nurse and have subsequently gained microcelebrity status—that is, a user who purposefully seeks to amass a substantive Web-based following and has become recognized as a niche area of interest. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify the characteristics and behaviors of microcelebrity nurses who act as influencers on Instagram and use their nursing profile to gain attention and presence on the Web. METHODS A qualitative, exploratory, nonparticipatory content analysis of media and text generated by a purposeful sample of 10 registered nurses who use Instagram and sustain a definable microcelebrity status was conducted. In this study, manifest and latent data were examined to gain an understanding of the characteristics and behaviors of nurses who have attained microcelebrity status on Instagram. RESULTS Data analysis revealed 5 themes of Instagram posts: (1) engaging Instagram users, (2) educational opportunities and insights, (3) nursing-related humor, (4) emotions experienced by nurses, and (5) media and narratives including patient details or work context. Messages were primarily positive in nature; however, multiple potential privacy, ethical, and professional issues were noted throughout the posted content. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study help to expand the current knowledge related to the use of social media platforms such as Instagram, especially in regard to the emergence of nurses who use this form of technology to achieve or maintain a microcelebrity status. This study calls for additional research on nurses’ attainment of microcelebrity status on social media as well as further policy development to adequately prepare nurses to navigate social media.

Correlating Self-Report and Trace Data Measures of Incivility: A Proof of Concept

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 584-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby Hopp ◽  
Chris J. Vargo ◽  
Lucas Dixon ◽  
Nithum Thain
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
Application Programming Interface ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Online Behavior ◽  
Communication Behaviors ◽  
Trace Data ◽  
Application Programming ◽  
Programming Interface

This study correlated self-report and trace data measures of political incivility. Specifically, we asked respondents to provide estimates of the degree to which they engage in uncivil political communication online. These estimates were then compared to computational measures of uncivil social media discussion behavior. The results indicated that those who self-disclose uncivil online behavior also tend to generate content on social media that is uncivil as identified by Google’s Perspective application programming interface. Taken as a whole, this work suggests that combining self-report and behavioral trace data may be a fruitful means of developing multimethod measures of complex communication behaviors.

Young Citizens, Social Media, and the Dynamics of Political Learning in the U.S. Presidential Primary Election

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
pp. 1042-1060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Edgerly ◽  
Kjerstin Thorson ◽  
Chris Wells
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
News Media ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Media Exposure ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Political Learning ◽  
Presidential Primary ◽  
Political Events ◽  
Current Events

This study explores political learning among young adults during the 2016 U.S. presidential primary elections. We are interested in how the rise of digital and social media is affecting the ways young adults learn about political events as they happen. Using a rolling cross-section survey design, we surveyed a unique sample of American young adults every day for a period of 3 weeks. This method allows us to ask participants about breaking news events as they occur, and to connect knowledge of current events to self-report of media use during a very short time period. We examine the relationship between media exposure and political learning using both self-report media exposure measures and measures of the volume of attention to political events in the news media and via social sharing of news on Facebook. Results suggest that social media volume, not self-reports of exposure, was key in providing young adults with the opportunities to learn about politics during the 2016 U.S. primary season.

scholarly journals TRUST IN TAIWAN’S MEDIA ECOLOGY, AUDIENCE AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: 2018 TAIWANESE LOCAL ELECTIONS AND NATIONAL REFERENDA AS A CASE STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pai-Lin Chen ◽  
Yu-Chung Cheng ◽  
Wen-Cheng Fu ◽  
Trisha T.C Lin
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
News Media ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Online News ◽  
Media Ecology ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Fake News ◽  
The Relationship

This panel presents four papers aiming to examine the significance of the 2018 elections and referenda to Taiwan from the perspectives of instant news, social media, the relationship between online and offline behaviors of citizens, and socially mediated activism. The authors explored media ecology, trust issues toward the audience and civic engagements of these elections and referenda. The research methods of studies presented in this panel are also diverse, ranging from computational methods, national survey, to in-depth semi-structured interview. The first paper investigates how the online news media construct “liquid reality” in the election-related contents by analyzing instant news from five major online news media outlets in Taiwan. The second paper analyzes the election-related Twitter data by topic modeling and identifies issues, in which “fake news” was in play, and how social trust influence fake news sharing on social media was further discussed. The third paper characterize how the election-related information on social media influenced the offline behavior of the political participants by conducting a nation-wide survey to examine correlation between the online political information consumption behavior and the motivation to participate in real-life political activities. The fourth paper focuses on the relationship among socially mediated activism, fake news, and trust in social media in the referenda of same-sex marriage issues. By interviewing advocacy groups, third-party fact-checking organizations, governmental authorities, and social media platforms, the response strategies to the negative influence of fake news on social activism and vulnerable groups are explored.  

scholarly journals The Accuracy and Validity of Self-Reported Social Media Use Measures Among Adolescents

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Verbeij ◽  
J. Loes Pouwels ◽  
Ine Beyens ◽  
Patti M. Valkenburg
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Learning Effect ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Fatigue Effect ◽  
Trace Data ◽  
Experience Sampling Methods ◽  
Over Time

A growing number of studies have tried to assess the effects of social media on adolescents, who are among the most avid social media users. To establish the effects of social media use, we need accurate and valid instruments to measure adolescents’ time spent with these media. The aim of this preregistered study was to examine the accuracy and validity of retrospective surveys and experience sampling methods (ESM), by comparing adolescents’ responses to these self-report measures with their digital trace data. The sample consisted of 131 adolescents (48% girls; Mage = 14.1) with Android smartphones. In both retrospective surveys and ESM, adolescents overestimated their time spent on social media, but they more accurately estimated their time spent on platforms that are used in a less fragmented way (Instagram) than on platforms that are used in a more fragmented way (Snapchat). The between-person validity of adolescents’ time spent estimates according to retrospective surveys and ESM was sufficient (r ranged from .51 to .55). The accuracy of retrospective surveys increased over time (i.e., learning effect), while both the accuracy and validity of ESM decreased over time (i.e. fatigue effect).

Conflict Detection Techniques for Preserving Privacy in Social Media

2018 ◽  
pp. 78-85
Author(s):  
Fulpagare Priya K. ◽  
Nitin N. Patil
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Privacy Management ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
Network Integration ◽  
Critical Problem ◽  
Detection Techniques ◽  
Privacy Preferences ◽  
Content Sharing ◽  
Privacy Settings ◽  
Relationship Network

Social Network is an emerging e-service for Content Sharing Sites (CSS). It is an emerging service which provides reliable communication. Some users over CSS affect user’s privacy on their personal contents, where some users keep on sending annoying comments and messages by taking advantage of the user’s inherent trust in their relationship network. Integration of multiple user’s privacy preferences is very difficult task, because privacy preferences may create conflict. The techniques to resolve conflicts are essentially required. Moreover, these methods need to consider how users would actually reach an agreement about a solution to the conflict in order to offer solutions acceptable by all of the concerned users. The first mechanism to resolve conflicts for multi-party privacy management in social media that is able to adapt to different situations by displaying the enterprises that users make to reach a result to the conflicts. Billions of items that are uploaded to social media are co-owned by multiple users. Only the user that uploads the item is allowed to set its privacy settings (i.e. who can access the item). This is a critical problem as users’ privacy preferences for co-owned items can conflict. Multi-party privacy management is therefore of crucial importance for users to appropriately reserve their privacy in social media.

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