“Where to go on the weekend?” Trends for local information seeking in leisure settings using social media

Author(s):  
Eman Alyami ◽  
Sandra Toze
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ella Forgie ◽  
Hollis Lai ◽  
Bo Cao ◽  
Eleni Stroulia ◽  
Andrew James Greenshaw ◽  
...  

UNSTRUCTURED As many as 80% of internet users seek health information online. The social determinants of health (SDoH) are intimately related to who has access to the internet and healthcare as a whole. Those who face more barriers to care are more likely to benefit from accessing health information online, granted the information they are retrieving is accurate. Virtual communities on social media platforms are particularly interesting as venues for seeking health information online because peers have been shown to influence health behaviour more than almost anything else. Thus, it is important to recognize the potential of social media to have positive mediation effects on health, so long as any negative mediation effects are reconcilable. As a positive mediator of health, social media can be used as a direct or indirect mode of communication between physicians and patients, a venue for health promotion and health information, and a community support network. False or misleading content, social contagion, confirmation bias, and security and privacy concerns must be mitigated in order to realize full potential of social media as a positive mediator of health. In any case, it is clear that the intersections between the SDoH, social media, and health are intimate, and they must be taken into consideration by physicians. Here, we argue that a paradigm shift in the physician-patient relationship is warranted, one where physicians: a) acknowledge the impacts of the SDoH on information-seeking behaviour, b) recognize the positive and negative roles of social media as a mediator of health through the lens of the SDoH, and c) use social media to catalyze positive changes in the standard of care.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Purvendu Sharma

PurposeThe present research aims to introduce and understand the promising nature of destination evangelism in the context of social media-based tourism communities (SMTCs). Further, factors that influence evangelism and information-seeking behaviors on SMTCs are examined.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model is developed that features an interplay of destination distinctiveness, destination evangelism, travel commitment and information-seeking engagement. Data were collected from 215 active users of SMTCs and analyzed using structural equation models.FindingsThe research findings indicate that destination distinctiveness and information-seeking positively lead to destination evangelism. Information-seeking is found to mediate the relationship between (1) destination evangelism and travel commitment and (2) destination evangelism and distinctiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThe research offers meaningful insights into exploring constituents of destination evangelism. The research also understands and highlights the critical role of information-seeking engagement about distinct destinations.Practical implicationsThis research highlights key areas to build, improve and inspire destination evangelism on SMTCs.Originality/valueThis study offers a fresh contribution to tourism literature by investigating destination evangelism and its drivers. This is explained by closely uniting vital research streams of evangelism, tourism and engagement. It further highlights the dual mediating role of information seeking, suggesting that these engagements are critical to evangelizing destinations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances V.C. Ryan ◽  
Peter Cruickshank ◽  
Hazel Hall ◽  
Alistair Lawson

Results are reported from a study that investigated patterns of information behaviour and use as related to personal reputation building and management in online environments. An everyday life information seeking (ELIS) perspective was adopted. Data were collected by diary and interview from 45 social media users who hold professional and managerial work roles, and who are users of Twitter, Facebook and/or LinkedIn. These data were first transcribed, then coded with NVivo10 according to themes identified from a preliminary literature review, with further codes added as they emerged from the content of the participant diaries and interviews. The main findings reveal that the portrayal of different personas online contributes to the presentation (but not the creation) of identity, that information-sharing practices for reputation building and management vary according to social media platform, and that the management of online connections and censorship are important to the protection of reputation. The maintenance of professional reputation is more important than private reputation to these users. They are aware of the ‘blur’ between professional and private lives in online contexts, and the influence that it bears on efforts to manage an environment where LinkedIn is most the useful of the three sites considered, and Facebook the most risky. With its novel focus on the ‘whole self’, this work extends understandings of the impact of information on the building and management of reputation from an information science perspective.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Esharenana E. Adomi ◽  
Gloria O. Oyovwe-Tinuoye

The study is intended to explore COVID-19 information seeking and utilization among women in Warri Metropolis, Delta State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted using a self-constructed questionnaire to collect data. Data were analyzed using simple percentages. Findings revealed that a majority of the women need information on COVID-19 preventive measures, followed by causes of the pandemic; Internet is the source of COVID-19 information used by the highest number of respondents, followed by television and social media; a majority of them consider the authority of the source of the information on coronavirus followed by usefulness of the information; a majority access COVID-19 information to enable them identify symptoms of the disease followed by protection against COVID-19 infection while concern for reliability of much of the available information on the pandemic was a major barrier to their utilization of COVID-19 information. It is recommended that effort should be made by government to get mobile network operators to reduce network tariff.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengyan Zhu ◽  
Runxi Zeng ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Richard Evans ◽  
Rongrong He

BACKGROUND Social media has become the most popular communication tool used by Chinese citizens, including expectant mothers. An increasing number of women have adopted various forms of social media channels, such as interactive websites, instant messaging, and mobile apps, to solve problems and obtain answers to queries during pregnancy. Although the use of the internet by pregnant women has been studied extensively worldwide, limited research exists that explores the changing social media usage habits in China, where the 1 child policy ended in 2015. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to (1) present the status quo of pregnancy-related information seeking and sharing via social media among Chinese expectant mothers, (2) reveal the impact of social media usage, and (3) shed light on pregnancy-related health services delivered via social media channels. METHODS A qualitative approach was employed to examine social media usage and its consequences on pregnant women. A total of 20 women who had conceived and were at various stages of pregnancy were interviewed from July 20 to August 10, 2017. Thematic analysis was conducted on the collected data to identify patterns in usage. RESULTS Overall, 80% (16/20) of participants were aged in their 20s (mean 28.5 years [SD 4.3]). All had used social media for pregnancy-related purposes. For the seeking behavior, 18 codes were merged into 4 themes, namely, gravida, fetus, delivery, and the postpartum period; whereas for sharing behaviors, 10 codes were merged into 4 themes, namely, gravida, fetus, delivery, and caretaker. Lurking, small group sharing, bad news avoidance, and cross-checking were identified as the preferred patterns for using social media. Overall, 95% (19/20) of participants reported a positive mental impact from using social media during their pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS It is indisputable that social media has played an increasingly important role in supporting expectant mothers in China. The specific seeking and sharing patterns identified in this study indicate that the general quality of pregnancy-related information on social media, as well as Chinese culture toward pregnancy, is improving. The new themes that merge in pregnancy-related social media use represent a shift toward safe pregnancy and the promotion of a more enjoyable pregnancy. Future prenatal care should provide further information on services related to being comfortable during pregnancy and reducing the inequality of social media–based services caused by the digital divide.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harisman Harisman ◽  
Guntur Freddy Prisanto ◽  
Niken Febrina Ernungtyas

The 2019 simultaneous general election formed discourse in society with massive information seeking, rapid information dissemination and discussions related to the general election. Before the election starts, every candidate has the opportunity to campaign. The campaign is an opportunity that is always given to pairs of presidential and legislative candidates. This study aims to describe the search for information about elections by first-time voters and their perceptions regarding campaign props. This study uses a qualitative approach using a case study strategy. The data collection technique used in-depth interviews with four first-time voters who live in Depok, West Java. Based on the results of coding and thematic analysis that has been carried out, there are four main themes that have emerged regarding the search for election information among first-time voters. The four main themes are political engagement, banners as campaign props, social media and information seeking. This study concludes that early voters use social media and campaign props as information source for the election decision.


Author(s):  
Yuan Wang

Based on a uses and gratifications 2.0 approach, this study identified three social and psychological gratifications (i.e., entertainment, information seeking, socializing) and four affordance-related gratifications (i.e., immediate contacts, controllability, bandwagon, and being there) that motivated Chinese temporary migrants to use social media. Both types of gratifications were positively linked to social media usage among temporary migrants. Social media usage positively predicted social support, while different patterns of social media usage were related to different types of social support.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susruthi Rajanala ◽  
Jennifer Wilson ◽  
Paul Mitchell ◽  
Katharine Garvey ◽  
Laurie Fishman

BACKGROUND There is increasing focus on social media usage among young adult patients. OBJECTIVE This study aims to understand and compare the social media habits of youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS This is a cross-sectional study of subjects from Boston Children’s Hospital outpatient IBD and diabetes clinics. Patients over the age of 18 were invited to complete a brief anonymous survey, which asked about the various ways they use several social media platforms. RESULTS A total of 108 patients were included evenly split across disease type. Eighty-three percent of participants spent at least 30 minutes per day on social media, most commonly on Instagram and Facebook. While the content varied based on the platform, patients with IBD posted or shared content related to their disease significantly less than those with T1D (38% vs 23%, P=0.02) Among Instagram users, IBD patients were less likely to engage with support groups (22% vs 56%, P=0.04). Among Twitter users, IBD patients were less likely to seek disease information (77% vs 29%, P=0.005) Among Facebook users, IBD patients were less likely to post about research and clinical trials (31% vs 65%, P=0.04) or for information seeking (49% vs 87%, P=0.003), IBD patients were also less likely to share their diagnosis with friends or family in person. CONCLUSIONS Young adults with IBD were less willing to share diagnosis, post or explore disease on social media. This could lead to a sense of isolation and should be further explored.


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